Latest news with #BatSignal
San Francisco Chronicle
13-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
With Warriors' hopes dimming, don't count on Steph Curry to save them in Game 5
Stephen Curry will not play in Game 5 Wednesday night in Minneapolis when his Golden State Warriors make what could be their last stand for this season… and maybe forever. Call it a hunch-plus. The Minnesota Timberwolves lead this Western Conference semifinal series 3-1, so the Warriors desperately need Curry, and vice versa. But his left hamstring just isn't listening. Officially, Curry will be re-evaluated sometime Wednesday, then a decision will be made – go or sit. He will sit. Since Curry went down with that hamstring injury in Game 1, coach Steve Kerr has been tinkering and searching for what he calls 'the formula,' the recipe for what the Warriors must do to win without their superstar. It is becoming painfully apparent, though, that there is no formula for chicken soup that doesn't involve chicken. So much for comic book heroics. Batman never saw the Bat Signal flash in the sky over Gotham and texted Commissioner Gordon, 'Sorry, sir, but with my hammie I can't even drive the Batmobile, and Robin doesn't have his learner's permit yet.' The Warriors have become the Bad Luck Bears. They had a chance to claw back into this series Monday, and gave it a good go until the third quarter, but Jimmy Butler, the guy who has to step up to lead the team with Curry out, played sick. Apparently there's a short-duration illness making the rounds of the Warriors' folks, and Monday was Butler's turn. He played anyway, but the Warriors needed more than half a Jimmy. The situation with Curry's leg could change, but that's unlikely. Almost surely he will be checked out by the crew led by Rick Celebrini, the Warriors' director of sports medicine and performance, then Curry will begin planning his courtside civilian outfit for that night's game. My guess is that if Curry decided Wednesday he wanted to give it a go, and was willing to take a pain-killing shot, and insisted on playing, Celebrini and Kerr would have to let Curry try. Celebrini has enormous decision-making power with this team. In most, if not all, other cases, he's the decider on whether or not a player can go. But in this case, Curry might have the final say. 'Wednesday we'll have an update,' Kerr said. So don't get your hopes up. Chances are slim and none. Curry knows he can't go. Curry faces the dismal scenario of watching his team lose four games in a row and get bounced out of the playoffs with him unable to help. As Curry said last week in Minnesota, how many more chances will he get to play meaningful basketball? If Curry sits out Wednesday, and he will, it's not because he's not willing to risk doing further harm to that hamstring, it will be because he knows that dragging that leg up and down the court would drag his team down. As compromised as the Warriors are without him, he would not help them in Game 5. The hope, the dream at this stage, is that somehow the Warriors can pull out a win Wednesday and extend the series to a sixth game, and there would be three days off between Games 5 and 6, giving Curry maybe, just maybe, enough time to get back. The Warriors' thoughts of tying the series Monday night blew up in the third quarter, when Anthony Edwards went bonkers. Curry coming back wouldn't make the Warriors' defense better, but without him, their 3-point shooting, their entire offensive scheme, is on vacation. One stat speaks volumes. The Warriors had 18 assists Monday, a bit more than half the number they get when they're really clicking. In the regular season they were fourth in the league at 29.1 assists per game. Eighteen assists is not Warriors basketball. Without Curry's gravity, his drawing away double- and triple-teams by defenders, the Warriors' offense struggles to rise above ordinary. Curry's gravity gives Butler room to operate, and Butler uses that gravity masterfully. When it's not there, and especially when Butler is ill, the Warriors struggle to get the 3-balls and good shots they need. Monday the Warriors were a dismal 8-for-27 on 3's, 29.6%. The Timberwolves were 16-for-34, 47.1%. Edwards, 6-for-11 on 3's in Game 4, is looking more and more like Curry's heir apparent as the 3-point king of men's basketball. Monday night Curry stood out like a sore thumb. He wore a bright red jacket on the bench, the only person in the entire Chase Center wearing red. During pregame introductions, Curry wandered aimlessly, not really talking to anyone. When his team began its pregame dance, Curry kind of joined in as his teammates hopped around, but he looked like he was dancing at his granddaughter's wedding. Late in the game, when the Chase Center DJ played Maroon 5's 'Moves Like Jagger,' it was sadly ironic. Mick Jagger is 81 years old. If Curry, at 37, could move like Jagger Wednesday, the Warriors would have a chance to fight back into this series. Instead, Curry will sit and watch, and the Warriors will fight for a miracle.
