William Sutter may not have been the biggest villain onSuits, but his random death in the show’s final season still came as a shock. Airing from 2011-2019,Suitssaw a massive surge in popularitywhen it began streaming on Netflix in 2023. A big reason for that is because in an age of short streaming shows, audiences are craving a high-quality yet traditional TV experience.Suitsoffers a digestible series full of clearcut protagonists and antagonists, as Harvey Specter and Mike Ross regularly face off against rival law firms and attorneys from their past with an axe to grind.
While he’s not one ofSuits' most famous celebrity cameos,veteran actor Alan Rosenberg certainly added to the series' gripping drama as William Sutter. Rosenberg notably played Thomas the Apostle in Martin Scorsese’sThe Last Temptation of Christ(1988), though he is perhaps best known for lawyer Eli Levinson on bothCivil WarsandL.A. Law. The actor also served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 2005-2009. Rosenberg is clearly dedicated to the craft of acting, and he’s more than at home in a legal drama, making him right at home as William Sutter onSuits.
Willaim Sutter Was A Suits Villain Who Died In Season 9
William Sutter is introduced inSuitsseason 6, episode 3, “Back on the Map”. He’sthe father-in-law of Mike’s roommate, Kevin, and the head of a $2 billion dollar investment firm. He’s also one of the shadiest businessmenSuitshas ever seen, so much so that Harvey doesn’t want to represent him when Sutter finds himself in hot water for insider trading. “This guy makes Madoff and Forstman look like saints,” Harvey says.
First appearance
Season 6, Episode 3, “Back on the Map”
Last appearance
Season 6, Episode 10, “P.S.L.”
Harvey is absolutely correct, as Sutter’s unscrupulousness knows no bounds. He’s not even willing to sign a deal to keep his daughter, Jill, out of prison. However, thanks to Harvey, Jill decides to turn the tables on her father and testify against Sutter for full immunity.Mike is also released from jailfor his help in the case.
Knowing he has nowhere to turn,Sutter signs a plea deal and agrees to three years in prison. It’s a feel-good legal victory all around. In the real world, it’s too easy for white-collar criminals like Sutter to get away with their crimes, but shows likeSuitsare happy to deliver these satisfying victories.
With his season 6 storyline wrapped up, William Sutter is never seen inSuitsagain, though he is mentioned in the show’s final season. InSuitsseason 9, episode 8, “Prisoner’s Dilemma”, it’s revealed that Sutter passed away, but even more fascinatingly, gave a deathbed confession that State’s Attorney Andrew Malik is only too pleased to use in a bid to get Mike back behind bars. However, Malik’s plans are foiled whenit’s discovered that Sutter died of a heart attack, and thus could not provide a deathbed confession.
Suits L.A.: Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know About The Suits Spinoff
With Suits finding new life on streaming, a spinoff, Suits L.A. has been announced which will continue the popular legal drama on the West Coast.
It’s certainly a bit random to have such a once-prominent character die offscreen, but it wouldn’t make sense to show his passing, as this would have completely given away the big twist of how Sutter really died. Moreover, while Alan Rosenberg absolutely chewed the scenery with Sutter’s villainy, he was never one ofSuits' major antagonists. His storyline was wrapped up in a bow, and the show had moved on.
William Sutter Actor Alan Rosenberg Continues To Act On TV
Since his stint onSuits, Alan Rosenberg has continued to appear on popular TV series. He notably played forensic anthropologist Dr. William Golliher in bothBoschand its spinoff,Bosch: Legacy. However,his most notable post-Suitsrole is Clyde Youens inShameless.
Youens is an engineering professor who becomes somewhat of a mentor to Lip Gallagher. Ironically,like William Sutter inSuits, Youen also dies in prison. While a flawed man, Youens was a much more sympathetic character than Sutter, and his death was much more tragic. Though the two characters had similar fates, they overall couldn’t have been more different, a testament to Rosenberg’s versatility. Hopefully, the actor will continue to pop up on the small screen — though audiences shouldn’t get too attached to his character if he goes to jail.
Suits
Cast
Suits is a legal drama series that premiered in 2011, centering on Mike Ross, a college dropout with a photographic memory who lands a job at a top New York law firm despite lacking a law degree. Partnering with one of the city’s best legal closers, Harvey Specter, they navigate the challenges of high-stakes cases and firm dynamics.
