Macht, says balancing TV, films can be a bit of a circus

Sugandha Rawal - New Delhi - He has worked in film and TV for over 20 years, but American actor Gabriel Macht, who likes the idea of a “desi” version of his hit American TV series “Suits”, says balancing work between the two mediums can be a “bit of a circus”. If the name Gabriel Macht doesn’t ring a bell for you, then you may recognise him for his onscreen avatar as control-freak corporate lawyer Harvey Spector in “Suits”. He made his debut in 1980 with “Why Would I Lie?”, but caught the public eye with “Suits”, which is aired in India on Comedy Central. The show will be back from its mid-season break in India on Saturday. “When you work in a film, it usually only takes a few weeks to a few months out of your life, whereas, with a TV show, it can be much longer,” Macht said in an interview from Toronto. “I mean, look, here I am in year six for ‘Suits’ — I typically shoot from April to November and then I get four months off. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful for the opportunity, but it can be a bit of a circus and really challenging to find balance.” After graduating from drama school in the mid-1990s, Macht worked in shows like “Spin City” and “Sex And The City” and had a lead role in supernatural drama “The Others”. He then plunged into the movies with projects like “Behind Enemy Lines” and “Love & Other Drugs”. Macht, who is married to actress Jacinda Barrett and has two children, turns to his family to get a reality check. “What helps is that I’m a family man and my first priority is to be with my wife and kids and see my children grow. And when we do have a home, we try to make it as comfortable and efficient as possible. “We’ll see what happens with my next project — maybe I’ll land in New York and be able to live and work in the same city for a while,” said the 44-year-old, who wants to visit India soon. Macht says he has learnt to live under the pubic scanner, but he envisions a different life for his two children. “I’m thankful for the fans and know that I wouldn’t be anywhere in my career without them, but I also want my kids to grow up in a world where the spotlight isn’t on their father. So when we’re able to go out in the world and be under the radar, I really do appreciate it,” he said, adding that he prefers anonymity and values his privacy. Macht has a wide fan following around the world, including in India. He hopes to use his star power some day in Bollywood. He also points out how Hollywood is making “great strides for diversity” with Indian talent like Priyanka Chopra, Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur making inroads into American showbiz. “I have noticed that there are more Indian stars appearing in Hollywood films and TV shows now, which reinforces that Hollywood is making great strides for diversity. And I would love to have an Indian actor on ‘Suits’ as a series regular,” Macht said. He is not well-acquainted with the glitzy world of Bollywood, but says that “there’s a piece of me that really wants to do a Bollywood film though — I just think that would be a lot of fun”. Be it “Modern Family” or “24”, a lot of American shows are being adapted in India. And Macht would love to have an Indian adaptation of law drama “Suits” too. “I’d love to see who they cast — if they depart from the characters here or if there would be completely new characters. I’d also be interested to see if there’s any dancing or singing involved,” Macht quipped.