News18
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Suits Spin-Off Quietly Confirms Harvey And Donna's Family Life
Last Updated: In Suits LA, viewers were stunned to discover a new detail about Harvey and Donna's relationship. Gabriel Macht has made a powerful return as the legendary Harvey Specter in the ongoing Suits spin-off, Suits: LA. While fans were disappointed not to see Sarah Rafferty reprise her role as Donna Paulsen, her presence was still felt, subtly but significantly. In the latest episode titled 'Bat Signal," Harvey is seen catching up with Ted Black (played by Stephen Amell) over a case discussion at a restaurant. But what truly caught fans off guard was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment that revealed a massive update in Harvey and Donna's story. Harvey receives a message from a contact saved as 'My Boy," who addresses him as 'Daddy." That single word confirmed what fans have long speculated: Harvey and Donna have a son. The revelation has since sent the Suits fandom into an emotional frenzy. In the scene, Harvey gets a message from 'My Boy," saying, 'Daddy, when are you going to call?" While the show didn't reveal the boy's name or age, the short message was enough to make fans happy. It was a small moment, but it gave viewers a big update about Harvey and Donna's lives after the original series ended. In the final episode, Gabriel and Sarah's characters got married and decided to leave New York. HARVEY SPECTER IS A DAD — nicole (@thedarvey) April 21, 2025 After watching Gabriel Macht return as Harvey Specter in the Suits spin-off, fans are now hoping that Sarah Rafferty will also come back as Donna Paulsen. So far, the makers haven't revealed any plans about bringing her into the new show. However, in an old interview with Good Housekeeping, Sarah mentioned that she's happy to return if given the chance in Suits LA. Speaking with Good Housekeeping, the actress said, '[Creator] Aaron [Korsh] and his team of writers and producers, they're all family. I'm so excited. You know, people do ask us, 'Are you guys going to be on it?' It's going to have its first season with new episodes and whatever's right for that show. I'm always happy to put on the high heels and show up and support. But I also can support from behind the scenes, watching and enjoying it and spreading the word." NBC had earlier confirmed that Rick Hoffman, who played Louis Litt in the original series, will appear in one of the episodes in the ongoing drama. However, only two episodes are left in the season, and it's not yet clear when he will show up.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Better call Harvey Specter? Gabriel Macht answers the call for 'Suits LA'
Not all heroes wear capes. This one is an impeccably dressed lawyer who is often armed with a tumbler of whiskey. And the new "Suits" spin-off has called him back for duty. When NBC announced that it was capitalizing on the success of the glossy legal drama — which concluded its USA Network run nearly six years ago but became the most streamed show of 2023 with its arrival on Netflix — with "Suits LA," a Los Angeles-set spin-off revolving around a new group of ambitious lawyers and their dealings within the entertainment industry, creator and showrunnner Aaron Korsh kept any plans for appearances by characters from the original series more tightly under wraps than the logistics of the mysterious can opener ritual. Rather than play the odds, he played the man and got Gabriel Macht to play Harvey Specter again. Across nine seasons and 134 episodes, Macht took viewers on the smug but charming corporate attorney's journey of emotional and personal maturation as he teamed up with — for more most of the show's run — wayward genius Mike (Patrick J. Adams), whom he hired to be his associate even though the young man had never attended law school. Between cases, Harvey confronted his demons and by the series' 2019 finale was a married man headed to Seattle to reunite with his sidekick to do some legal good for the little guys. (Macht, meanwhile, intentionally stepped away from acting to focus on his family once the series wrapped.) Read more: No one has higher expectations for 'Suits LA' than the creator of the 'Suits' universe Now, it's early March and Macht's on the set of "Suits LA" on the NBCUniversal lot putting the finishing touches on his three-episode arc, which was crammed into roughly a week of filming: "I really thought I was shutting the door on this character at the end of the original," says Macht, with a set of dark-framed glasses the only thing distinguishing him from his character during a break. Harvey's arc primarily occurs in flashbacks circa 2010, establishing his friendship with "Suits LA" frontman Ted Black (Stephen Amell) around the time the latter was wrapped up in a case involving notorious mobster John Pellegrini (Anthony Azizi) that ultimately triggered his move to the West Coast. Ted was prosecuting federal cases for the U.S. attorney's office in New York City and on a mission to put the mafioso — who used various intimidation tactics on Ted, including extorting Ted's corrupt father (Matt Letscher) and inadvertently having Ted's brother (Carson A. Egan) killed — behind bars; Harvey worked in the district attorney's office. Later, when the murder case fell apart, Harvey, who by this time was working in the corporate sector, clandestinely helped Ted convict Pellegrini on racketeering charges. But with the criminal set to be released from prison in the present day, Harvey makes a trip to L.A. to rally Ted so they can get Pellegrini back behind bars. The arc concluded with Sunday's episode, titled "Bat Signal," which finds the dynamic duo in New York City to (successfully) execute their plan. But is this the last viewers will see of Harvey Specter? Macht has learned not to say no to anything. "Look, if everything fails in my life, I think I can go to Times Square, put on the suit and just pose for pictures, maybe?" he says with a wide smile as he ambles his way back to shoot a scene in the present-day timeline. Like the Naked Cowboy? "Yeah, I'll be right next to him." The Times checked in with Macht a few weeks later over a video call to discuss the reprising of his character. Here are excerpts from the conversation. Since the resurgence of "Suits," you've been asked about reprising your role for a revival or even a movie of the OG series. You've largely had some playful responses quashing the likelihood of that happening. What was the initial reluctance and how did this way become appealing for you? When I was finished with "Suits," I was ready to be done. I feel like we told those stories and we really stuck the landing. We left with integrity. At that time in my personal life, I was ready to be done and move on and focus on different things. I wanted to travel the world, and I wanted to fill up the daddy well, and, you know, really spend time with my kids and make up for lost time. That was really the focus. That's where maybe those responses [came from]. Jump a few years, when Netflix picked it up, it dominated the viewership in so many ways that it just felt like it was sort of bigger than anyone could really understand and imagine. I'm seeing that there's a new generation. Who knows, there might be a "Suits: The Musical" on Broadway in 20 years. It created a bunch of opportunities for a lot of the players from the original show. And when Aaron [Korsh, the creator and showrunner of both series] came to me and said [mimics Korsh's pitchy voice], "Hey, I know you haven't wanted to get back in this … ," I said, "What is it? What's the story?" All I was interested in was how he was doing and how's the show going and support the show. He said, "Look, there's a character that might have been friends with Ted, and I can make his name in the script Harvey, if you'd be willing to consider ..." And over the next days, I started to think about the fans and how much the fans are really so committed to this show. That was my first instinct ... if they can make it happen, I want to do it for the fans. Did it take some time for you to feel like you were locked in? We don't see Harvey in a suit right away and I would imagine that's what helps you get there. It kind of was like riding a bike, especially when you put the suit on. Aaron has this way of writing where he's got a lot of double negatives. They gave me one or two speeches where I had to get into that dynamic and I was like, "Oh, my God, I'm gonna have a panic attack. This is not why I came back." On set you mentioned that the baseball scenes were shot at Rancho Park, which is where you used to practice for your high school baseball team. That must have felt like a surreal, full-circle moment to be coming back to this seminal character in your career while returning to a place that had meaning in real life. It was nostalgic in so many ways. I played up until my freshman year of high school. They put me on the bench. I didn't really play that much. I loved baseball and I still love baseball, but I was like, "Oh, God, I should really be thinking about my future. Maybe I should go into the drama class or something." They happened at the same time, so I can either do baseball every day or do drama and acting. Going back to Rancho Park and being in a uniform, playing shortstop, and actually seeing my dad [actor Stephen Macht, who had a recurring role in "Suits"] come out was nice. I said, "Dad, I'm shooting at Rancho, if you want to come and visit." He comes out and he's sitting in the stands; apparently he asked them, "Where's Gabriel?" And someone was like, "Who are you?" And he's like, "I'm his father!" It brought him right back to when I was in high school or little league. And they're like, "Oh, he's playing shortstop." He's been in the business 50 years. And he was like, "Well, when's the game starting?" It was a real moment for me to see him in the stands. During one of the takes, I was like, "Dad, you're sitting with background, you're like an extra right now. Go behind video village! You can watch the scene there." It was a full-circle moment for us. When it was announced that you were returning, it quickly became clear that one of the key cameos fans were anticipating with your return is Harvey's wedding band. The Darvey shippers, myself included, wanted some assurance that Aaron did not mess with their favorite TV couple. Did you see some of that? And were you