Patrick J. Adams
I recently spoke with Patrick J Adams, who plays Mike Ross on the USA Network series Suits.
When we last saw Ross, he had just entered Danbury Prison after accepting a plea deal from federal prosecutor Anita Gibbs (Leslie Hope) to serve only two years in prison for committing fraud.
I can’t remember the last time a show has shaken-up its original premise as much as Suits has. It was fascinating to listen to Adams talk about what it is like to play the same character in what could almost be described as a spin-off series.
Having screened the season premiere, “To Trouble,” I have to admit the revamped Suits takes a while to get used to. So much of what makes the series work is the chemistry between Harvey (Gabriel Macht) and Mike. With that dynamic significantly reduced, It was a relief to hear Adams talk about the ways writers are working on finding new ways to inject humor into the storylines.
Tune in to the season six premiere of Suits, Wednesday, July 13, 2016, at 10/9c, only on USA.
Here are my questions, followed by the remaining Q&A of the call.
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Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Greg Staffa with Your Entertainment Corner. Please proceed with your question.
Greg Staffa: Thanks for taking our call today, Patrick. I’m trying to remember the last time a show has been so fundamentally shaken up and it’s almost like you’ve got your own spinoff called, “Orange is the New Suits.”
Patrick J. Adams: Yes.
Greg Staffa: Can you talk about what it was like still being Mike Ross but in a totally different environment? Did you change your approach?
Patrick J. Adams: I don’t think I necessarily changed my approach but, I mean, you’re right. It does feel like a new show. I think my approach was the same but I definitely had to up my game in a way that I hadn’t been after the first couple seasons of, “Suits.” When I went back to work the story might have changed a little bit or some of the relationships are in a different place.
But I always sort of felt like I was going back to the same home and you sort of get into the same rhythms and going back this season, I was forced back into a situation where you get to make brand-new choices and you get to figure out, well, how do I operate in this environment and what is my relationship to these new people.
And there are a couple of scenes even within this first episode where I’ve never had to play those kinds of stakes before on the show, speaking of my life being threatened or being in physical danger.
That’s not something I’ve ever had to do on the show, so my approach is pretty similar but I got – it was sort of like a reawakening. I got to be a part of building this new world with the writers and the directors.
And that is really energizing. You know, after six seasons you can start to feel like you get into such similar rhythms, you just are doing the same thing over and over again as an actor and as a fan of the show.
I don’t like to tune in and see that and as an actor, I’m always looking for a new way to express something or how a character gets to grow. So this has been such a gift for me as an actor.
Greg Staffa: And a quick follow up. The tone, it sounds like it’s going to be much darker and SUITS has always been kind of known for their lightheartedness and humor, once in a while you got roughed up. Do you risk losing fans or how do you think that fans will react to seeing a darker tone of SUITS?
Patrick J. Adams: You know, I think what they’ve done really excellently this season, and I’m obviously not a part of the other world of what’s going on. But I think what, SUITS used to do is that we would all have a lot of drama – is that we would all have drama and we would all have comedy.
And I think people really responded to that and it works really well. But I think what’s happening this season is because prison is a difficult place to find a lot of levity given the circumstances of the show, there’s just been – there’s (less a shift) totally for the whole show but, more one storyline is a little heavier.
And, you know, the stakes are really high for Mike, so there’s a darker tone for him in prison but they’ve done a really good job of balancing that with a ton of levity with what’s going on with Louis, with the storyline in the office and renting out the offices to somebody new and interesting and hilarious characters.
Obviously, Donna and Louis have got a lot of funny stuff going on, so there is definitely no lack of levity in the show and it’s just certain characters are picking up that particular ball and running with it while this season, Mike is, you know, dealing with the reality of trying to get out of prison. And then, you know, hopefully moving on, that balance might shift once the circumstances change again.
Greg Staffa: Thank you.
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Operator: Our first question comes from the line of Jamie. Please proceed with your question.
Jamie: Hi. Thanks so much for talking to us today.
Patrick J. Adams: Yes, of course. My pleasure.
Jamie: Yes, I really enjoyed the premiere. So I wanted to ask you, obviously in a way it’s kind of ironic because, you know, Mike, he’s a good guy but he’s technically a con and he’s a little over trusting though and that kind of…
Patrick J. Adams: Yes.
Jamie: really backfires on him in the premiere in regards to when he’s in prison. Can you kind of talk about kind of how that’s going to affect things moving forward and if that’s going to, I assume, at some point going to come back even worse to bite him in the butt?
