When Suits announced yesterday (January 30) that Meghan Markle and Patrick J. Adams would be leaving the series ahead of its newly-commissioned eighth season, it was clear the show had a big hole to fill.
But it didn't take long to find a TV star with a CV impressive enough to fill their shoes. None other than Emmy-winning Grey's Anatomy legend Katherine Heigl has signed on for Suits season eight.
Heigl has been cast as Pearson Specter Litt's newest partner Samantha Wheeler, who is described as being cunning enough to become the firm's "greatest ally or most powerful enemy".
(Katherine Heigl and husband Josh Kelley)
The former Grey's star said on Wednesday (January 31): "Joining Suits was the perfect organic way to not only collaborate with [writer Aaron Korsh, who] I admire deeply, but to also become part of a show and cast that I am an immense fan of.
"I have watched Suits from the very beginning and feel incredibly lucky to be the newest member of the Pearson Specter Litt family."
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(Katherine Heigl in Grey's Anatomy)
Since her notoriously messy departure from Grey's Anatomy in 2010, Heigl has made various comeback attempts with the White House drama State of Affairs and thriller Doubt — neither of which caught on.
Joining an established series at the height of its rating power seems like a smart move for Heigl after those recent flops, especially since it's unlikely she'll ever return to Grey's Anatomy.
Suits returns for the back-half of its seventh season next month on the USA Network and Netflix in the UK. The eighth season will follow in 2019.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