curious where Harvey would be at in life? Yes, I was curious to see what it was and what was going to happen and what the storyline is; it could have gone in so many different directions. There's no reference that they're married and still together, but there is a reference that there's a child. I was moved by that moment. I was moved when I read it, I was like, "Oh, that's cool." I said "Guys, in the flashbacks, obviously I don't have a ring, but I think I should have a ring for the present time." And they were like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah." So, that's how we basically said that this [Harvey-Donna] relationship is still continuing. It was a nice moment. It was a really nice moment. Now why we never mentioned anyone with the name Ted in 134 episodes [of "Suits"], but these guys are really great friends and he names his son after him ... Wait. Do you think he really named their son after him? I thought he was just teasing. I think he [Harvey] was just playing with him [Ted]. But you never know with Harvey; he keeps so many things close to the chest. He could have really connected with him years ago. With television, with characters, you don't know. I have to say, I always thought Harvey would be a girl dad. Maybe they have a daughter who just can't text yet. My niece loves doing the voice to text on other people's devices. That's very possible. Maybe he has a girl who's of the age of texting but doesn't have a phone? We don't give our daughter a phone. Read more: In 'Suits LA,' John Amos gets his flowers — and a moving episode inspired by his legacy Fans on the show know that Harvey lost both his parents. With his appearance on "Suits LA," we learn his only sibling, Marcus, has passed in the time since. [Actor Billy Miller, who portrayed Marcus, died in 2023.] Have you asked Aaron why he has made Harvey endure so much pain and loss? Can we have some assurance that Harvey is at least going to the doctor and getting himself checked out? That's a good question. How do I answer this? The human in me says, look, there's tons of loss in in our lives and humans go through loss every day. There's always been a real sense of abandonment issues that Harvey has had throughout his life, and I think that that has been a dramatic tool that has been helped by writing for that. I don't think Harvey really plays a victim, but I think it's a way to feel for him. If you look at any Disney movie, the parents die within five seconds and that's to get you on the hook of feeling like you gotta feel for this character. I know it was brief and we don't get too much of present-day Harvey, but what was it like playing Harvey at this stage of his life and this stage in your life? It was fun. He's a little bit more settled. He's a little bit more in touch with himself. He likes to still take the piss out of his friends and the people that are close to him. But what we love about Harvey is his sense of what's right and making things right and his loyalty and his heart. There's plenty of times he's playing with the system. I think he's doing what's best. That was nice to play and just to be in in touch with that. It's interesting because there's many versions of Harvey that I'm not a fan of and that I'm not crazy about and that I don't like to engage in or support. I don't like supporting the narcissistic elements of him. I don't like supporting the aggressive, toxic masculinity that Harvey has in his toolbox. In these last six years, I have done a lot of work on myself and just seeing, what are the behaviors of Harvey that do align with me? There's elements of behavior where, as the actor and as the character, you're having to beat people down and manipulate and use so many negative behaviors that don't align with me, or more so, align with the child in me, that I have been keenly aware that I need tend to. What worked well for Harvey was my [inner] child. So, to be able to dismantle that or observe all the behaviors of the child — digging his heels in and saying, "This is what I need! This is how to do it!" — that selfish, sort of narcissistic coping mechanisms that you make as a kid, that's the work to be done [on myself] to move away from him. I'd love to see a documentary where somebody takes characters where the actors have really lived in their shoes for so long that they become them in different ways, and how do they shake them at the end of the day and come back to themselves? I think it'd be really interesting Could you see a day when you consider doing another TV series or returning to the screen? I'm way more interested right now in this partnership that I'm doing with Bear Fight Whiskey. The small narrative stories where I can be creative are where my heart is right now. A television show is a big commitment. You're basically owned by the show and the network and the stories and you really have to give up so much of your life. Maybe when my kids go to college or whatever, and there's more time in my life that I can devote to that. Read more: Will Sarah Rafferty reprise her 'Suits' role? For now, she's savoring 'My Life With the Walter Boys' Your friends and "Suits" co-stars, Sarah Rafferty and Patrick J. Adams, recently wrapped re-watching the first