Patrick J. Adams: Yes, I think one of the big pitfalls of Mike is that what you touched on, is that he falls for a good sob story pretty quickly and he can be sort of naive when he hears about somebody’s personal tragedy.
And I think that sort of sets us off really nicely on the sixth season and sets up for who he can trust and who he can’t trust. I think it’s a lesson that, in prison, he’s only going to need to learn once which is sort of great for Mike.
I think he spent six seasons trying to learn that he can’t always fall for the first sob story that he hears, that he kind of always falls into the trap that the consequences aren’t as extreme as they’re going to be in prison.
You know, this is a place where there’s really no room for error and he makes a pretty extreme error in the first episode. So he’s got to do everything he can to try and make up for it and be more prepared the next time around.
Jamie: Okay. And, then, as a follow-up, and I know you can’t tell me exactly, but I’m curious, is he going to – the prison thing, is that going to be sort of a season-long work or is that something that’s maybe going to be resolved fairly quickly? Can you comment at all on that?
Patrick J. Adams: Yes, I can say that it is not resolved quickly but it is something that we are working to resolve. Obviously, after being in prison for a night – I think anyone who is in prison wants to get out as quickly as possible.
And Mike is fortunate that he’s a very smart guy and he is fortunate to know Harvey Specter who is also pretty good at what he does and them together, you know, we spent five seasons watching these guys come up with creative solutions to what seemed like impossible problems.
And that’s no different here. They get to work very hard over the course of the season to try and come up with creative ways to get him out of there as quickly as possible and to make sure that while he is in there, he stays alive. So it is a season-long journey, and him being in that jail cell is a big part of season six. It’s not something we’re going to solve quickly or easily.
Jamie: Okay. Great. All right, thank you so much.
Patrick J. Adams: Thank you.
Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Shana. Please proceed with your questions.
Shana: Hi, Patrick. So I’ve always noticed that despite having a lot of differences, Harvey and Mike have always worked really well together and kind of built up this really strong foundation in a relationship. How is that going to change now that Mike is in prison especially since they can’t work together the way that they are used to?
Patrick J. Adams: I don’t necessarily know that it changes their relationship or the way that they work necessarily changes too much. I mean, Harvey is the only person that can come to visit him in prison because he’s his lawyer.
And so it’s sort of like the context of them working together is a little different and where they are doing most of their meetings is a little bit different, but the way that they work together is sort of what is similar to what people have experienced.
I think consequences are right. Stakes could not be higher than they’ve ever been and Mike’s life is being threatened pretty regularly and his behavior the prison that’s really dangerous for Mike.
But the way that they come about trying to solve this problem I think is what people will recognize from other seasons of the show and will get to see them both working harder than they’ve ever worked to make sure that Mike stays safe and hopefully gets out of prison before two years is up.
Shana: All right, thank you.
Patrick J. Adams: Thanks.
Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Jamie. Please proceed with your question.
Jamie: Between Mike and Harvey this season, the rapport they have, are they going to continue that snarky banter this season at all?
Patrick J. Adams: I think Mike realizes that once he’s in prison, Harvey is his best hope and chance of getting out of there. You know, there’s always a good rapport between the two of them.
I think it’s a little less of the playful banter just given that the stakes are so high this season. But I think there’s definitely the snarky quality. And I think at times, they have a difference of opinion on the best way to go about doing what they do.
And I think that’s when Mike and Harvey are kind of at their best and that’s when the conflict is the most interesting – is when you have these two characters who are both really smart, really good at what they do but they are coming at the same problem from different angles.
And what’s great about this plot line is that there’s a world – there’s a side of the problem that Harvey doesn’t necessarily have access to which is the world in prison.
So they’re trying to solve the same problem but Mike has to work from inside the prison and do what he can from the inside while Harvey is doing what he can from the outside.
And for the show, that really opens us up to a lot of different characters, a lot of different worlds and it allows for the story of trying to get Mike out to be really extensive and complex and not just that it’s one world.
Jamie: Do you see Mike and Rachel this season?
Patrick J. Adams: You know, I think that Mike and Rachel were on the rocks and that they were dealing with a heavy situation in that Mike was going away but in some ways, in my opinion, their relationship, even though it was so strange and they decided not to get married at the last moment, in a lot of ways, it’s never been stronger.
I think there’s a lot of love there. There’s a lot of trust. There’s a lot of faith that when this thing was done they would find their way back to each other. And so there is, obviously because of the story, there’s not a ton of Mike and Rachel stuff shot so far.
