Suits LA's Lex Scott Davis Discusses Pants, Power Heels and Her Favorite Guest Stars
The actress gives us a taste of what it's like to walk in her shoes on Suits LA.
Smart, shrewd and forthright, Erica Rollins has proven herself to be quite the lawyer in NBC's spin-off series, Suits LA. She's carved a space for herself amongst the defense attorneys and is a go-getter rising u the ranks.
The actress who makes Rollins such a presence every week on the series is Lex Scott Davis, whose debut television role was as singer Toni Braxton in Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart (2015). Since then, Davis has been in a familiar face in several series including The L Word: Generation Q and Rebel.
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As we continue to cook on Suits LA's season, NBC Insider checked in with Davis to get her thoughts about Erica's office style, shooting the series in Los Angeles and the guests stars who have delighted her the most, so far.
Lex Scott Davis' universal struggle: skirts vs. pants
In a given episode of Suits LA, the gentleman lawyers are outfitted in the best suits while Erica is armored up in sleek pencil skirts or dresses. But what wouldn't Lex Scott Davis give for some pants!
"I'm always fighting for pants for Erica. In every fitting, I'm like, 'When can I wear pants? When can I wear pants?'" the actress said with a laugh. "And that is because I understand her position in this male-dominated space. Granted, we don't always style her in pants. She is a pencil skirt girl too. But there's always an awareness of when the time is right to lean into the femininity, and when the time is right to lean into the masculine side of Erica. I love that the wardrobe can support that story itself."
And that also applies to Erica's footwear.
"There's something about stepping into the shoes of a wardrobe that really transforms me," Davis shared. "In real life, I am very much a Sneakerhead. I wear a lot of sneakers and I'm getting into a cowboy boot phase. But Erica wouldn't be caught dead in any of those!"
"I kind of transform as a result of stepping into her shoes as well, which is really powerful," the actress continued. "I'm given the option off camera to change into more comfortable shoe wear. But I'm like, 'Actually, I think these shoes are adding to the way that I walk.' It does make me a different lady, and I really am leaning in to what the wardrobe provides as part of the character too."
Weaving Los Angeles into the fabric of Suits LA
While the pilot episode of Suits LA was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, the series then relocated to Los Angeles for production at Universal Studios, Hollywood. That move has allowed the series to shoot on location all over the city, making for a very authentic backdrop to the show's storylines. For Davis, the immersion of their storyline into the city is one of her favorite aspects of the series.
"I love that we shoot in places that are iconic for the city," she said with enthusiasm. "It's kind of like a, 'If you know, you know' kind of thing. Even the set that is our office, all exterior scenes are shot at CAA's building, which is actually where I'm rep'd. When I see it in the show, it's just really cool to see that we're actually at the location in Century City. And what Century City means for our city; that is just an important hub for all things entertainment."
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The production also goes to some of the city's favorite places for meetings and important dinners, like the famed Musso and Frank restaurant in Hollywood or country clubs well known to residents of Los Angeles.
"But even beyond locations, I think the access to having real actors show up and portray themselves, you can't get that anywhere so that part is really fun," she explained. "I love Vancouver, but I was happy when we made the move to stay in LA and shoot at Universal, because it's like the resources just opened up as a result."
Lex's favorite guest stars to stop by the office...so far
Speaking of guest stars, Suits LA has already welcomed a long list of acting legends, including John Amos (Good Times), Enrico Colantoni (Galaxy Quest), Patton Oswalt (Parks & Recreation) and The Office favorite, Brian Baumgartner.
While Davis hasn't had scenes with everyone playing themselves in the show, she did get to co-star with Oswalt and Baumgartner and bask in their comedic light.
"Honestly, Brian Baumgarten is one of my highlights of the whole filming experience," she shared. "I had no idea I'd have as much fun. He was just such a joy and warm to be around. He just felt like an actor I had met in a class. It just felt like someone who was showed up for work, ready to play, down to try things and just talk about normal life stuff. We were talking about kids. And so any nerves I had going into meeting him and working with him just evaporated on site. I'm very happy we got him, and I also felt like I learned a lot from watching him and Patton Oswalt together. Watching them in their scene and how they handled the humor and how they handled improv, it just felt like a front row seat to a Master class."
To find out what Hollywood’s hottest attorneys are up to next, watch Suits LA Sundays at 9/8c on NBC or stream it on Peacock the next day.