season on their podcast. They're on hiatus now, but do you think you'll ever stop by as a guest? I need you on this podcast. At some point, yeah. I don't know when. The stars have to align. I think they're doing great and I think they're really enjoying it. I don't know how I would go on there and talk — I have a bad memory as it is. I do not know if I would come in with much substance. I've seen clips [of "Suits"] here and there and I'm like, "I said that? I have no idea! I have no recollection of that!" I do feel like Harvey has some explaining to do with Mike for using the whole Batman thing with Ted. I think you're right. You have to go after Aaron. He thought it was a little too meta and too much of a wink to the audience, but I'll tell you, we said "Green Arrow" and "The Spirit." [Amell played Oliver Queen in the CW's "Arrow" and Macht portrayed the title character in Frank Miller's 2008 film adaptation of Will Eisner's "The Spirit."] There's a version of that that would have been gold, but [Aaron's] a Batman guy, so you got to just say what's on the page sometimes. You grew up here. What's the L.A. spot Gabriel would tell Harvey to visit? Marty's. I'm telling you, Marty's burgers — it's right near Rancho Park. It's a greasy spoon. It's the home of the combo. It's where I used to eat all the time. I'm a vegetarian now, so I can't go back there and eat there, but Harvey could. Sign up for Screen Gab, a free newsletter about the TV and movies everyone's talking about from the L.A. Times. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Better call Harvey Specter? Gabriel Macht answers the call for ‘Suits LA'
Not all heroes wear capes. This one is an impeccably dressed lawyer who is often armed with a tumbler of whiskey. And the new 'Suits' spin-off has called him back for duty. When NBC announced that it was capitalizing on the success of the glossy legal drama — which concluded its USA Network run nearly six years ago but became the most streamed show of 2023 with its arrival on Netflix — with 'Suits LA,' a Los Angeles-set spin-off revolving around a new group of ambitious lawyers and their dealings within the entertainment industry, creator and showrunnner Aaron Korsh kept any plans for appearances by characters from the original series more tightly under wraps than the logistics of the mysterious can opener ritual. Rather than play the odds, he played the man and got Gabriel Macht to play Harvey Specter again. Across nine seasons and 134 episodes, Macht took viewers on the smug but charming corporate attorney's journey of emotional and personal maturation as he teamed up with — for more most of the show's run — wayward genius Mike (Patrick J. Adams), whom he hired to be his associate even though the young man had never attended law school. Between cases, Harvey confronted his demons and by the series' 2019 finale was a married man headed to Seattle to reunite with his sidekick to do some legal good for the little guys. (Macht, meanwhile, intentionally stepped away from acting to focus on his family once the series wrapped.) Now, it's early March and Macht's on the set of 'Suits LA' on the NBCUniversal lot putting the finishing touches on his three-episode arc, which was crammed into roughly a week of filming: 'I really thought I was shutting the door on this character at the end of the original,' says Macht, with a set of dark-framed glasses the only thing distinguishing him from his character during a break. Harvey's arc primarily occurs in flashbacks circa 2010, establishing his friendship with 'Suits LA' frontman Ted Black (Stephen Amell) around the time the latter was wrapped up in a case involving notorious mobster John Pellegrini (Anthony Azizi) that ultimately triggered his move to the West Coast. Ted was prosecuting federal cases for the U.S. attorney's office in New York City and on a mission to put the mafioso — who used various intimidation tactics on Ted, including extorting Ted's corrupt father (Matt Letscher) and inadvertently having Ted's brother (Carson A. Egan) killed — behind bars; Harvey worked in the district attorney's office. Later, when the murder case fell apart, Harvey, who by this time was working in the corporate sector, clandestinely helped Ted convict Pellegrini on racketeering charges. But with the criminal set to be released from prison in the present day, Harvey makes a trip to L.A. to rally Ted so they can get Pellegrini back behind bars. The arc concluded with Sunday's episode, titled 'Bat Signal,' which finds the dynamic duo in New York City to (successfully) execute their plan. But is this the last viewers will see of Harvey Specter? Macht has learned not to say no to anything. 'Look, if everything fails in my life, I think I can go to Times Square, put on the suit and just pose for pictures, maybe?' he says with a wide smile as he ambles his way back to shoot a scene in the present-day timeline. Like the Naked Cowboy? 