NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

Gina Torres steps into the spotlight with ‘Suits’ spinoff

NEW YORK

Gina Torres used to wonder about the back story of her “Suits “ character, Jessica Pearson.

The character was the co-founder and boss of the law firm at the center of the show, but that was about all that was known.

Torres wondered: “She doesn’t have family; she doesn’t have people. When are we gonna meet her people? What’s gonna happen? When are we gonna get to know more of the woman?”

Torres’ questions are answered in the new spinoff, “Pearson ,” that premiered Wednesday on USA.

As the show begins, Pearson has been disbarred and can no longer practice law. She relocates from New York to Chicago where she’s hired as the unofficial fixer for the mayor, who is married, but involved with the city attorney.

“Pearson” is “not Suits 2.0. It’s not Suits Jr.,” Torres said. It’s not a legal series or a procedural and is different in tone from “Suits.”

“I like to call it a legacy show because clearly I come from the world of ‘Suits,’ but it’s a very, very different animal,” she said.

Associated Press