This is the guy that take ---

[stumbles on words]

[silly gibberish]

This is not Harvey Specter.

Ricky Bobby.

Ricky.

Hey.

Yep.

It's on, buddy.

It's on.

What?

What's happening?

This is the man

who plays Harvey Specter.

I think I'm very different from Harvey.

Harvey Specter.

Harvey Specter.

Harvey Specter.

Harvey Specter.

Harvey Specter.

Life is this.

I like this.

I... I am an actor

and I stand up straight

and I say the lines

and I'm convincing at times.

You don't want me to be your lawyer.

And although there are some traces

of his life in the show,

I come from a family of lawyers

like his own wife, father,

and best friend are all in it.

Between his personality, lifestyle,

and even his skill sets.

I... I can't argue my way out of a bag.

He's nothing like the character.

Our similarities...

uh, or is he?

You think you're less like Harvey

than you think you are, right?

When I come in contact with fans,

sometimes there's a little bit of Harvey

that comes out

because that to me is sacred.

This is [ __ ]

All right, I'll be in my trailer.

This is the story of Gabriel Macht.

My name is Gabriel Macht

and I play Harvey Specter.

In 2010,

USA Network green-lit the pilot for Suits.

And like most shows,

its success hinged on the right casting.

Finding Mike went smoothly.

If you want to beat me,

you're going to have to do it in something else.

I'm sorry.

But Harvey, not so much.

What do you think about Harvey?

People are in all of them.

Aaron Korsh's first pick,

who he refuses to disclose publicly,

was actually rejected by the network,

and there were other actors he considered,

but none of them made the cut,

only appearing in minor roles

in later seasons.

Eventually, a producer suggested Gabriel Macht,

calling him a movie star.

I've... I've done probably 15 years

of... of making films.

This movie came out

only months before casting

and it's hard to watch Macht's portrayal

of a macho, fast-talking suit

without thinking of Harvey Specter.

Damaged cells are releasing arachidonic acid.

Your body's converting it to prostaglandin,

which triggering a festive enzymes

necessary for pain.

Violations arise related to disclosures

under IRC section 409A.

You want to throw up?

It's not going to help.

No, I think I've got some pictures.

Here we are at his bachelor party.

There's no strippers.

He's lame.

In hindsight, it's clear

Macht was perfect for the role.

But his audition told a different story,

honestly.

And Gabriel was, you know, a star

and didn't really want to read.

In Macht's own words,

I told them I wasn't going to read.

I was just going to meet with them.

And Hollywood is so full of it.

They say, "You don't have to read."

And then you show up

and there's a camera

and they ask you to read.

He gave the worst audition

pretty much in history.

And we knew it was like,

you just don't want to do it.

You don't want...

We get it,

but you're great and we don't...

Macht eventually found out

that the producers thought

his audition was terrible.

And his reaction:

It probably was.

I'm terrible at auditions,

so what can you do?

Ironically, Macht's "I can't  be bothered" attitude...

Wrong office.

...matched that of Harvey Specter.

Gabriel, like, he was like,

"I guess I'll do this."

I don't know.

Like, you got to come in with that energy

and it was just about like...

that was what was attractive about it.

Like, kind of doesn't need it or want it,

but he'll do it.

I guess it was ultimately Korsh's decision

and he had to face his realization.

This man has the charisma of Bradley Cooper.

If you pass on him,

you are passing on Bradley Cooper.

Well, if you don't care about names,

why don't we skip the introductions

and just get down to breakfast?

Despite Macht's charisma

showing a clear parallel to Harvey Specter,

his life tells a different story.

I am not that guy.

I truly am not that guy.

Gabriel Macht was born in the Bronx,

where he was immediately immersed

in the performance world.

The truth is, my father's an actor.

2,000-year-old dead guys

do not get up and walk away by themselves.

When Gabriel was five,

the Machts moved to LA

where Gabriel attended Beverly Hills High School,

which has produced actors like

Nicolas Cage, Carrie Fisher,

and Angelina Jolie.

But it was his father

who had the biggest impression

on his eventual aspirations.

General Washington,

I am Benedict Arnold from Connecticut.

And I saw the ups and downs

in his career.

You know, you see the failures

that came along with, you know, being an actor,

and you see the successes.

But Stephen also set an example for Gabriel

in life, not just in acting.

Success is not everything.

Yeah.

I have life and four children

that I got to look at every day.

He prioritized preserving a tight-knit family

and a private upbringing for Gabriel.

Acting was never pushed on him,

but that's still what he wanted to do.

And if you feel like this  is what you're here to do,

to tell stories, to move people,

then you stick with it.

