Harvey Spector aka Gabriel Macht: Never thought Suits would run for six years

Never did actor Gabriel Macht imagine that his role as Harvey Spector, the smooth, good-looking, and overconfident lawyer in the American legal drama series Suits, would bring him global fame. The 45-year-old actor says that he didn’t think the show, now so popular, would survive for more than six years.

“We are shooting our 100th episode right now as we speak, and it has been an incredible past six years. But did I think that the show will have legs to run for six and more years? No, I was like, ‘In how many ways can you tell a story?’ But then, Aaron Korsh (the show’s creator) has found a way to tell it in different ways, and everyone loves it,” says Macht.

The American actor, who has also worked in popular movies, including Behind Enemy Lines ( 2001) and Love & Other Drugs (2011), feels grateful when fans say that they’re inspired by the show.

“It means that not only are we entertaining people and giving them an escape route from their daily lives, [but] we also inspire them to be something more. That’s a great thing,” he says.

As the show gets ready to air its seventh season, which will premiere in India on July 14 on Comedy Central, Macht speaks to us exclusively over the phone from Los Angeles, and talks about the show and what it means to him. Excerpts:

The character of Harvey Spector has become quite iconic over the years. Does it bother you that it will be difficult for you to play a different character once the show is over? In some ways, it’s going to be very difficult, because there are many who are my fans because of Harvey Spector. So they’d want me to continue with the character, have the same kind of style — the banter and the overconfidence. So when it does get over, maybe I will take a break, and then come back and have a beard, you know (laughs). I mean, I hope that people give me that space to try different characters on screen and justify them, as well as I did Harvey’s.

Harvey’s lines are often quoted by many fans of the show, and they have become hugely inspirational. Do you have a favourite Harvey Spector quote? I don’t really have a personal favourite Harvey Spector quote. I read them, and sometimes I go like, ‘Oh, that’s pretty cool’, or ‘Wow, that’s intelligent.’ But honestly, I can’t afford to remember the lines. I am learning eight pages of dialogues every day, so it becomes tough for me to remember everything. Too much information, you know (laughs). But I know that people love them and get inspired by [them] as well. That’s a really gratifying thing.

Harvey is also known for his good looks on the show. Is there any specific regime that you follow to look so good?(Laughs) I don’t look like Harvey at all in real life. It’s not me. I only look good because I go to the van, where a man puts make-up on me for about 30 minutes. There’s a guy who does my hair, and then there are these incredible designers who make clothes perfect for every inch of your body. I don’t have any particular style guide, or a look book that I follow, and it’s down to the make-up, the hair stylist and the designers who make me look good.

The character has had an impact on so many people across the globe. How has it impacted you? He has had a great impact and I have understood the world in a better way through Harvey Spector. He has taught me to understand men, women, relationships, and many other things. He has made me understand the importance of decision-making, and that’s something that I will always cherish.