[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Suits LA]

Summary

The NBC series ‘Suits LA’ follows Ted Black navigating moral dilemmas while representing influential clients in Los Angeles.

Lex Scott Davis plays Erica, a confident lawyer with expensive taste, bringing balance to Ted’s leadership.

Chemistry among the cast feels natural, with twists and potential romance making anything possible.

The NBC series Suits LA, from Aaron Korsh who also created the original series, follows Ted Black (Stephen Amell) as he represents the most powerful clients in Los Angeles. While he and partner Stuart Lane (Josh McDermitt) built one of the largest firms in the city, they agreed to merge with the firm owned by Ted’s ex (Rachelle Goulding), only for Stuart to ultimately decide to cut Ted out. With Erica (Lex Scott Davis) by his side as one of the only people he actually trusts, and thankfully she’s also a great lawyer who not only turns to Ted for advice but also can dish it out herself when need be.
During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Davis talked about how familiar she was with the original series, what drew her into the world of Suits: LA, what she loves about playing Erica, why confidence is a good thing, Erica’s style, what kind of boss Ted is, who she’d like to see guest from the original series, how anything is possible when it comes to romance, cast chemistry, and yes, she can actually do the Carlton dance.

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Collider: I have to ask, can you actually do the Carlton dance? Were you just intentionally trying to look like you couldn’t do it?
LEX SCOTT DAVIS: I can actually do the Carlton dance. Do I want to? No, but I can. That is so funny that you bring that up. We were pretending for the day. Me and the writer, Aaron Korsh, the creator of the show, went back and forth on this for a little bit because I was like, “I have a background in dancing. It’s hard for me to dance bad. Are you sure you want me to be the one who doesn’t know how to do this dance?” We talked about it for a while, and ultimately, he won. I just leaned into the silliness of the moment and went for it.
’Suits: LA’s Lex Scott Davis Was Inspired by Jessica Pearson From the Original Series

“I really grativated towards her strength and poise.”

Image via USA

When this opportunity came your way, had you been familiar with the original series? Did you know anything about the tone and style of this world because it really feels like it has its own language?
DAVIS: It does have its own language. I was familiar with the title, but I never watched it until I got the audition. As any person would prepare for an interview for a job, for the audition, I went back and watched. I thought I was just going to watch the pilot of the original, so I could understand the world and the tone and how to approach the lines I needed to learn, and then accidentally binged the whole first season when I should have been learning the lines for the audition. So, in that moment, I understood the magnitude of the show and the fanbase that it had. It was an honor to come in, and my first audition was reading with Aaron, the creator, and David Bartis, who’s an executive producer of the original, as well. It was the first time I’d auditioned in person in a very long time because of the pandemic and because of the strikes. I was just like, “I’m so happy to be here in real life with you guys.” That’s my history with the show. And then, obviously, I wanted to pause at a point, so that I wasn’t copying everything that I was seeing. I wanted to definitely pull inspiration from the ladies, and Pearson in particular. I really gravitated towards her strength and poise, and used a little bit of that inspiration, but then filled in the rest with my own life experiences and all the women in my life, who are strong and who own their positions.
When you read this pilot script, what did you see, as far as the possibilities in this character?
DAVIS: It was a fantastic pilot, on the page, before we even shot it, without a doubt. The words, the context and the subtext, was there. Actors look for things like that to play. We love to be able to go deeper and figure out all the things that make us human, the beauty and the flaws that make us great. I understood what she was fighting for. I could relate to what she was fighting for and her purpose in this workplace, and her confidence and wanting to be seen and heard. I could find parallels in my own life, and explore that and add to that. That’s hopefully what I’m doing and what I’ve done with this character. There’s so much for me to explore. She continues to surprise me. Her humor is surprising, too. When I booked the job, I didn’t realize how funny she was until after we got through the second episode. It was very fun, just being this whole, grounded human being and sharing these experiences and providing things to relate to.

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Being strong-willed in life is one thing, being strong-willed in a cutthroat industry like entertainment law is another thing entirely. You have to be someone who’s smart, confident, and can back all that up. How do you gauge the right level of confidence without being too cocky when it comes to a character like this?
DAVIS: I think confidence is so great. Some people are afraid to express their confidence out loud, out of fear of being deemed cocky. I think we’d be doing ourselves a disservice if we didn’t speak to your own personal greatness. The way that you balance that is to also uplift people around you. When you identify greatness in other people, tell them. If they have a thing about them that’s a little off, but it’s their thing, great. I love that for you. You balance that out. It is possible to love yourself and be confident in what you bring to the table without putting someone else down in the process. That is the balance we find here, especially in Erica’s relationship with Leah, who is her assistant on the show. She can definitely be mean, at moments, to Leah, but I think the root of it is actually being inspired by Leah’s potential. She’s another young woman, and I think Erica can see a lot of herself in a person like Leah. She’s a quirkier version of Erica. However, the passion to do something and to be loyal to people and to prove her worth are all the same qualities that Erica also has and had to fight for in her journey. So, Erica can be confident as herself, but also figure out how to uplift Leah, so that she can find her own confidence in the process.
Lex Scott Davis’ ‘Suits: LA’ Character Has Very Expensive Taste When It Comes to Her Wardrobe

“When you put on the outfit or you put on the shoes, there’s a switch that turns on.”