Ironically, Stephen would become

both Gabriel's inspiration for acting

and his barrier to it.

Are you really my father?

At age eight,

Macht, then going by his stage name,

Gabriel Swan,

landed his first role.

Bless my father.

Bless my mother, wherever she is.

Amen.

He showed incredible promise

and was even nominated

for a young artist award.

But just as his career as a child actor

was about to take off,

his parents pulled him out of the business.

Even as an actor himself,

Stephen Macht valued

traditional work and education.

I come from a family of lawyers.

My aunt was a lawyer,

my cousin, my sister, grandfather.

Stephen even paired acting

with a job as a professor

at Queens College.

Still, Gabriel's desire was always acting.

So his next stop after high school

was Carnegie Mellon School of Drama.

And in hindsight,

despite his parents' values,

the utility of experience over education

isn't lost on him.

$40,000 a year for...

But one important thing

did come out of his theater training.

Today's your lucky day.

And why is that?

Because it's the day you get to meet Donna.

Sarah Rafferty and I...

um, she's one of my closest friends.

We met in '93,

the summer of '93,

at the Williamstown Theatre Festival

and we were in a theater company together.

We worked, um, in an ensemble capacity

and what we used to do,

we used to put posters up

on the weekends.

So we... we'd go on road trips

every weekend

putting up posters for the... the main stage show.

I actually remember the moment I met you.

We were sitting in the theater.

You were seated behind me

and I turned around

and I looked at you

and you looked like the Cheshire cat.

Just that big old grin.

I... I have this funny image of Sarah.

It was just... it was sort of like this.

It was just...

and I knew I'd be friends forever.

I want to get back to being friends.

We've always had a relationship

like we're brother and sister.

We've been roommates.

We would go see each other in plays

and, um, I... you know,

when I first came to LA the first time

he gave me a tour around.

When Macht graduated in 1994

he had the personal and professional foundation

to pursue acting full-time.

But that didn't mean it was easy

as hitting that subscribe button would be.

The... the truth is,

in SAG, which is the Screen Actors Guild,

5% of working actors

make over $200,000 a year.

95% make under $5,000 a year.

So, it's very hard

to make a living doing what we do.

And, you know, there's tons of failure.

It's failure after failure after failure.

For years,

he built a resume

of supporting roles and bit parts.

Sports paint.

No, no, you... you go ahead and... and wear that.

It's way easier to screw a model

than a regular girl.

Any ideas, little brother?

Although he didn't have much to show

for his career,

just like in college,

he did manage to create impactful relationships,

including his eventual wife, Javi,

afterwards, I want you to come down here

and kiss me good night,

and one of his biggest mentors.

You are Socrates.

Of course, you are the teacher.

God damn right.

In his largest role yet,

Macht said that co-star John Travolta

was an invaluable teacher

of how to act and behave on set.

In contrast to Harvey Specter,

who has his career set

but no meaningful family life,

Macht got married and had kids

all before having any true success on screen.

But just one year

after having his first child,

Macht got his first movie lead.

My city, I cannot deny her.

And I am her spirit.

The film that was supposed to be his big break

was a flop.

Unlike Harvey Specter,

who would cringe at taking an L in his career.

I'm not about caring.

I'm about winning.

Macht was a lot more about caring.

Harvey focuses on closing the deal

and that is his priority.

He is... he is a winner.

He, at all costs,

he is, you know, aggressive and all of that.

And he thinks it's important that...

that business is more important

than anything in his personal life.

I would much rather make it

to my daughter's ballet recital

than close a deal.

So, there's a difference between us.

Macht's roles in the years leading up to Suits

hardly made him a mega star,

but they enabled him to support his family,

and that was success to him.

And even after landing his breakout role,

the people he cared for

were always top of mind.

Donna, clear my schedule tomorrow.

You and I are hiring a new associate.

Done.

Gabriel sent me the script.

I said you guys should bring

my friend Sarah Rafferty to the show.

The role of Donna

was meant to be small.

Donna, I need the...

Oh, also I didn't have a chance to...

But their chemistry was undeniable.

Marry me.

They took care of that, too.

We've been married for the last 7 years.

Rafferty explained that on set

she and Macht

had a comfort level with each other.

You were able to sense

that Harvey and Donna had this history together

because we did.

And when production moved

from New York to Toronto

after the pilot,

the two found a way to grow even closer.

We decided to live together.

So when our wives and our husbands,

you know, when my wife

and Sarah's husband

came out with the kids,

they were able to, uh, you know,

play with each other

and that just made the working environment

that much better.

Their friendship did pose one challenge though.

We have a lot of issues with giggling.

We can't stop laughing on each other's sides.

