Gina Torres Talks Suits LA and Reveals the One Rule That Guided Jessica Pearson
Gina Torres’s veteran career brought her to this moment. Will there be a job opening at Black Lane Law Firm on Suits LA?
It’s not hard to understand why people loved Jessica Pearson so much in the original Suits.
As the managing partner of Pearson & Hardman and Harvey Specter’s boss, Gina Torres’s character effortlessly conveyed “lethal, badass” vibes, as the actress put in on the Suits watch podcast. Her ambition and confidence made her a sheer force of nature in the series for six seasons. Torres’s character reemerged stronger after her exit from the flagship show on her own Suits spinoff, Pearson, where she played a fixer for Chicago’s mayor.
Now, with Suits LA set to premiere on February 23 on NBC, fans are wondering if there will be a job opening for Jessica Pearson. The spin-off series features a new cast led by Ted Black (Stephen Amell) and best friend Stuart Lane (Josh McDermitt), who together launch Ted Lane Law, an entertainment and criminal law firm with A-list Hollywood clientele. Gabriel Macht is set to return as Harvey Specter, and many original Suits cast members have expressed interest in reprising their roles.
In an interview with “The Hollywood Reporter,” Torres got candid about her Suits character and weighs in on the burning question: will we see Jessica Pearson again?
Will Jessica Pearson guest star on Suits LA?
The short answer is: The jury’s out. Torres doesn’t know if she will reprise her role on Suits LA. The actress is open to the idea and always welcomes the chance to play a powerful female lead.
“If there’s a badass in my future, I’m going to play her! I’m going to play her to the best of my ability, and I will continue to add layers and nuance to whoever she might be,” she told the outlet, adding that there’s so much more exploring to do when portraying strong women on screen.
Most recently, she played Tommy Vega on 9-1-1: Lone Star, a vulnerable single mom and widow who overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles by taking a role as a paramedic to support her family during Covid. Her character also battled breast cancer.
“There are so many different ways of being a woman in the world, right? And I’m dedicated to exploring as many of those ways as possible. I’ve often said it’s lovely to be able to play those women who don’t have every answer, who aren’t sure of what comes next, someone who really might let her lesser angels dictate what her next move is going to be. I think that’s great, and I see that in the future for myself. There’s certainly some comedy that comes of that, so we’ll see,” she stated.
What is the one rule she had for Jessica Pearson on Suits?
Torres always adds nuance and fascinating backstory to her roles, and Suits was no exception. The versatile actress said she had one rule for her character.
During a pivotal time in the series when Jessica Pearson takes over the firm, Torres had a conversation with the show’s creator, Aaron Korsh to discuss her character.
“I knew exactly what my job was on that show, and I never asked for more story. I never asked for more screen time. I never asked for any of that, really. But what I did ask for was very, very specific, especially as we got into season three,” she revealed.
“I said, ‘I certainly don’t need to be in every scene. But when I do show up, I do need to be the smartest person in the room” she added.
Pearson certainly was the smartest person in the room (courtroom, boardroom, or otherwise), helping to drive the show’s success and providing inspiration to many along the way. “I feel personally responsible for entirely too many new attorneys in the world,” she joked.
As for the future of Jessica Pearson? Fans will just have to tune in to Suits LA when it premieres on February 23 to find out. Catch up on the original Suits on Peacock now.