How much fun is it to get to wear more than just the suits and ties that the guys get to wear on the show? What do you think Erica’s style says about her? Do you get any say in the wardrobe that you get to wear?
DAVIS: She has very expensive taste. Our costume designer, Jolie [Andreatta], is actually the original costume designer for the original Suits. It’s really cool to have someone like her, as part of the hand that built the original, with the look and style of it. I just lean into her guidance. I personally don’t have the same expensive taste that Erica does, but I can identify when something has style. I know when something is stylish. I know when something is unique. I like to think I wear things well. And so, I just go with the flow, with what’s presented in our closet. We try a lot of things on. There are a lot of fittings. But ultimately, the final decision is with the creators and the producers of the show. I also let the outfit inform my acting. When you put on the outfit or you put on the shoes, there’s a switch that turns on. It really helps you become the person you’re portraying. So, I lean into whatever they’re providing me.
When we first meet these characters, Erica and Rick are fighting for the same job. Why does she believe she’s the best person for the job?
DAVIS: She believes she’s the best person for the job because she is. She arguably works harder. That’s the fun thing about it. She’s competitive with Rick. As the actor, I also have to believe the same thing. It’s very competitive for the two of them, but they’re both good at what they do. Erica pays attention to detail and is 10 steps ahead of most of her colleagues, which puts her in a different conversation. That’s ultimately why she gets what she deserves. She gets the title and she gets the seat at the table. In the process, you learn about Ted being someone who helps with that process and gives her that platform. Those are all colors that are very fun for me to explore.
What do you think it is that makes Ted a great boss, and where do you think he needs Erica to balance him out?
DAVIS: He’s a great boss because he’s very honest and very direct. There’s rarely any room for confusion. That’s just the quality of a good leader, being able to articulate what they need. And I think what makes him not the best boss, at times, is maybe just the bandwidth. He’s grown a very successful firm, and there’s a lot going on, all the time. With that, I’m his right hand, so I have to then fill in those gaps and help maintain other clients while he’s experiencing a huge shift in his life and in his career. It’s more of me supporting him, but he’s equally just as good as he is a bad leader. It’s really just a reflection of him being human, and Erica sees that. In those moments of him just being human and possibly overwhelmed with all the things that he has going on, she tries to provide some support along the way.

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We know that Gabriel Macht will be on the show. What’s it like to know that he’s supporting the show in that way?
DAVIS: He’s the backbone of this show and this universe. Having him come back and support us and help pass the torch is really awesome.
Since you’ve watched some of the original series, who would you like to see Erica interact with or have to team up with, in some way?
DAVIS: I would love to see Erica and Pearson in the same room. They’re so similar. In terms of being a powerhouse, I think they’re both very strong and dominant women. When they speak, people listen. I would just love to see how they interact. But also, I love Gina Torres’ take on that role, in general. I gravitated a lot towards her character while watching the original. So, it would be very cool to have her on the show. But we’ll see. I don’t know. The story is still being written, as we speak, so you never know what you might get.
When you read the pilot script and you got to the twists and you learned that Stuart had cut Ted out, and that Rick left Ted for Stuart, and even that Eddie was actually dead, what went through your mind? Was that when you realized just what show you’re actually making?
DAVIS: Yes. As I read the pilot for the first time, I was like, “Oh, my God, what’s happening?” It definitely was a page-turner. And then, it was exciting to show up and actually put it on its feet. We play a lot with the past, and Erica is not involved in the past, so I wasn’t always on set. Once it’s all done and complete, it’s cool to watch the episodes and see what has been shot and what was done when I wasn’t there. It worked on the page, but it worked even better in real life.
Erica’s Love Life Is Still Being Written in ‘Suits: LA’

“I feel like everyone’s flirting with everyone.”

Image via NBC

What would you say to tease what’s to come this season? Are we going to keep getting twists and unexpected moments? Will we get some real romance for Erica?
DAVIS: We definitely will see a lot of characters crossing and overlapping. We get to go in each other’s worlds, which is very fun for us. The cast has become friends, at this point, and there are people who are friends that we haven’t gotten to be in a scene with yet, but that we’re very excited about, the moment when we finally get a scene with each other to see how the characters either bond or not. We’ll see where it goes. In terms of her love life, it’s being written. At this stage, I’m not sure how far they will take her story with that. It’s funny, I feel like everyone’s flirting with everyone, all the time, so you don’t know who’s gonna end up where. I feel like anything’s possible with this cast.

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Did that cast chemistry feel very natural with all of you?
DAVIS: Yes. We had a lot of time to spend off screen together. Victoria Mahoney, the director of the pilot, did a fantastic job with prep. We were all there together for probably about a month before we actually started shooting, and that time was pivotal. We were doing bonding exercises, theater exercises, rehearsals, dinners, and all the things that made us feel like we knew each other for much longer than we did. I don’t think any of us had worked together before the pilot, so the time spent during prep is reflected in what you see. And to take it a step further, we just have a really good time. We have a fantastic crew. The creators and producers of the show are all originals. Everyone’s happy to be here and everyone loves what they do. We show up, we have a good time, we’re ready to play, and that trickles down into the work and into the show. We are really having a great time and we love encouraging each other along the way.

Suits LA

Release Date

February 23, 2025

Network

NBC

Writers

Aaron Korsh

Suits LA airs on NBC and is available to stream on Peacock. Check out the trailer: