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Suits' Sarah Rafferty Talks New Spinoff Suits: L.A. & Where Donna Would Be Today
Sarah Rafferty believes Donna Paulsen, her character on Suits, would definitely be pursuing "something with purpose and mission" if she made her way to Suits: L.A.
The verdict is in: Suits star Sarah Rafferty would be happy to step back into Donna Paulsen’s stilettos. But where would life find her all these years later?
Rafferty, who played the incomparable legal secretary Donna Paulsen on Suits for nine seasons, opened up in a new interview with E! News about the possibility her character could make an appearance in the new spin-off NBC's Suits: L.A.
"If Donna is needed, I'm happy to put the shoes on," Rafferty said.
The only condition? Now that it’s been a few years since Rafferty suited up, she admitted her impeccably dressed character’s heels may need to be a “little shorter” this time around.
Suits: L.A. will be set in the same universe as its popular predecessor, but is expected to star a new cast of characters. Stephen Amell will play Ted Black, a former federal prosecutor from New York hoping for a fresh start as he moves to LA to open his own firm.
The new cast will also include Josh McDermitt , Lex Scott Davis, and Bryan Greenberg.
There’s no word yet on whether any of the stars of USA Network’s Suits will appear in the new series, but Rafferty can certainly build a case for Donna’s return.
“Donna lives in my heart always,” Rafferty told TheWrap last year. ”I’m always open to let her out to play.”
What Does Suits' Sarah Rafferty Think Donna is Up To Today?
Regardless of whether or not the legal secretary will drop in on the new attorneys in Los Angeles, Rafferty believes her character is out there somewhere living her best fictional life.
After nine seasons of Donna working her magic to make others happy, she finally got her own happily ever after in the series finale. Donna tied the knot with legal legend Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) in an impromptu wedding, before the newlyweds headed off to Seattle to work with Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) and his wife Rachel Zane (Meghan Markle).
“I’m sure she’s happy in Seattle with her friends and husband,” Rafferty speculated of Donna’s life today.
Rafferty believes Donna would also still have close ties with attorney Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman).
"She's still very tied to Louis' life, invested and has regular visits. She still supports them because she's the lady with the connections. When they need Donna, she's there to do that,” she said.
That doesn’t mean that Donna wouldn’t have taken the time to carve out her own niche for herself too after years of caring for others.
"I do wonder what she's pursuing in her career right now," Rafferty remarked. "She's definitely pursuing something with purpose and mission, and I wonder what that is."
Sarah Rafferty and Patrick J. Adams' Suits rewatch Podcast?
Suits ran on USA Network from 2011-2019, but the fast-paced corporate legal drama enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in 2023 thanks to its added availability on streaming platforms, like Peacock. That same year, it became the most-streamed show ever in Nielsen ratings history over a one year period of time, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Rafferty attributed the show’s surprising second act to today’s challenging climate.
“So it seems like this show at this time, or at the time of last summer, really served a purpose for people, whether it was escape or it was laughter or something to connect with each other about — people were having viewing parties — that kind of thing,” she told BuzzFeed. “That is a really beautiful thing, and we feel very, very grateful that we could be a part of something like that.”
Anyone looking to relive some of the show’s best moments can join Rafferty and Adams on their Sirius XM podcast, "Sidebar: A Suits Watch Podcast," which gives fans an inside look at the show and includes commentary from other insiders like creator Aaron Korsh and actress Gina Torres, who played law firm partner Jessica Pearson.
"It's just such a joy to see my friends work the scenes that I wasn't there for," Rafferty told E! News. "I don't know about them, it's such a joy to ask them questions about it. It was amazing to talk to Gina about the development of Jessica Pearson and what her process had been with that. I think every episode will bring a new jewel, a new kind of amazing thing to discover."
Suits is currently available to stream on Peacock.
