‘Suits’ season 6 exclusive: Carly Pope on Tara’s introduction, Louis Litt connection

Come Wednesday night on USA Network, “Suits” will have a new addition, and it’s someone who could rock Louis Litt’s world in a big way. Her name is Tara Messer, and she is a commercial architect who will come in after Rick Hoffman’s character is at his wits’ end when it comes to some of the traders. The two will have an immediate connection, but is it a romantic one? That’s something you will have to watch to find out.

In leading up to the episode, we did get to chat with the actress behind the role in Carly Pope about playing this part, what she thinks Tara sees in Louis, and how the two really understand each other in ways few other people do.

CarterMatt – What was the experience like coming aboard the show?

Carly Pope – I feel like a broken record saying this, but it’s so true. When you come into a show when it’s so well-established already, it feels like there is such a huge hill to climb. So when we realized that the hill is actually downhill because everyone makes it so accommodating and easy, it is a dream come true. It’s been exemplary; everybody’s been so welcoming, so willing to have me there. That takes a ton of fear out of the equation. You don’t want to mess up a good thing. You often go ‘oh no, it’s working so well, what am I going to do?’ (Laughs.)

So what were you thinking about the character when you started to see some of the scripts?

I’ll tell you: ‘Some of the scripts’ is an egregious exaggeration because basically, we get to see very little! It’s good because it keeps us surprised and guessing; it makes things fun. That’s what makes things exciting for me with this job; I never know what it’s going to turn into, but I’m still guessing, and it’s been a very fortuitous thing, since you never know if the next episode is the one where you’re getting fired (laughs). It’s been very exciting.

When the audition first came through, I was really thinking that I liked the character because she felt very honest and upfront and simple, and then with her dynamic with Louis, she’s none the wiser as to what his further intentions might be. It becomes a really sincere dynamic of a professional who’s coming in to try and satisfy her client.

At the time Tara comes in Louis may be, to use one of his own terms, pretty ‘Litt up’ over the traders. Will she see that? What will her first impression be?

The thing is that with the first episode airing Wednesday, he’s really on his best behavior, unbeknownst to Tara that he’s having a bit of s–tfight with himself about her [potentially] not being on time. Then, he [realizes] she had actually showed up half an hour early because that’s her code of conduct. That puts him in his place right off the bat. They just have a seamless dynamic that unfolds because they see the world the same way. Even though he wants to fight it prior to meeting her, when he does meet her you realize that these are very like-minded individuals that happen to agree on the way the world works. It’s fun to navigate that, but there’s not a lot of the fights that you’re used to seeing with Louis … or at least she’s not privy to them.

Well Louis on his best behavior is a very nice man. That works out for her.

Yeah, Louis at his core is caring, is generous, is selfless, but then there are all of these other things that get in the way. I hope that’s the dynamic you get to see between Louis and Tara, is that there is this person that has been waiting in the wings, and you do get to see that side of him in their dynamic, which is lovely.

How much of the show had you seen going in? Do you like to know that, or do you prefer to separate what you do from the show that’s on?

I think it’s really valuable to get to know the players, the tone, the settings, the wardrobe. It’s nice to be informed. Information is power, as they say!

I had only seen season 1 of the show, which was my own sad story of not having a PVR and being able to record episodes. Then, I ended up watching seasons 4 and 5 when I was auditioning, and I devoured them in one weekend, and I was really charmed hoping that it would come through. When you really invest in those characters, you want to be involved! That’s the beauty of what they do over there. The depth of the relationships, the dynamics, the fun that they have within. It really runs the gamut, and as an actor that’s exciting to be a part of.

There have already been people talking about whether or not Tara could be a love interest for Louis at some point down the road. Do you think that there could be something there, and that this is something Tara could be looking for?

My mother always used to say to me that ‘when people come into your life, they come into it to teach you a lesson.’ It doesn’t have to be as dramatic as that, but you can always learn something from people who come into your life. Therefore, there are no failed dynamics between people, because everyone is unique and could offer you something new about yourself. I feel like Louis and Tara, they really do guide one another as they walk down these roads in the same space. I think that you do get to see a very sincere kinship between them. It’s simplifies things. It’s easy and it’s refreshing.

For Tara, right away he is incredibly pronounced in his interest in her and his eagerness to have her as a part of his life professionally as his architect, and she feels therefore very special. She feels very recognized, she’s getting accolades that any human [wants]. If you’re feeling worthy and you’re feeling seen, those are things that are hard to deny. I think at the very least as time goes on, you may start to understand a little more of why Tara’s open to someone coming into her life who is allowing her to feel like she has a place in this world.

Have you had a chance to do some work with some other cast members, or have you worked mostly with Rick [Hoffman]?

It’s been a pretty separate storyline so it’s been mostly with Rick, but I’ve also been able to meet and work very minimally with Aloma Wright, who plays Gretchen. She’s a firecracker and amazing. I haven’t had a chance to interact with too many other characters, but I’m knocking wood and keeping fingers crossed that maybe that day will come.

Finally, is this a part you could see yourself wanting to play for a good while into the future?

Anybody that bites that hand that feeds them is not winning at life (laughs), so yeah, I’d love to be around if people want to keep me around.

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Thank you to Carly for spending some time talking with us about her role on the show, we are excited to see how it all unfolds.