Like, when the camera's on her,

I'm dying laughing the whole time.

All over it means you...

Here we go.

You going to try it again?

I won't laugh.

I won't laugh.

I'm fine.

Where are you going?

I... I can't.

Do I look clueless to you?

When you're acting with your best friend,

it's very difficult.

In the end,

this didn't stop them from depicting

one of the most heartfelt relationships

of the entire show.

The one moment I keep coming back to

is the moment where Harvey finds out

that his dad passed.

Oh.

And that she was there for him

during that.

She had to tell him,

your dad, he had a heart attack.

Harvey, I'm so sorry.

A lot of fans want them to be together, right?

That's why I love you.

You get me?

I think the push and pull

and this and that and all of that

and the complications that come with

trying to get together

are what's interesting.

Never ever.

No.

Why not?

Because you can never go back.

Macht had his best friend

and eventually his wife

play parts in the series

and even his father would come support him.

My dad came to set one night

while we were shooting the baseball stuff

and there he is,

sitting in the... um, in the stands.

I mean, it just brought me right back

to when I was, you know,

anywhere from 9 to 15 years old,

and here we are,

you know, I'm middle-aged now

and it's the second iteration of Harvey

that he's... that he's witnessing.

Totally.

And it was really weird.

You know, he was like sitting in the stands

with a bunch of extras.

He's looking around asking,

"So, does anybody know where Gabriel is?"

And they're like, "Who are you?"

And he's like, "I'm his father."

Naturally, he would land a  role in the series as well

that would somewhat mirror

his actual academic background.

Mr. Specter,

Professor Gerard,

and preaching about life and ethics

may have paralleled

their real life dynamic.

Compromising your way through life

is no way to go about the law.

But as fans,

we can only speculate

where does the actor end

and the character begin?

Does anyone ever come up to you and say,

"I've got a bit of a problem, Harvey.

Um, I've got a problem with my ex-wife.

She's suing me for so and so and so.

What would you advise I do?"

I would say,

"Uh, you know what?

I... I am an actor

and I stand up straight

and I say the lines

and I'm convincing at times."

Have you don't want me to be your lawyer?

It's honestly funny

that he even has to answer that.

Like, as if fans forget it's acting.

People worship television.

One character says another character say,

"Hey, uh, what's your number, man?"

What's the other character always say?

555-555.

You know why we got to do that?

Because stupid people go to the movies

and then go home

and try to call the characters

that they just saw.

Hello, is Indiana Jones here?

No, mother.

He's fake.

It's not his number.

The same way Harrison Ford is not Indiana Jones,

Macht has his thoughts on Harvey Specter,

stating,

"I didn't want to get into one show

and be known for one character

for my entire career,

and it sort of has become that way."

Someone asked me,

"How close are you to Harvey?"

I feel like we are so vastly different

from each other.

When fans see Macht in the street,

they think of Harvey.

But for the people that know Macht best,

it doesn't work the other way around.

The first day of shooting the pilot,

I came out of that makeup trailer

walking to set

and as I was sort of navigating

the crowds on the street,

Sarah was walking towards the makeup trailer.

Somebody kept shouting at me.

I said, "Sarah, what's up?"

And I just kind of kept

almost walking into the oncoming traffic

to get away from this person

that was shouting at me.

She had no idea who I was

because he was decked out in Tom Ford

and his hair was all perfectly coiffed

and it was my friend Gabriel.

She was like, "Oh my god, Gabriel."

I just remember being like,

"Wow, you are transformed."

We're very, very different from each other,

which makes it a lot of fun to play

because then it's more of a character

that I can put on...

this jacket and put on the tie

and put on the shoes

and I just become Harvey

when I put the suit on.

Harvey focuses on closing the deal

and that is his priority.

I am the best closer the city's ever seen.

He is a winner.

He, at all costs.

You care about winning

every case, every game, every argument.

He is, you know, aggressive and all of that.

Stop crying.

Suit up and get the job done.

That business is more important

than anything in his personal life.

And, and for me,

it's more important to show up

at my daughter's ballet recital

and be there for my, you know, son's birthday.

So, there's a difference between us.

I am so much better

at making magical wands and stick figures

and taking her to ballet

than I am as Harvey.

All the time I knew you,

you never once showed me any vulnerability.

He sees vulnerable as a weakness.

Now, I happen to see vulnerable

as... as a strength.

While Harvey Specter tends  to suppress his emotions

around women

to the point of anxiety,

Macht is completely at ease with it.

Like when he was asked

how he deals with attention from female fans.

I am so in love with my wife

that it just doesn't...

it doesn't faze me.

So, it's all good.

