It’s a new season of USA Network’s polished television drama, Suits and as we saw in the season premiere, things between Rachel Zane and Mike Ross aren’t getting any less complicated anytime soon. “Love is never easy,” says Meghan Markle, the L.A.-born beauty who portrays Pearson Hardman’s savviest paralegal. “Mike Ross brings out her vulnerable side. As we saw in season one, her Achilles heel has always been her inability to test well. She had been so jaded in a way by all these hot shots that come to the firm and have this bravado, and she always assumed that Mike was the same sort of guy. I think in watching the development of their relationship, you really get to see that she has a soft spot for him.” Though the show presents itself as a legal drama, the focus is far more grounded in the relationships of the characters than in the cases in their litigation bags. “Part of the appeal is in watching the push and pull and trying to see if the characters can make it work. For me certainly as an actor half the fun is waiting to see how it’ll all play out.” You know a show is bitingly witty when even the actors are dying to know what happens next. “When I get the script and I call my other cast mates, we all have this communal ‘oh my god, did you read that?!’ moment. I’d fan girl over the show even if I wasn’t on it. I just think it’s so much fun and I’m so proud to be a part of it.” So what’s on the horizon for Rachel and the other formidable minds over at Pearson Hardman? “I would love for Rachel to become a lawyer. Not only would she become a great role model if that happened, but I think it would really shift the dynamic at the firm. It’s all up to the writers. What I can promise is that there will be a lot of fun in store.” Catch Suits Thursdays at 10/9c on USA.
Interviewed by Ashley Symone Lee
Photographed by Vince Trupsin
The CW’s upcoming medical comedy drama, Emily Owens, M.D. follows the slightly awkward shenanigans of Emily Owens (Mamie Gummer) a first-year intern at Denver Memorial Hospital, where her high school nemesis Cassandra Kopelson (Aja Naomi King) and her crush Will Rider (Justin Hartley) also work. “He’s of the mind that they are best friends and they’re there for each other. It’s them versus the world,” says Hartley. “He finds out that she’s got a different idea about the relationship, and he doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t want to hurt her but at the same time he can’t lead her on. It’s a tough situation to be in.” For Hartley, after his dramatic roles on Smallville and Passions, the choice to do a comedy was an easy decision to make. “I talked to my close friends, my family and my agent who is also one my closest friends about what I wanted to do. I wanted to pursue something that had a little humor in it. I adore Smallville and I owe everything to it, but I found myself comfortable in the recurring themes of these hour long dramas. With this show, everything came together. There’s comedy, it’s an hour long, there’s a lot of drama and it doesn’t pander to anyone. It’s very smart and sophisticated but at the same time you will laugh with us, you will be embarrassed with us, and you’ll cry with us.” The role seemed to be everything Hartley was looking for. “I must have read the episode 60 times before we started filming it and every single time there were parts of it where I found myself laughing out loud and parts where I found myself literally fighting back tears. [The creator] Jennie Snyder is a wonderful writer and an amazing storyteller. Our cast is unbelievably smart and talented. I’m in a really good position. I’m absolutely looking forward to the series. I’ve never been more proud of something or more thrilled to be a part of something. I feel so confident in the show. I feel like I know people… and I know they’ll enjoy the show.” Emily Owens, M.D. premieres Tuesday, October 16th on the CW.