‘Suits’ man ‘not really’ into courtroom drama

PATRICK Adams: “I don’t watch a lot of TV, period.”
OLIVER PULUMBARIT

“Suits” star Patrick J. Adams joked about “not being excited” to try out balut, among other things, eliciting giggles from a select group of female fans present during a press conference held at the Marriott Hotel last Wednesday.

The youthful-looking Adams, 31, currently plays genius Michael “Mike” Ross, a college dropout who lied about going to law school, and is now being mentored by a brilliant lawyer at a reputable law firm. Adams previously had roles in “Lost,” “Friday Night Lights,” and “Luck.”

“We shoot [‘Suits’] in this warehouse in Toronto and it feels remarkably unsexy when we’re doing it,” he said. “It’s shocking. Imagine what you do every day, and then suddenly, there’s somebody at the other side of the planet saying ‘thank you’ for it!”

The fans gave Adams a cake and a scrapbook. Immediately after the event, the actor met with more fan groups, and spent the rest of the afternoon granting interviews to members of the press.

Here are excerpts from the Inquirer interview.

How would you describe Mike’s evolution in the span of two seasons, and how is he changing the firm?

He’s getting older, getting more mature, a little more confident. In terms of changing the firm, he’s really put everybody in a big, sticky position. It’s creating a lot of conflict, and sort of a rift. But in the process of doing that, he’s forcing people to become really clear with who they are and what they want… the same way you meet someone really honest in your own life. That really affects your reality. His presence in the office is having that effect on people.

Do you like wearing suits or are you a T-shirt and jeans guy?

I am a T-shirt and jeans guy but I started to love my suits. I feel like I started to learn to wear them… over the course of the second season, I feel like I got to learn, mostly by watching Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), who just walks around in a suit like he was born in them.

Who do you think deserves to ultimately end up with Mike—his old friend Jenny or his coworker Rachel?

I like Jenny a lot but [Vanessa Ray] is a very busy actress. She’s been all over the place. I hope we get her back. I think that the show is aiming towards Mike’s growing into a relationship with Rachel [Meghan Markle]. But these things change. People change and they have to work together. For now he’s heading for some Rachel “action.”

How is the show enhancing your acting talent?

I would say the biggest takeaway from it is learning how to be a professional actor, in terms of timing.

How long do you shoot an entire season in Toronto?

Six or seven months out of the year. It’s a long time. I grew up in Toronto, so I have a lot of friends there… [as well as my] my whole family. I’m very lucky we’re shooting there.

How is the bond between the “Suits” castmates?

MEGHAN Markle and Patrick J. Adams in the hit TV series “Suits.”

Amazing. We’re all great friends. It’s like a big family out there. A lot of people say that and they don’t really mean it. We really do get along. We’re supportive of each other… We’re on different schedules; I would say we don’t spend a lot of time together outside of work. We do for special occasions like holidays. We spent an Easter together, or get together for someone’s birthday.

Do you have favorite courtroom drama shows that inspire you?

Not really. There are books and stories of lawyers—“To Kill a Mockingbird,” that sort of thing. I don’t watch a lot of TV, period. I’ve never really been interested in the legal world. Those shows never interested me at all!

You mentioned before that you want to direct an episode?

Yes, I really do. I don’t think we’re going to do it this season. It all has to be figured out, contracts and stuff like that. But all the people [involved] know that I want to do it.

“Suits” season 2 airs Mondays, 8 p.m. on Diva Universal, and Wednesdays, 9 p.m. on Jack TV.