And while Harvey goes to steakhouses

in tailored suits,

Gabriel is a vegan

who wears like linen and Birkenstocks.

There's essentially no part of him

that he's channeling into Harvey

on camera.

I'm not a method actor.

I'm thinking about my laundry

when I'm doing some of this acting thing.

Second, the way our agreement works

is the minute Cooper signed the deal

which gave you everything you wanted,

our fee was due and payable.

As you can see,

I'm such a freaking goof.

I... I can't argue my way out of a bag.

So, what about legal prowess?

How does Macht convey

such a mastery of the law?

Well, that means that you have to

replace the custodian,

have an alternate,

show precedents,

generate cash flow projections,

and have everything audited

by an experienced fiduciary.

I don't tend to do any research.

I'm... no.

Yes, I did.

I... I... my...

I come from a family of lawyers.

My aunt was a lawyer,

my cousin, my sister, my grandfather.

I took pieces from them.

And I also really admire

my agents and my past agents.

And I saw Harvey

as very similar to some of those guys.

As far as the... the research for the law,

whenever there is a certain case

that we're dealing with that I don't understand,

I'll definitely jump in

and try and understand

what the hell I'm saying,

because often I don't.

As you can see, he...

look at me,

how does he know what he's talking about?

I don't.

But I know I had to stand up straight

and say my line.

So I did not go to law school.

No.

Oh, I'm a total fraud.

I'm a total fraud.

Despite distinguishing himself

from the character for years,

Macht did admit at a certain point,

it's very hard to shake some of the energy

that dresses you

while you're in that world,

confirming that several seasons in,

he was a lot more like Harvey

than he was when he started.

Even his own brother questioned

whether he was really that different

from the character anymore.

Macht will even tap into

one of Harvey's traits

for his own benefit.

I will be honest.

Fame does some crazy [ __ ] to you, okay?

And in the last 5 years,

my life has changed.

When I come in contact with fans,

sometimes I, on my own personal day,

when I'm walking down the street

or walking my dog

or taking my daughter to school

or something like that,

there's a little bit of Harvey

that comes out in my boundaries.

And I think I try to protect my family

and protect that

because that to me is sacred.

So, if you ever see me

as being hard with you,

I apologize,

but that's where the Harvey comes out.

For a guy who originally, quote,

"Didn't want to get into one show

and be known for one character

for my entire career,"

it seemed that Macht softened that stance

over the years.

He even continued to play Harvey

into the final seasons

despite losing two of his co-stars

as Meghan Markle dropped out to get married

and Patrick J. Adams followed shortly after.

"We're not coming back, Harvey."

Rachel and I were offered a chance

to run a firm in Seattle.

And even after the show ended,

I feel like we stuck our landing

and I think I was ready

to be done with the show.

He still couldn't help

but get pulled back

into the aura of Harvey.

Hi, I'm Gabriel Macht

and I'm here to talk to you

about something incredibly important.

My favorite brand new puzzle game,

Royal Kingdom.

When AMG called

and said they wanted the epitome of ambition,

I said, "Well, what took you so long?"

My kind of living.

Magenta living.

T-Mobile savings.

Take one.

Guys, focus.

Hello, T-Mobile.

Macht may be a vegan,

but he's no hippie.

If being typecast

gives him the opportunity

to bring a sizable paycheck home to his family,

he's going to capitalize.

But the next time he donned the suit on screen,

he claimed it was for very different reasons.

I respect her.

And then this resurgence comes along

and Suits LA and this...

the whole universe.

And then it gets me thinking,

like, you know what,

the fans really love this show.

If there's any way I can help and support...

I was asked, can... can you come on back?

And I was like, you know what?

I'll do it for the fans.

Give them what they want

and just pass the baton to these guys.

And you know,

if there's a Suits Miami in 10 years

and a Suits Hawaii in 15 years,

why not?

I told you a long time ago

that winners don't greet the day in sweatpants.

Ultimately, he only made a small guest appearance

and the spin-off was cancelled

after one season.

Since then,

Macht has stepped away from acting entirely,

choosing to live a quiet life

with his wife and kids in England.

Cook really decided

there's more to life than work?

Yep.

What are you doing?

I'm just... I don't know.

I see that there's so much VSCO girl stuff

going around

and I thought,

why... why does it have to be just for girls?

Macht, unlike Harvey Specter,

isn't concerned with keeping up appearances.

Wait, wait.

The way his family sees him

is his real priority.

You've been home doing dad duty.

You know what?

There's nothing better.

I'm Adam.

This is ScreenPuff.

If you enjoyed watching this

as much as I enjoyed making it,

check out this next video.

And as always,

thank you for watching.