Why did Patrick J. Adams leave Suits? Details explored
Patrick J. Adams' Mike Ross is a major player in the Suits storyline as he is one-half of the main duo in the series alongside Gabriel Macht's Harvey Specter. He's been there since the pilot episode in 2011, but unlike Macht, who remained until the show ended after its ninth season, Adams left the show after season 7.
During his interviews, Patrick J. Adams admitted that his exit from Suits was because there was no good reason to stay in it and that "it was time" for him to leave. He also cited his depression and alcoholism as one of the factors why he left the legal drama, as well as the fact that he believed that there was no more story to tell about Mike Ross.
That said, after a full season of him not being in the series, he returned in the final season in a recurring role, giving fans another glimpse of his character before the show ended for good.
Patrick J. Adams' Suits exit explained
Patrick J. Adams shared a couple of reasons for his exit from Suits after being on the show for seven seasons. During his November 2024 appearance on Jesse Tyler Ferguson's Dinner's on Me podcast, he explained that he arrived at a time when he felt that he had no other reason for doing the show except for money. He said:
"The only reason to stay was... money. I didn't know what else to offer."
He also explained that his mom advised him against returning to the series if he was only doing it for financial gain. That said, Adams admitted that he didn't regret leaving the show, adding that it was "the right thing" for his marriage and that "it was time."
He also opened up about his mental health struggles in the podcast, saying that he was "drinking too much" at the end of season 7 and wasn't taking care of his mental health. He described himself at the time as "pretty miserable" and "pretty depressed."
Patrick J. Adams also said that among the reasons why he left Suits was that he believed that Mike Ross' character arc was complete. He told The Hollywood Reporter in January 2018 that he started thinking of leaving the show as early as season 6, saying:
"From a story point of view, I was a little unsure what was left for him to do. Mike had made a pledge during his trial that if he were allowed to continue to practice the law, he would dedicate his time and energy to underrepresented people and not big, corporate interests."
At that point, he said that he talked with the series creator, Aaron Korsh, about a storyline that would keep Mike working at the firm, which he said "brought up an interesting season seven." However, while he was in the middle of renegotiating contracts for an eighth season, he told The Hollywood Reporter that the trajectory of Mike's story didn't "feel right for him" anymore.
He also said that "it didn't feel right" where he was in his life as well, which ended with him talking to Korsh about leaving. He said that they agreed that Mike Ross leaving Suits "made sense."
Patrick J. Adams returned to his character as Mike Ross in a recurring role in season 9
After saying goodbye to the show after season 7, Patrick J. Adams joined the Suits cast in season 9 in a recurring role. His character returned for three episodes in the ninth and final season of the series, including the last two episodes of the show.
In Suits season 9 episode 10, titled One Last Con, the show ended with Mike hiring Harvey to work for him in his legal clinic in Los Angeles. The scene mirrored their first meeting when Harvey hired Mike in the pilot episode. Because Harvey would essentially be working for Mike, the latter told him that he had to prove himself in a job interview first before he was hired.
Like what Mike did all those years ago, Harvey told his former protege to open the law handbook on any page and ask him anything. He also promised that he would show all those Harvard lawyers the best attorney they've ever seen in Seattle, the same as Mike said all those years ago.
Seasons 1 through 9 of Suits are streaming on Peacock and on Netflix in other countries.
