Patrick J. Adams has shared why he exited his role as Mike Ross on the television series "Suits."
The actor, who starred opposite Gabriel Macht's character Harvey Specter in the legal drama, was notably absent from the final two seasons of the show. During an appearance on Jesse Tyler Ferguson's podcast, "Dinner's on Me," he explained that his mental health had taken a knock.
"I wasn't taking good care of my mental health, and I was drinking too much [at] the end of Season 7," Adams revealed about his exit, according to Variety. "I was in a zone of living a pretty unexamined life. Pretty miserable [and] I would say, pretty depressed. I didn't have the tools to deal with that depression beyond just spending money and drinking too much and not really knowing how to talk about it."
Adams explained that he would "numb" himself to deal with feelings of insecurity and fear.
"And they just weren't working. And they were taking a toll on my relationship, for sure, but also just making me a very not present father," he said. "That for me was a breaking point when I was like, 'I think I should stop drinking probably, because I don't wanna be that dad.' The best thing I think I ever did for myself was stop drinking. It just needed to happen in order for all these other things to happen."
"Suits" ran for 134 episodes from 2011 to 2019 but gained renewed attention after debuting on Netflix last year. Speaking on the podcast, Adams shared that as Season 8 approached, he realized financial gain was his only motivation to continue. After seeking advice, his mother urged him not to return if money was his sole reason.
"The only reason to stay was … money," Adams said. "I didn't know what else to offer. Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night and think about the money [Macht] made those last two years, but I never regretted the decision for a second. It was the right thing for my marriage. … It was time."