The Admirable Reason Behind Patrick J. Adams' Suits Exit
Sometimes, the show simply must go on — even without its own lead actor. After performing well enough to justify nine total seasons on the USA Network, "Suits" has recently enjoyed an outright explosion in popularity since making the leap to Netflix. But while fans who had been along for the ride all along likely knew the writing was on the wall for both Patrick J. Adams (who played the smooth-talking attorney Mike Ross) and Meghan Markle (who portrayed paralegal Rachel Zane), binge-watching newcomers may have been surprised to dive into season 7 and discover that they were in for a world of change. But, in many ways, it was perfect timing for these characters to take their leave and sail into the sunset in happily wedded bliss.
In reality, of course, Markle had an actual royal wedding to plan for that ate up most of her time and necessitated her exit from the long-running series back in 2018. As for Adams, his personal circumstances may not have made for the same level of tabloid fodder as his famous co-star, but his reasons for stepping away were no less noble. In an interview conducted with The Hollywood Reporter before the conclusion of the seventh season of "Suits," he explained what went into the decision to leave the show that put him on the map for good:
"After seven seasons — really, eight years of being away from home and away from my now-wife ["Pretty Little Liars" star Troian Bellisario] and there was that pressure."
Can't argue with that! Television productions are notorious for their demands on the schedules of both cast and crew. "Suits" stands out as an obvious example of an immensely popular show amounting to over 100 total episodes throughout almost a decade of success. That takes a toll.
'This is more of my time and more of my life'
Patrick J. Adams just knew it was time to call it quits. "Suits" had reached the beginnings of a natural endpoint for the character after season 6 followed Mike Ross serving a two-year prison sentence for fraud. As part of his terms of release, Mike had promised to turn his back on the powerful, corporate legal machines he'd been serving all along ... but where would the character go next? Adams had similar concerns, explaining later in the interview that, "I started thinking about leaving at the end of the first half of season 6, after Mike was released from prison. From a story point of view, I was a little unsure of what was left for him to do ... I wasn't sure how we were going to work that version of the character into the fabric of the show."
Ultimately, it took until midway through season 7 for the actor to make the final call:
"Everybody was going full steam ahead and I stopped and said, 'We need to think about this because this is more of my time and more of my life — and what's the story left to tell?' [...] I had this voice in my head that said that we've told his story and if he hangs out longer, Mike is just going to be another lawyer on television. That didn't feel right for him. It didn't feel right for where I was at in my life, either."
One lengthy but constructive three-hour conversation with "Suits" creator Aaron Korsh later, the two had amicably hashed out a way to bring Mike's story to an end. As for Adams, he hasn't looked back. In his own words, "It feels like a brand-new start."