But it’s really – there’s the presence of Rachel and Mike’s life and the effect that she has on him in the determination that she gives him for really wanting to get out of here and get back to her, is what’s driving him even though, while they’re not so much together, the need in the desire to get back to each other is so strong over the course of the season that it’s a real driving point for Mike.
Jamie: Wonderful. Thank you so much.
Patrick J. Adams: Sure.
Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Laura. Please proceed with your question.
Laura: Hi, Patrick.
Patrick J. Adams: Hi.
Laura: Yes. So we’re introduced to a new character, the correction officer who is analyzing what it is like in prison. But with his impact, what do you feel like Michael learned from the season, in general, because he is really getting deep into Mike’s psyche?
Patrick J. Adams: Yes, I think that character is really there to help Mike go through the process of taking responsibility for what he’s done. You know, it’s something he had already begun the process of by basically taking the bullet for his friend in deciding to go to prison in the first place.
But there’s still, I think, some part of Mike that believes that he’s been (hard done by) or that he doesn’t really deserve to be there or that, you know, he’s different from everybody else in there.
And I think that character is there to put Mike in his placed a little bit and say, you know, you did something really wrong and until you really take responsibility for that, not just in actions, but sort of in your heart and in your soul and begin to make amends for that, you’re not going to get anywhere.
You’re just going to kind of be the same person. So I think the character is really there to have this prison storyline be something that’s not just sort of plot driven but also character driven.
So hopefully once Mike does get out of prison eventually, he just doesn’t feel like he served his time because that was what was expected of him but he served his time because it’s what he had to do in order to move on with his life.
Laura: Okay, and second follow up would be, what would – other than being away from Rachel, what’s the hardest transition for Mike being in prison?
Patrick J. Adams: I feel like it’s a dangerous environment. You know, Mike has always sort of been in a world where he was unsure of himself and trying to hide things from people but his life is actually being threatened.
He’s in real physical danger in this place. At any moment, something could happen to him – he potentially could die – or he could be really hurt or he could be responsible for somebody else being really hurt.
And we haven’t really explored things like that on the show before, that kind of violence or that kind of dealing with mortality is not something that Suits has ever really had to face.
I guess, for me, that would be the biggest part of this prison storyline is getting him out of the comfort zone of being in this office building and doing his best to keep a dark secret because now he’s just trying to save his life and stay alive.
Laura: All right, thank you so much.
Patrick J. Adams: Of course.
Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Kirby.
Kirby: Hi Patrick.
Patrick J. Adams: Hi Kirby.
Kirby: Hey. So I’m asking a couple of questions on behalf of two reporters (that aren’t on) the line.
Patrick J. Adams: Yes.
Kirby: One is from (our) USANetwork.com and the first question is, do you have a personal favorite prison movie and if so, how do you think Mike would fare in that scenario?
Patrick J. Adams: Oh, that’s a good question. Gosh, I guess, “Shawshank Redemption,” is the classic I keep coming back to it. I think that particular prison world is pretty bleak and pretty difficult.
My other favorite prison movie would probably be, “Hunger,” Steve McQueen’s movie which is really bleak. Most prison films are going to be a lot darker than what Mike Ross is having to deal with this season on SUITS.
So I’m not sure how well he would deal with it but, I do know, I guess I see a lot of comparisons between Andy Dufresne and Mike Ross. They’re both really intelligent guys who get the lay of the land pretty quick and figure out who to trust as quickly as possible and then make a creative game plan for changing their circumstance as quickly as possible.
Kirby: Awesome. And the second question is, what has been or what is your favorite thing about directing an episode of, SUITS, and what were some of the challenges in that?
Patrick J. Adams: Well, the challenges of directing is just that you get so used to, over the course of the show, as I’ve known, is just thinking about one thing which is how to play Mike Ross, what he’s going through in this moment, what a storyline is.
It’s a very focused thing when you’re playing a part. And when you’re directing, you suddenly have to take into account everybody’s point of view and everybody’s storyline and where they are in that storyline.
But ultimately for me, getting to direct an episode of the season has easily been the biggest gift of the show for me over the course of six seasons.
It’s an opportunity to explore all of these characters, work with them, work with these amazing actors that we have to come up with new and dynamic ways for them to deal with the circumstances they have.
I mean, in a strange way you get to be the boss – whereas if you’re an actor, you don’t necessarily get to make the choices.
As a director, I get to come in and really work with every single department, work with the props department, work with a set designers, choose a location.
So it’s a lot more involved. It takes a lot more time and it’s a serious marathon, the amount of hours you’re working. But because it’s so much fun and so integrated, the time disappears and it’s like being a kid again.
