Whether you’re discovering “Suits” for the first time or hitting play on your fifth rewatch, I think we can all agree that Harvey Specter and Donna Paulsen are a delight on screen. Aside from their will-they-won’t-they romance spanning nine seasons, the Darvey friendship is a highlight of the series. Though their chemistry may have you fooled, actors Gabriel Macht and Sarah Rafferty are more like brother and sister in real life.
The two actually became pals long before “Suits” first aired in 2011. They met in the summer of 1993 at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and have been friends ever since. Macht was a bridesmaid in Rafferty’s wedding to Santtu Seppälä in 2001, while Rafferty was there when Macht married Jacinda Barrett in 2004. Even Macht’s daughter and Rafferty’s first child, who were both born in 2007, are the best of friends. In an Instagram birthday tribute to Macht in 2019, Rafferty expressed her gratitude for their “quarter of a century of friendship that feels like familyship.”
“You were able to sense that Donna and Harvey had a history together because we did.”
The pair remained so close over the years that after Macht booked his role as Harvey on “Suits,” he sent Rafferty the script for his secretary, Donna. While filming season one in Toronto, they even lived in the same house with their families.
In a Q&A with Blast magazine in 2012, Macht admitted it was “very hard” to act with “one of your best pals.” He said, “With that said, it’s a lot of fun . . . So half of the time that you’re watching us act, all we’re trying to do is not laugh or smile or make each other giggle. So in that respect, it’s kind of funny and hilarious. Maybe just for us.” Rafferty shared a similar sentiment in a 2016 interview with The New Zealand Herald: “We had a comfort level with each other. You were able to sense that Donna and Harvey had a history together because we did.”
While “Suits” may have ended its eight-year run in 2019, Macht and Rafferty’s friendship continues. From red carpet appearances to silly Instagram photos, ahead, see glimpses of their sweet bond over the years.