'Yeah, I'll be right next to him.' The Times checked in with Macht a few weeks later over a video call to discuss the reprising of his character. Here are excerpts from the conversation. Since the resurgence of 'Suits,' you've been asked about reprising your role for a revival or even a movie of the OG series. You've largely had some playful responses quashing the likelihood of that happening. What was the initial reluctance and how did this way become appealing for you? When I was finished with 'Suits,' I was ready to be done. I feel like we told those stories and we really stuck the landing. We left with integrity. At that time in my personal life, I was ready to be done and move on and focus on different things. I wanted to travel the world, and I wanted to fill up the daddy well, and, you know, really spend time with my kids and make up for lost time. That was really the focus. That's where maybe those responses [came from]. Jump a few years, when Netflix picked it up, it dominated the viewership in so many ways that it just felt like it was sort of bigger than anyone could really understand and imagine. I'm seeing that there's a new generation. Who knows, there might be a 'Suits: The Musical' on Broadway in 20 years. It created a bunch of opportunities for a lot of the players from the original show. And when Aaron [Korsh, the creator and showrunner of both series] came to me and said [mimics Korsh's pitchy voice], 'Hey, I know you haven't wanted to get back in this … ,' I said, 'What is it? What's the story?' All I was interested in was how he was doing and how's the show going and support the show. He said, 'Look, there's a character that might have been friends with Ted, and I can make his name in the script Harvey, if you'd be willing to consider ...' And over the next days, I started to think about the fans and how much the fans are really so committed to this show. That was my first instinct ... if they can make it happen, I want to do it for the fans. Did it take some time for you to feel like you were locked in? We don't see Harvey in a suit right away and I would imagine that's what helps you get there. It kind of was like riding a bike, especially when you put the suit on. Aaron has this way of writing where he's got a lot of double negatives. They gave me one or two speeches where I had to get into that dynamic and I was like, 'Oh, my God, I'm gonna have a panic attack. This is not why I came back.' On set you mentioned that the baseball scenes were shot at Rancho Park, which is where you used to practice for your high school baseball team. That must have felt like a surreal, full-circle moment to be coming back to this seminal character in your career while returning to a place that had meaning in real life. It was nostalgic in so many ways. I played up until my freshman year of high school. They put me on the bench. I didn't really play that much. I loved baseball and I still love baseball, but I was like, 'Oh, God, I should really be thinking about my future. Maybe I should go into the drama class or something.' They happened at the same time, so I can either do baseball every day or do drama and acting. Going back to Rancho Park and being in a uniform, playing shortstop, and actually seeing my dad [actor Stephen Macht, who had a recurring role in 'Suits'] come out was nice. I said, 'Dad, I'm shooting at Rancho, if you want to come and visit.' He comes out and he's sitting in the stands; apparently he asked them, 'Where's Gabriel?' And someone was like, 'Who are you?' And he's like, 'I'm his father!' It brought him right back to when I was in high school or little league. And they're like, 'Oh, he's playing shortstop.' He's been in the business 50 years. And he was like, 'Well, when's the game starting?' It was a real moment for me to see him in the stands. During one of the takes, I was like, 'Dad, you're sitting with background, you're like an extra right now. Go behind video village! You can watch the scene there.' It was a full-circle moment for us. When it was announced that you were returning, it quickly became clear that one of the key cameos fans were anticipating with your return is Harvey's wedding band. The Darvey shippers, myself included, wanted some assurance that Aaron did not mess with their favorite TV couple. Did you see some of that? And were you curious where Harvey would be at in life? Yes, I was curious to see what it was and what was going to happen and what the storyline is; it could have gone in so many different directions. There's no reference that they're married and still together, but there is a reference that there's a child. I was moved by that moment. I was moved when I read it, I was like, 'Oh, that's cool.' I said 'Guys, in the flashbacks, obviously I don't have a ring, but I think I should have a ring for the present time.' And they were like, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah.' So, that's how we basically said that this [Harvey-Donna] relationship is still continuing. It was a nice moment. It was a really nice moment. Now why we never mentioned anyone with the name Ted in 134 episodes [of 'Suits'], but these guys are really great friends and he names his son after him ... Wait. Do you think he really named their son after him? I thought he was just teasing. I think he [Harvey] was just playing with him [Ted]. But you never know with Harvey; he keeps so many things close to the chest. He could have really connected with him years ago. With television, with characters, you