The Suits universe is about to return with the premiere of Suits LA, as Aaron Korsh’s legal franchise takes viewers to the West Coast. It has been more than half a decade since the book was closed on Korsh’s original series, but following a massive resurgence of Suits on Netflix, it didn’t take long before Korsh and his creative team came together to tell the next installment in the franchise. However, after having followed the New York-based law firm, the Suits universe is now being told from the City of Angels itself, a la Suits LA.
Focused on a former federal prosecutor, Suits LA centers on Ted Black (Stephen Amell) and his criminal and entertainment law firm. Starring as the female lead in Suits LA is Lex Scott Davis, who is entering this universe as Erica Rollins, who ScreenRant recently sat down with for an exclusive interview to preview her character’s role in the NBC drama.
Davis shared what it was like to join the Suits universe and how Erica stands as her own powerful force of nature, following the other women from the original series. Davis also teased one of the core dynamics in Suits LA with Erica and Leah (Alice Lee) along with the return of Gabriel Macht as Harvey Specter and what other Suits characters she would love to see join the spinoff.
Lex Scott Davis On Joining The Suits Universe With Suits LA
“I Wanted To Pull Inspiration From The Original”
ScreenRant: Erica is joining this amazing franchise of amazing women that we’ve seen across the original series. What was something that was important for you to bring to her that helped her stand out from characters like Jessica, Rachel, Katrina, and Donna?
Lex Scott Davis: I think the main difference is bringing a little bit of me. That’s all I can do as an actor. Just bring personal experiences to the table. I definitely was very inspired by the women of the original, but I didn’t want to be a direct copy-paste of them. I don’t think that would be fair to anyone, including them. So I wanted to pull inspiration from the original but also find ways I could, as Lex, relate to Erica and lean into that as deeply as I could.
With that also being said, being very inspired by my mom, who was a paralegal in her younger days and now still is running the same law firm that she was running since before I was born. This world has been around me all my life and my mom happens to also be very fabulous [laughs.] So pulling, drawing in all the inspirations, I find that Erica is more of an amalgamation of all of these powerhouse women that I’ve been exposed to throughout my life.
Has she seen the show yet and kind of been like, ‘Oh, this is totally how it would work in real life’?
Lex Scott Davis: She’s seen the original, and I keep laughing, I can’t wait for her to see it with her colleagues so they can put everything to a test and see if we’re saying everything right or using everything accurately. But the cool thing about it too is that beyond just the legal jargon, it’s an opportunity to dive into these wonderful characters and their relationships and their complexities and all the things that make them great and also make them flawed.
I think that’s going to be what attracts viewers to sticking around because it’s not so legal that it’s foreign to us. It’s something that’s easily digestible because I feel everyone can see a little bit of themselves in each of these characters, if that makes sense.
How Erica & Leah’s Dynamic Evolves In Suits LA Season 1
“I Think A Huge Part Of Erica Is Also Inspired By Leah”
One of the dynamics I have already fallen in love with in this show is Leah and Erica. I love this little sisterhood that’s going on with them. What do you think it is that they see in each other that helps them complete one another, and what can you tease about the dynamic as we go into the rest of the season? I’ve seen up to episode 3 so you guys have come a long way so far already.
Lex Scott Davis: The Erica and Leah dynamic, there’s a little bit of hazing that goes on there. It is a little bit of sorority feeling, but Erica, for the most part, she’s a mentor and Leah is a mentee. I think although sometimes Erica can be very hard and sometimes even mean to Leah, I think a huge part of Erica is also inspired by Leah and what she can become as another woman in this space and holding her to it, “If you say you want to do something great, I’m going to challenge you. I’m going to make you fight hard for what you think you deserve.” And that is a direct reflection of what Erica is experiencing. EverHOything she’s doing with Leah is just a mirror image of herself and her experience throughout her career.
What To Expect From Suits LA’s Upcoming Harvey Specter Return
“The Respect Is All Mutual, And It Was All Very Warm”
We know that Gabriel Macht is coming on as Harvey Specter from Suits. Everyone is dying to see how he’s going to fit in. Did you get to work with him at all, if you can tease about how he fits into the story? Is there anyone else from the original show that you would want to come on that you’re like, ‘This is on the top of my list. I got to work with them, somehow, some way.’
Lex Scott Davis: Yeah, Gabriel is coming back, and because we are actively filming the show as it’s airing, we haven’t gotten to his work yet. I think I’m not scheduled to work on the days he’s coming, but I was like, ‘Well…I think I want to show up anyway.’ I might just take a walk over to the set, just so I can meet him and just show my respects. It’s a real joy what he was able to do with the original, he walked so we could run.
I feel like I’d be thrilled to meet him in-person. In the beginning of this, before we met, before we started filming the pilot, he sent us all the most lovely message, and it was before we even knew that he was coming back, before he probably even knew he was coming back. It was just this wonderful passing of the torch that happened pretty early on. And the respect is all mutual, and it was all very warm and very welcoming. So I’m excited to see him perform, and I’m excited to show up on the day that I’m not scheduled to be there just to meet him because I’m excited.
When I watched the original, I was very inspired by Jessica Pearson, played by Gina Torres, and I feel like she would be epic in a scene. To have Pearson and Erica in the same scene, it would be magical. So I would love if we had the opportunity to bring her back, but we never know. It’s all fun. Aaron Korsh, our creator, and he created the original as well, it’s all up to him. I just love that he has full range to play with all of these characters. You never know, you never know what’s going to happen…
More About Suits LA Season 1
Ted Black, a former federal prosecutor from New York, has reinvented himself representing the most powerful clients in Los Angeles. His firm is at a crisis point, and in order to survive, he must embrace a role he held in contempt his entire career. Ted is surrounded by a stellar group of characters who test their loyalties to both Ted and each other while they can’t help but mix their personal and professional lives. All of this is going on while we slowly unravel the events that years ago led Ted to leave behind everything and everyone he loved.
Suits LA premieres Sunday, February 23, at 9/8c on NBC.
Source: Screen Rant Plus
Suits LA
4/10
- Release Date
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February 23, 2025
- Writers
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Aaron Korsh
Cast
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josh mcdermitt
Stuart Lane
