Gabriel Macht Had 'Very Little Interest' in Acting Again. But He's Reprising Harvey Specter in“ Suits L.A.” for This Reason (Exclusive)

Gabriel Macht is putting himself back in Harvey Specter's shoes for just one reason.

The actor, 53, will reprise the beloved Suits character in three episodes of Suits L.A., and he tells PEOPLE about his decision to join the spinoff. "I'm just doing it for the fans. I'm not doing it for me. I've done it 134 times. I'm not doing it for me," he says.

"I had very little interest in coming back to work as an actor right now because I spent so much time [doing it] and this was my time to really raise my kids and to do this creative stuff like Bear Fight," he explains, referring to the whiskey he's a creative partner and equity shareholder in — and whose first-ever ad campaign he just starred in.

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Macht decided he would take creator Aaron Korsh up on the offer to make an appearance if there was "a way to do this where it made sense for my family, it made sense for the timing and if there was a way that I could sort of pass the baton to Stephen [Amell] and the cast in L.A."

"If I [could have] anything to do with helping support the show and getting it off [the ground], it’s almost like [giving] a blessing," he says of his thought process.

Macht's first reaction to the spinoff — which got a pilot order in February 2024 and was picked up for a series in July — was: "Yeah, it makes sense."

It helps, too, that he likes where Korsh is taking the story. "A couple of the episodes that I've read are really good. They're right in line. And if you're a fan of the show, you're just going to fall right into it," the actor says.

Though, he hasn't been on the set — yet. "I'm going to shoot in a couple weeks," he reveals. "I've read some scripts, and I see what it is and I understand now how the character of Ted and Harvey connect. So I'm looking forward to seeing the dynamic between the two."

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The recurring role offer came to Macht from Korsh himself a few months ago. "Aaron called me and he just said, 'Look, this is a different world. This is in L.A. It's not New York, but the character of Ted, who Stephen Amell is playing... He came out of New York. And [Harvey] would've known him when you were in New York. And if there's any world where you might be interested in coming back, let me know. Because I have this idea that could be really great.'"

When the news of Harvey's upcoming return was confirmed in November, fans went berserk for it, which Macht admits he "wasn't expecting."

"I mean, I don't know. I try not to have high expectations. But yes, people were excited. And I think it'll be fun."

Macht also teases that Harvey will not be the only familiar face fans see in the West Coast office. "There's also some other characters that you're going to see that were in the original. I don't know if you've heard about any of them, but there are a few that are coming back. So those might be surprises," he says.

The actor continues, "I think there's absolutely a world where some of the main characters from Suits, the original, will come back and play."

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Suits L.A. premieres Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and Suits can be streamed in full on Netflix.

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