don't know. I have to say, I always thought Harvey would be a girl dad. Maybe they have a daughter who just can't text yet. My niece loves doing the voice to text on other people's devices. That's very possible. Maybe he has a girl who's of the age of texting but doesn't have a phone? We don't give our daughter a phone. Fans on the show know that Harvey lost both his parents. With his appearance on 'Suits LA,' we learn his only sibling, Marcus, has passed in the time since. [Actor Billy Miller, who portrayed Marcus, died in 2023.]Have you asked Aaron why he has made Harvey endure so much pain and loss? Can we have some assurance that Harvey is at least going to the doctor and getting himself checked out? That's a good question. How do I answer this? The human in me says, look, there's tons of loss in in our lives and humans go through loss every day. There's always been a real sense of abandonment issues that Harvey has had throughout his life, and I think that that has been a dramatic tool that has been helped by writing for that. I don't think Harvey really plays a victim, but I think it's a way to feel for him. If you look at any Disney movie, the parents die within five seconds and that's to get you on the hook of feeling like you gotta feel for this character. I know it was brief and we don't get too much of present-day Harvey, but what was it like playing Harvey at this stage of his life and this stage in your life? It was fun. He's a little bit more settled. He's a little bit more in touch with himself. He likes to still take the piss out of his friends and the people that are close to him. But what we love about Harvey is his sense of what's right and making things right and his loyalty and his heart. There's plenty of times he's playing with the system. I think he's doing what's best. That was nice to play and just to be in in touch with that. It's interesting because there's many versions of Harvey that I'm not a fan of and that I'm not crazy about and that I don't like to engage in or support. I don't like supporting the narcissistic elements of him. I don't like supporting the aggressive, toxic masculinity that Harvey has in his toolbox. In these last six years, I have done a lot of work on myself and just seeing, what are the behaviors of Harvey that do align with me? There's elements of behavior where, as the actor and as the character, you're having to beat people down and manipulate and use so many negative behaviors that don't align with me, or more so, align with the child in me, that I have been keenly aware that I need tend to. What worked well for Harvey was my [inner] child. So, to be able to dismantle that or observe all the behaviors of the child — digging his heels in and saying, 'This is what I need! This is how to do it!' — that selfish, sort of narcissistic coping mechanisms that you make as a kid, that's the work to be done [on myself] to move away from him. I'd love to see a documentary where somebody takes characters where the actors have really lived in their shoes for so long that they become them in different ways, and how do they shake them at the end of the day and come back to themselves? I think it'd be really interesting Could you see a day when you consider doing another TV series or returning to the screen? I'm way more interested right now in this partnership that I'm doing with Bear Fight Whiskey. The small narrative stories where I can be creative are where my heart is right now. A television show is a big commitment. You're basically owned by the show and the network and the stories and you really have to give up so much of your life. Maybe when my kids go to college or whatever, and there's more time in my life that I can devote to that. Your friends and 'Suits' co-stars, Sarah Rafferty and Patrick J. Adams, recently wrapped re-watching the first season on their podcast. They're on hiatus now, but do you think you'll ever stop by as a guest? I need you on this podcast. At some point, yeah. I don't know when. The stars have to align. I think they're doing great and I think they're really enjoying it. I don't know how I would go on there and talk — I have a bad memory as it is. I do not know if I would come in with much substance. I've seen clips [of 'Suits'] here and there and I'm like, 'I said that? I have no idea! I have no recollection of that!' I do feel like Harvey has some explaining to do with Mike for using the whole Batman thing with Ted. I think you're right. You have to go after Aaron. He thought it was a little too meta and too much of a wink to the audience, but I'll tell you, we said 'Green Arrow' and 'The Spirit.' [Amell played Oliver Queen in the CW's 'Arrow' and Macht portrayed the title character in Frank Miller's 2008 film adaptation of Will Eisner's 'The Spirit.'] There's a version of that that would have been gold, but [Aaron's] a Batman guy, so you got to just say what's on the page sometimes. You grew up here. What's the L.A. spot Gabriel would tell Harvey to visit? Marty's. I'm telling you, Marty's burgers — it's right near Rancho Park. It's a greasy spoon. It's the home of the combo. It's where I used to eat all the time. I'm a vegetarian now, so I can't go back there and eat there, but Harvey could.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How State Farm pivoted its Super Bowl ad to March Madness and beyond
