Suits LA marks the first spin-off of the original drama with Stephen Amell, previously known for his role in Arrow, at the helm as Ted Black.
This new instalment will make its debut on NBC on Sunday, February 23, almost six years after the conclusion of Suits, where audiences bid farewell to Harvey Specter’s (portrayed by Gabriel Macht) New York narrative.
With the focus shifting to a new protagonist, curiosity surrounding the star playing Ted Black has intensified.
Early life
Born on May 1981 in Toronto, Canada, Stephen’s journey into acting commenced at high school, specifically at St Andrew’s College in Aurora.
Nonetheless, at the age of 19, he made the decision to pursue higher education in California, primarily seeking a conventional career path.
Despite an early inclination towards acting, his life became a balance of ordinary day jobs and acting stints, involving frequent relocations within Toronto, notably the areas of Yonge-St Clair and Eglington.
It was not until the end of a significant relationship and the need to vacate a shared apartment that he reassessed his life and made a pivotal decision.
Speaking candidly to Streets of Toronto, Stephen shared: “I had a little personal, professional upheaval in 2009, and I just decided that I was 28 and it was just time to go to LA and give it a proper try, so that’s what I did.
“I asked myself an honest question, which was, ‘What is it in my life that makes me happy?’
“And my friends make me happy, and my family makes me happy, and acting really made me happy.”
Inside Suits LA star Stephen Amell’s life from panic attack to nearly playing Gibbs in NCIS Origins (Image: NBC)
Actor Stephen Amell portrayed Oliver Green in The CW’s DC Comics series Arrow. (Image: THE CW)
Panic attack
Stephen Amell carved out a stellar career, gracing screens in hit series such as Beautiful People, ReGenesis, Heartland, CSI Miami, The Vampire Diaries, and Hung, before securing the iconic role of Oliver Green, aka Arrow, on the self-titled DC Comics show on The CW.
After an epic eight-year run, Arrow ended in 2020 but during an appearance on the podcast Inside Of You with Michael Rosenbaum, Amell experienced a health scare, abruptly ending the interview to take a breather.
Returning three weeks later, he divulged the ordeal: “I got home, I got onto the couch, put a blanket over me, and was freezing but just sweating bullets. I told my wife, I had a really bad panic attack.
“The leaving of the show, combined with just, not really breaking away from it in my life…it was like I needed this clean break. I needed to go on a trip.
“I needed to drop my phone. I just hadn’t disconnected. Every once in a while people hit a wall and need to reset. I happened to hit mine on Michael’s podcast.”
Famous wife
Previously married to Carolyn Lawrence until their 2010 split, Amell found love again with his actress and model second wife, Cassandra Jean, known for her appearances in One Tree Hill, NCIS Los Angeles, Arrow, and Supergirl.
Recently, she has been shining in The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico and is now collaborating with her husband on the post-production of 86.
The couple tied the knot in a private Caribbean ceremony on Christmas Day 2012, followed by a second celebration in New Orleans in May 2013.
They welcomed their daughter Maverick in October that year and their son Bowen in May 2022.
Actor Stephen Amell had auditioned to play the young version of Agent Gibbs in NCIS Origins. (Image: CBS)
Actor Stephen Amell and his wife actress and model Cassandra Jean Amell. (Image: GETTY)
NCIS Origins
Amell initially auditioned to take on the role of Agent Leroy Gibbs in the NCIS prequel NCIS Origins, days before he auditioned for Suits LA.
Speaking on the Inside of You podcast, Amell revealed: “My focus wasn’t on Suits L.A. Two auditions came in [that week].
“One was via Zoom, and this audition for suits was actually in person, which I remember being incredibly excited about because I don’t remember the last time [that happened].”
Despite his enthusiasm for NCIS Origins, he was left disheartened when he didn’t secure the role. Amell expressed his frustration.
“I hadn’t looked at the sides for Suits L.A. yet, and then I found out on Thursday afternoon, after getting not just good feedback, but, like, good intel, like, ‘We think [the series, NCIS Origins] is gonna move forward,’ all of a sudden, it was dead, and I felt like someone, somewhere along the line, had, like, c*** blocked me… So I didn’t know what was going on, and I was frustrated.”
This setback spurred Amell on to approach his audition fearlessly, a move that paid off when creator Aaron Korsh admitted just “15 seconds into [the] audition that [Amell was] Ted Black”.
Reflecting on the experience, Amell said: “Retrospectively, I got the job that I was supposed to get.”
Suits LA premieres on Sunday, February 23, on NBC in the US.