The 'Grey's Anatomy' alum will join the cast of the USA Network legal drama as a series regular, playing talented new partner at Pearson Specter Litt, Samantha Wheeler.
- Feb 1, 2018
AceShowbiz - Katherine Heigl is joining "Suits" for its season 8. USA Network announced on Wednesday, January 31 that the "Grey's Anatomy" alum had been tapped to star in the upcoming season as a series regular.
Heigl will be playing a character named Samantha Wheeler, a talented new partner at Pearson Specter Litt who challenges the status quo and will either become the firm's greatest ally or most powerful enemy.
"Joining 'Suits' was the perfect organic way to not only collaborate with an EP I admire deeply, but to also become part of a show and cast that I am an immense fan of," Heigl said in a statement. "I have watched 'Suits' from the very beginning and feel incredibly lucky to be the newest member of the Pearson Specter Litt family."
"On behalf of the entire 'Suits' team, I am extraordinarily excited to welcome Katherine Heigl into our family -- I have always been a big fan of her work and was delighted to discover she was an avid 'Suits' fan herself," said series creator and executive producer Aaron Korsh. "I cannot wait to have her come play with our entire cast and crew. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Harvey, Louis, Donna and Alex as the mysterious Samantha Wheeler is a direct threat to their status quo. One thing is for sure -- Samantha's wit, charm, loyalty, strength, and vulnerability will all be put to the test as she muscles her way into the firm currently known as Pearson Specter Litt."
The 39-year-old Emmy-winning actress joins returning series regulars which include Gabriel Macht, Sarah Rafferty, Rick Hoffman and Dule Hill, who was recently promoted to a series regular. Season 8 is scheduled to start filming this April in Toronto.
The new addition comes after it was confirmed that series regulars Patrick J. Adams and Meghan Markle would exit after season 7. "I would like to thank Patrick and Meghan for their extraordinary contributions over the last seven years. Not only have they been outstanding in their roles as Mike and Rachel, they are also superb human beings who will always be beloved members of the 'Suits' family, and we wish them well in their days to come," Korsh previously said.
