While Patrick J. Adams and Gabriel Macht get most of the headlines as far as SUITS is concerned, one of the main reasons behind the show being the darling of TV critics that it is and additionally one of the most popular programs on cables is its unbelievably strong supporting the show.
One of the main players in this supporting cast is Sarah Rafferty who plays Harvey Spectre’s executive assistant Donna Paulsen on the show. Donna is best known for her silver tongue, being glib and delivering some of the most razor-sharp one-liners currently on television.
They say that behind every great man is a greater woman and Donna is certainly the driving force behind the success of both Harvey (Macht) and Patrick (Adams). Even during the pilot, it became clear that Paulsen is much more than an executive assistant as she has had her finger on the pulse of Pearson/Hardman for many years.
While the relationship between Donna and her boss has always been strong, the majority of the second season was spent on Donna believing that she had made a mistake for the first time and let Harvey down (when in actuality, she hadn’t). Just as the pair has amended their relationship, it will be impacted once again in the third season because of the new merger with the British firm that Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres) has spearheaded. There are even rumours circulating that Donna might have a new love interest that might not be Harvey (!)
Last month, I had the chance to sitdown with Sarah Rafferty at the CTV Upfront and we chatted about the new season of the show and what to expect. Among other topics, she gave me an exclusive preview for what to expect for Donna in the new season and where the show is headed.
If you missed it, don’t forget to also check out my interview with Patrick J. Adams in advance of tonight’s season premiere.
SUITS premieres tonight at 10 PM on Bravo and airs Tuesdays at 10 PM on USA.
