‘Suits’ Season 6 Star Sarah Rafferty Reveals How Gabriel Macht Helped Her Land The Role Of Donna

Sarah Rafferty wouldn’t be “Suits” fan-favorite character Donna Paulsen if not for her co-star Gabriel Macht. In a recent interview with New Zealand Herald, Rafferty revealed how Macht helped her land the role of the uber-confident secretary at Pearson Specter Litt.

"It was Gabriel who gave me the script," the 43-year-old actress recalled. "I had done a pilot and I was waiting for news on whether it was going to get picked up, and it wasn't. The same day I got that news, I saw Gabriel and told him. He said, ‘Great, you need to read this script tomorrow ...’”

“I put myself on tape because they were doing auditions in New York City and I was in LA at the time. [Then] the rest is history,” she added.

Unbeknown to many people, Rafferty and Macht have been friends for more than two decades. The two have known each other since meeting at Williamstown Theatre Festival back in 1993.

"We go back 20 years and our daughters are best friends,” Macht, who plays Harvey Specter on the legal drama series, told Blast Magazine in 2012. "We [even] lived in the same house [once while shooting 'Suits' in Toronto]. We are really, really, really close friends. We've been to each other's weddings."

Rafferty said that her real-life friendship with Macht has been an advantage on set, particularly during the early days of the USA Network series.

"We had a comfort level with each other. You were able to sense that Donna and Harvey had a history together because we did,” she told New Zealand Herald. “Sometimes it's a little bit awkward, when you're just meeting someone on the first day, to have that kind of camaraderie.”

There have been times, however, when filming a scene with Rafferty was a challenge for Macht. "It is very hard to act with one of your best pals. But with that said, it's a lot of fun," the 44-year-old actor told Blast Magazine. "We constantly say to each other, 'don't make me laugh, don't make me laugh, stop, stop, don't, stop.' It's very hard."

"Suits" Season 6, Episode 5, titled "Trust," airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. on USA Network. Check out the synopsis and trailer for the episode below:

"Mike [Patrick J. Adams] tries to gain Kevin's [Erik Palladino] trust while Harvey enacts a risky plan; Jessica [Gina Torres] mends the firm's reputation; Rachel [Meghan Markle] runs into a roadblock; and Louis enlists Donna's help in a matter of the heart."