A common thing in movies and television is that actors play a character so well they become known for them. This is especially true if the actor wasn’t well known before, and most of their fans first met them when they performed this role. Some extreme examples include Daniel Radcliff, who played Harry Potter in eight movies and from his early teen years to adulthood. However, cases like this are rare. That’s more common in television, as a series can go on for multiple seasons and usually focuses on one or a few characters. The seriesSuitsis a great example of that.
Suitsis a television show about Mike (Patrick J. Adams) and Harvey (Gabriel Macht). They form an unlikely partnership when Mike proves to Harvey he is one of the best lawyers he has ever met — even if he didn’t go to law school. Harvey, a lawyer at a powerful firm, believes in him, and they decide to work together. A friendship beyond work is created, and this funny movie-fanatic duo makes the audience fall in love with them over the course of the seasons.
However, Adams left the show before it ended, leaving many speculating why he did it. Also, what he played after such an iconic role skyrocketed his career. Here’s a bit more about why he made that decision, his later projects, and future ones.
Update June 02, 2025: This article has been updated by Jessica Peerez with more information about Patrick J. Adams' projects afterSuits.
Patrick J. Adams Left Before the Suits Finale
If a television series that is not a miniseries is successful, it can stay on the air for years. Some shows, such asGrey’s Anatomy, have been on the air for almost 20 years, and while that is an unusual case, there are various series that have lasted almost a decade. That includes the fast-paced lawyer dramaSuits,which generates aconsiderable number of views to date. However, there is a downside to a project continuing for so many years, sometimes resulting in some fundamental parts, such as the cast, leaving the show before it officially ends for multiple different reasons, including career choices and personal ones. Patrick J. Adams was one of those actors.
Related:Best Patrick J. Adams Performances, Ranked
Adams was one of the show’s two leads who really carried the intense storylines with their chemistry. However, with his character’s journey, the actor reached a point where he didn’t know what else he could do. Mike was arrested and left prison, one of the central tension points of his arc. The actor explained toThe Hollywood Reporter, “I had this voice in my head that said that we’ve told his story, and if he hangs out longer, Mike is just going to be another lawyer on television.”
So, the actor decided to leave alongside his co-star, Meghan Markle. Another reason was that Adams had spent a long time away from his wife, actress Troian Bellisario, during the shooting. The show continued for two more seasons before ending. Adams reprised the role for the second half of the final season.
Patrick J. Adams' Career Since Suits
After an actor leaves a well-known role, it’s impossible for the fans not to wonder what they will do next. Right after Adams leftSuits, he was cast in the Disney+ seriesThe Right Stuff.The series tackles a subject he is passionate about: astronauts. He plays the 20th-century real-life astronaut and Senator John Glenn. The actor spoke withE.T.about the series and his passion.
“My fascination with the space program and these guys and this world began with this story and how Tom Wolfe told it, (…) To be able to, at this stage in my life and career, be asked to come in and be a part of reintroducing it to a new generation, to a new group of people who may have forgotten who these people were or never have known in the first place. It’s a huge honor and a great responsibility.”
The Right Stuffwas canceled after one season in 2020. Then, it was sadlyone of the many series that Disney+ removed from their streaming service. The actor worked in two series that would notably be canceled after one season:Plan BandA League of Their Own. InPlan B,Adams plays a manipulative time traveler who will do anything to save his relationship. InA League of Their Own,he plays a cheerful husband who is soon returning from fighting in the Second World War.A League of Their Ownwas supposed toreturn for a second season but was sadly canceled by Prime Video.
Other Notable Projects
While he was still onSuits, Adams had abrief role in the CW seriesLegends of Tomorrow.He was introduced in the season 1 finale as Rex Tyler/Hourman, who brings the Legends of Tomorrow to the past to meet the Justice Society of America. SinceSuitswas still on the air at the time, this was a big deal guest role, but it also meant he could not appear throughout the series, and he was killed off in the season 2 premiere.
In 2020, he starred in a very different genre: dramatic/romantic musical. He plays Simon inThe Swearing Jar,which tells the story of a music teacher, Carrey (Adelaide Clemens), and her husband, Simon, and how they all fall apart for a seemingly innocent birthday present. Adams also worked with narration in the animated miniseriesPandemica, which is about, as the name suggested, inspired by the pandemic. His latest project was outside the visual media, which still concerns storytelling and acting. It was a podcast calledAmerica 2.0,where he played Seth McGuire, a first-term congressman.
Related:Pearson: Suits Spinoff Continues to Bring the Show’s Legacy to Streaming
Most recently, the actor took on the role of Saul in Jeffrey Darling’sHe Went That Way.The feature film, based on a true-crime story set in 1964 about a serial killer, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2023. Adams starred alongside Zachary Quinto and Jacob Elordi, with Quinto taking on the role of Jim, an animal trainer, and Elordi playing the role of serial killer Larry Lee Ranes, renamed Bobby Falls for the film. Adams plays Jim’s alcoholic brother-in-law, Saul. Adams also took another podcast project, working onAd Lucem,a socio-political thriller comprising nine episodes. The podcast, centering on a tech company and its Corporeal Augmented Reality Assistant (CARA), warns of the dangers that can arise through artificial intelligence. Adams takes on the character of Peter.
Future Projects
As of now, Adams has only one project listed as upcoming on his IMDb page. The actor is set to star in an adaptation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 1774 novelThe Sorrows of Young Werther.The film, simply titledYoung Werther,will be written and directed by José Lourenço, with Adams starring beside actors including Alison Pill, Iris Apatow, and Douglas Booth. The lead roles will be taken on by Apatow, who will star as Sissy, and Booth, who will play the character of Werther. Production forYoung Wertherwas set to commence in May 2023 in Toronto, Canada.
None of the roles played by Patrick J. Adams thus far has made himquite as famous asSuitsdid. Given that the actor doesn’t hold a leading role inYoung Werther,it is unlikely that his new project will propel him into the limelight either. With no new projects lined up for the actor after the conclusion ofYoung Werther,it remains to be seen what avenue Adams will explore next.
