What suits do lawyers wear, asks a popular riddle. We’ll give you till the end of this article to answer that one.
On the legal dramedy, Suits , the personalities and lifestyles of the characters are often showcased by the suits they wear. And no one dresses it up as smoothly as Rick Hoffman, who plays the role of Louis Litt on the popular television show.
Speaking over phone from Australia, where he was promoting the show, Hoffman says, “It is exciting that the show has such a following. I am getting to know how popular it is in Australia and I can’t get over it. I’m starting to believe it when someone tells me Suits is popular in another country. We’re just acting, but we are reaching so many different kinds of people all over the world. Maybe when I come to India someday, I’ll see it myself.”
Staying on point
Portrayed as shrewd, ambitious and sometimes petty, Hoffman says there are several takeaways from the show. “You get different messages from each of the characters. For instance, Louis will emphasise the importance of self-awareness and how your behaviour can affect others. He also goes to show how hard work, drive and loyalty pay off,” says the 46-year-old actor.
But how different is Litt from him? He chuckles, saying that different people have different opinions. “If you ask Sarah Rafferty, who plays Donna Paulsen (an executive assistant on the show), she would say I’m nothing like him. If you ask my boss, he’ll say ‘yeah, you’re a little like him’. I would say, I think we all have a gene in us that are a little bit like all of our characters. Sometimes I’m gullible, sometimes I’m not. If somebody does something wrong to someone around me, I can be firm. But that’s always to protect someone to whom wrong is being done to. However, Louis is usually the one who does wrong to the other person, so I’ll just leave it for you to decide.”
Fun at work
Hoffman admits that, initially, season six was one of his least favourite ones. “It seemed hard adjusting to Mike Ross (the protagonist), played by Patrick J Adams, being in jail. It took away a certain energy from the show. Not just for me, but the entire team. Then we adjusted to it. My storyline with Carly Pope, who plays Tara Messer, my love interest in the show, soon became my new favourite bunch of scenes to work with. That’s only because, unlike earlier, where I was the utility guy, I got to do a lot of fun things.”
Looking back, Hoffman says his journey so far has been amazing. “I wouldn’t exchange it for the world. I know I’ll be able to look back at this moment and tell myself, ‘You know what? You’ve pretty much achieved what you wanted to as an actor and more.’ It is so rare to be able to do what I’m doing. I’ll always hold this close to my heart. I’m so good at this point that I can probably move down to the Caribbean and sell coconuts.”
So what does his character have up his sleeve in season seven? “It is going to go to another level. I don’t want to give away too much now, so let’s just say, I might surprise you.”
Meanwhile, if you haven’t yet figured out what suits lawyers wear, there’s a ‘lawsuit’ headed your way!
Catch Hoffman in season six of Suits , airing on Comedy Central, every Saturday from 7 pm onwards.
