Mike Ross was the guy who made Suits special. The character had a photographic memory, and yet he was still our gateway to the show’s high-priced world of lawsuits and backroom deals.

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There was also the lingering fear that Mike’s secret would be discovered by the firm and that he’d be ruined before he got a chance to make it big himself. However, the character surprisingly left the series back in its seventh season, so what happened behind the scenes?

Why was Suits so popular?

Suits had memorable writing and exciting settings, but it was the performances that really kept fans engaged for nine seasons. Patrick J. Adams brought an undeniable charisma to the part of Mike, but like all good things, it came to an end. The actor left Suits seven seasons in, which was a hurdle the rest of the series was never really able to recover from. Let’s discuss why he walked away.

Adams had bounced around on TV shows for most of the 2000s, but it was Suits that really put him on the map. He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series in 2012 and parlayed his success into stage roles.

Fortunately, the writers of the show were able to give his character a fitting send-off. The seventh season ended with Mike and Rachel (Meghan Markle) getting married and moving to Seattle, which, given how dire things looked for Mike only a season earlier, was a major victory.

Why did Mike Ross leave Suits?

There was no drama or contract dispute that led to Adams leaving Suits. It was, according to Us Weekly, merely a case of wanting to attempt different roles and challenge himself as an actor. “He was always leaving the show. He made his mind up a while ago,” an insider told the outlet. “Patrick wants to pursue other things and he’s realized his time at Suits has come to an end.”

According to an article on USA Network’s site, part of what Patrick wanted to pursue was more time with his wife, Pretty Little Liars star Troian Bellisario. Adams also shared that he left when he did because it felt like a natural stopping point in his character’s story after he had been released from prison, married Rachel, and was leaving the corporate world.

Fans were obviously disappointed with Adam’s departure, considering he was such a crucial part of the show’s early success. Thankfully, he did return to the show for episodes in season 9 and in the finale, giving viewers an opportunity to see Mike once again.

What has Patrick J. Adams done since Suits?

Adams has made good on his game plan. He made his Broadway debut in the 2022 revival of Take Me Out, which was originally set to premiere in 2020 but was delayed due to COVID-19. Fortunately, the hiatus didn’t have a negative effect on the revival itself, which was well-received by fans and critics alike. Adams was nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play and was one of the actors who won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.

In 2021, Adams made headlines when he came to the defense of Markle. He posted a string of tweets that criticized the royal family for their treatment of Markle, and referred to her as an “enthusiastic, kind, cooperative, giving, joyful and supportive member of our television family.”

Adams has continued to be a regular presence on television. He played astronaut John Glenn in the Disney adaptation of The Right Stuff and had a recurring role in the TV adaptation of A League of Their Own. His latest appearance was on the Canadian mystery series Plan B, where he played a man who gets the chance to travel back in time to salvage his crumbling marriage.