Kirby: And then my last question, since you’re in prison this season without the main cast, what’s the best and worst part about that?
Patrick J. Adams: The best part is that feeling of getting to be on a new show, getting to sort of in the new ways of doing things and work with the writers and the directors to create these new worlds – this new world, the present world.
But now that were getting into a, I think, you know, the hardest part is that I miss my friends and a lot of those interactions. I miss what Mike feels like.
And I miss the interactions between Mike and Donna. I miss the looks that Mike gives Louis when Louis is doing something weird. I miss an intimate scene with Rachel where we get to see, you know, how the walls come down a little bit.
All of those relationships I got so used to playing. I’m definitely realizing that being away from them is sad, because it would be for Mike, and I’m excited to hopefully be reunited with them soon.
Kirby: Awesome. Thank you.
Patrick J. Adams: Totally. Thanks.
Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Anna. Please proceed with your question.
Anna: Hi, Patrick.
Patrick J. Adams: Hi.
Anna: I have question. So my favorite part is seeing you and your fiancé working together. Will we see that this season and can you say what was the pros and cons of working with someone you’re really close with.
Patrick J. Adams: Oh, you mean my real-life fiancée?
Anna: Yes, your real life fiancée.
Patrick J. Adams: Oh, my real life fiancée. No, that’s okay. I wasn’t sure. We love working together. Thus far, there is no game plan for us working together. We haven’t worked together yet.
She’s obviously not in prison, and I don’t know of any game plan, although I do know that those people responsible for making those decisions love having her on.
And the best part is just getting to spend time. Obviously, she and I live very far from each other and don’t get to spend a ton of time together while we’re both shooting our shows.
We met working together. We love working together but it’s just so easy and simple and it’s (great) for us to get to spend even more time together. So you can’t really get better than that.
Anna: Awesome. Thank you so much.
Patrick J. Adams: Thank you.
Caitlin: And Silvana, this is Caitlin. We only have time for about two more questions. We have about four to five questions left in the call.
Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Lee. Please proceed with your question.
Lee: Hey, Patrick, I’m glad to be the last question. Can you hear me okay?
Patrick J. Adams: Yes, totally.
Lee: Okay, great. Good, good. In our time is limited here. An earlier question was about the snarky dialogue. How much room do you guys have for improv within each script?
Patrick J. Adams: It’s become less and less over the course of the show just given the realities of production and trying to get as many episodes done in a short period of time. You know, I think early on in the first few seasons (or two), there was – it was more part of the show especially as there was a little bit more humor and levity between Harvey and Mike.
There was definitely more room in the process of shooting the show to include improv and Gabriel and I sort of (had a fun thing). As the season goes on and will become more exhausted and I doing our best just to get the thing shot, I think some of that starts to fall away a little bit.
But it also depends on who’s really holding the ball comedy wise in the show. I would say, you know, I haven’t worked with (Rick) this season but I know from working with him that because a lot of times he has these sorts of really wild funny scenes.
Then in those scenes, there is a little bit more room for added dialogue and adding a line in here or changing the ending a little bit. We always say what’s on the page and make sure that we get what the writer’s intended.
But there’s a lot of times, especially when directing, when they’re (toning) the scene, they’re getting ready to shoot and (Aaron) or the writer of the episode will say, you know, “This is what we wrote but if he wants to do something different in this part, or if there’s a different joke that you guys want to try in this moment that’s a little funnier, then go for it.”
Lee: Right.
Patrick J. Adams: But ultimately, the real litmus test of what’s funny are the people on our set. You know, and if we can make everybody laugh on a take, then that’s usually a good sign that we’re headed in the right direction.
Lee: And that must have changed over the years as your relationships have kind of grown.
Patrick J. Adams: Totally. Yes, it changes – the whole thing is sort of a growing organism. You know, so the same things that made us laugh two years ago, you know, you can’t rely on them again to make you laugh this time which I think is the same with an audience.
You can’t keep making the same exact joke that we’ve done for years because the audience gets used to it. So we use ourselves as a barometer of what is going to still be funny.
Lee: Great. Thank you very much.
Patrick J. Adams: Yes, of course. Thank you.
Operator: Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, that does conclude the conference call for today. We thank you for your participation.
For more on the show, go to http://www.usanetwork.com/series/suits/.
Follow Suits on Twitter, as well as some of the cast: <Mike> Patrick J Adams, <Harvey> Gabriel Macht, <Rachel> Meghan Markle, <Louis> Rick Hoffman, <Donna> Sarah Rafferty and <The prison counselor> Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
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