This story was originally published on Marketing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Marketing Dive newsletter. In State Farm's latest campaign, brand character Jake from State Farm explains that having insurance isn't the same as having State Farm — it's like having Jason Bateman when you need Batman. A hero spot brings that idea to life in hilarious fashion, demonstrating how the actor is a not-quite-dark knight when facing off against a rogues gallery that includes Two-Face, Poison Ivy and Catwoman, as played by pop star SZA. In this version of Gotham City, popular Twitch streamer Kai Cenat films the Joker as he escapes a crime scene and social media star Jordan 'the Stallion' Howlett waits by the Bat Signal like Commissioner Gordon. If the high-octane 60-second ad sounds like a Super Bowl spot, that's because it was intended to be until State Farm reversed its plans to advertise during the big game. Instead, the insurer chose to focus on customers impacted by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area while facing backlash over previous coverage decisions. Instead of throwing the baby out with the bath water, State Farm pivoted. The campaign, which was developed with agency Highdive, will now debut on March 15 during the Big 10 Men's Conference tournament and will continue to air throughout and beyond March Madness. In addition, Cenat tonight (March 11) will debut a long-form version of the spot during a Twitch livestream that brand mascot Jake will also be part of. Marketing Dive caught up with State Farm Head of Marketing Alyson Griffin about the creative process behind the campaign, its shift from sports to pop culture and more. The following interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. ALYSON GRIFFIN: We were looking to approach 2025, and looking at the competitive landscape and the situation on the ground with spend. We are one of the smaller spends of the big insurers, so we know that we have to break through and punch above our weight. Ideas that are outsized in their ability to capture attention were one thing [we were looking for]. The other was from a business realities perspective: We have a really important story to tell, especially right now, in the season that the country finds itself in, and that is, there's having insurance, and then there's having State Farm. The other thing was we're broadly targeting; this is a general market campaign. It kicks off in March Madness, but it's not a March Madness campaign — it's going to last, and it's across all of our media. We needed to be able to have flexibility in the storytelling, to target a broad swath of people. You've got Jason Bateman, who Gen Xers grew up with; Kai Cenat, the biggest streamer in the world; SZA, who's in fashion, music, a movie, the Super Bowl and on tour with Kendrick Lamar; Jordan the Stallion, a social media influencer; the cultural phenomenon that is the Batman franchise. It was an easy construct that we could play with over time that could break through generationally depending on where we were targeting. Being able to get into cultural moments differently [is important]. We've got to really be smart about where we show up and how we show up, so that we can break through with the limited dollars that we have and stay true to who we're trying to target. Kai Cenat was on 'The Tonight Show' with Jimmy Fallon this week, and on ESPN the next morning with Stephen Smith. We give up some control to Kai Cenat, we give up some control to Jordan the Stallion on using his style on his channels on Instagram and TikTok. It's all about being in culture, understanding who matters and who's breaking through, and how we can reach different audiences with the message that we need. You said it: This was our Super Bowl spot. We took a moment and picked this March time frame because March Madness is a culturally relevant moment, with a broad audience with a similar [cumulative] eyeball size as the Super Bowl. We have all these assets — the teaser phase, the spot, from the long-form down to cut downs, and then a sustained phase. It gave that storytelling breathing room to keep that spot fresh. It matches culturally, it matches demographically. It's a general market campaign. It'll be everywhere. We will continue to have digital, audio, linear, social and influencers on their own channels. This is a long period of time campaign, so we will continue to use the full mix of our media buying power to continue to get this message out, and of course, we'll continue to evolve it. That was the beauty of this umbrella message of 'there's having insurance and there's having State Farm' for us to be able to then nest where it makes sense over the course of a year. Don't forget our agents on the ground. There are more State Farm agent offices in the United States than Starbucks and McDonald's. They're on the ground in each of their communities with their own social channels as well as out-of-home, and they'll be armed with the messages as well. Recommended Reading State Farm will not advertise during Super Bowl amid Los Angeles fires
