# Rick Hoffman
**Rick Hoffman** (born 1970) is an American actor best known for playing the volatile corporate lawyer [Louis Litt](https://www.edgepedia.org/louis-litt) on all nine seasons of the [USA Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/usa-network) legal drama *Suits* (2011–2019). Before that series he had built a career of series-regular and guest roles on American television, beginning with the Fox drama *The $treet* in 2000, and he has worked steadily in film in character parts.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1970 in New York City, New York |
| Signature role | Louis Litt on *Suits*, 2011–2019, 134 episodes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0389069/?showAllCredits=true) |
| First regular series role | Stockbroker Freddie Sacker on Fox's Wall Street drama *The $treet* (2000)[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/rick-hoffman/) |
| Other series roles | Terry Loomis on *Philly* (2001), Jerry Best on *The Bernie Mac Show* (2002–2005), Patrick Van Dorn on *Jake in Progress* (2005–2006), Chase Chapman on *Samantha Who?* (2007–2009)[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/rick-hoffman/) |
| Post-*Suits* television | Dr. Swerdlow on *Billions*, 2020–2023, 6 episodes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0389069/?showAllCredits=true) |
| Early recognition | Named one of *Variety*'s "10 Actors to Watch" in 2000 for *The Street*[3](https://tftv.arizona.edu/news/rick-hoffman/) |
| Education | BFA in Acting, 1992, University of Arizona; also studied at the John Strasberg School of Acting[3](https://tftv.arizona.edu/news/rick-hoffman/) |
## Early life and training
Hoffman was born in New York City and grew up in Roslyn Heights, on [Long Island](https://www.edgepedia.org/long-island). He was raised Jewish and graduated from The Wheatley School in Old Westbury, New York, before attending the [University of Arizona](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-arizona)[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/9123/rick-hoffman). He earned a BFA in Acting there in 1992 and later studied at the John Strasberg School of Acting[3](https://tftv.arizona.edu/news/rick-hoffman/).
His first credited job came through an audition he attended without a union card. In a 2020 *Backstage* interview he described following a friend to an audition for the Disney television movie *Just Perfect*, where he was cast as a mugger with about 16 lines; the role, which he performed while still in college, earned him his SAG card at age 20[5](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/questions-withrick-hoffman-8876/).
## 1990s and early 2000s work
Hoffman made his screen debut in 1997 with a small role as night security in the thriller *[Conspiracy Theory](https://www.edgepedia.org/conspiracy-theory-film)*. According to his own account, he was so nervous filming his one-line scene that he made up new lines in rehearsal, which the production kept in the film; he credits the moment with helping him land a manager and further work[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/rick-hoffman/) • [5](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/questions-withrick-hoffman-8876/). Through the late 1990s he worked steadily in bit parts, including a police officer in *Lethal Weapon 4* (1998) and a bartender in the independent feature *Johnny Skidmarks* (1998), while supporting himself with restaurant work[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/rick-hoffman/). He has described being fired from nine waiting jobs before acting became a full-time living[5](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/questions-withrick-hoffman-8876/).
**The $treet and series roles.** In 2000 he landed his first regular television role, the despicable stockbroker Freddie Sacker on *The $treet*, a [Wall Street](https://www.edgepedia.org/wall-street) drama from Darren Star; the same year, *Variety* named him one of its "10 Actors to Watch"[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/rick-hoffman/) • [3](https://tftv.arizona.edu/news/rick-hoffman/). The series was short-lived, but it led to a run of series and recurring parts: Terry Loomis, an assistant district attorney on the Steven Bochco ABC legal drama *Philly* (2001); Jerry Best on *The Bernie Mac Show*; Patrick Van Dorn, a verbose performance artist, opposite [John Stamos](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-stamos) on the Chuck Lorre ABC comedy *Jake in Progress* (2005–2006); and Chase Chapman opposite [Christina Applegate](https://www.edgepedia.org/christina-applegate) on *Samantha Who?*[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/rick-hoffman/) • [6](https://www.usanetwork.com/usa-insider/suits-rick-hoffmans-movie-tv-show-roles). Alongside these, he appeared as a guest on a long list of network procedurals and comedies, including *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, *NCIS*, *CSI: NY*, *CSI: Miami*, *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation*, *Chuck*, *Monk*, *Without a Trace*, *Leverage*, and *Lie to Me*[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/9123/rick-hoffman).
His film work in this period included *Blood Work* (2002), directed by and co-starring [Clint Eastwood](https://www.edgepedia.org/clint-eastwood); the [Eli Roth](https://www.edgepedia.org/eli-roth) horror film *Hostel* (2005), in which he played a character billed as the American Client; a scene-stealing carjacking victim in the thriller *Cellular* (2004); and *The Condemned* (2007), in which his character Goldman helped live-stream a deadly prison fight tournament alongside WWE star [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://www.edgepedia.org/stone-cold-steve-austin)[3](https://tftv.arizona.edu/news/rick-hoffman/) • [6](https://www.usanetwork.com/usa-insider/suits-rick-hoffmans-movie-tv-show-roles).
## Suits and Louis Litt
In 2011 Hoffman was cast as Louis Litt, a partner who manages the associates at the New York law firm at the center of *Suits*, and he remained with the show for its entire nine-season run, appearing in 134 episodes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0389069/?showAllCredits=true) • [6](https://www.usanetwork.com/usa-insider/suits-rick-hoffmans-movie-tv-show-roles). Louis began as a prickly, sometimes antagonistic rival to [Gabriel Macht](https://www.edgepedia.org/gabriel-macht)'s Harvey Specter and evolved into one of the show's most popular characters; he is a whiz at tax law, fond of mud baths, and known for the catchphrase "you just got Litt up"[7](https://time.com/6303530/suits-netflix-why-to-watch/) • [8](https://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2024/04/rick-hoffman-lights-up-campus-with-funny-anecdotes-and-critical-advice). A costume-design study of the series notes that Louis's tailoring, unlike Harvey's Tom Ford look, shifts from an austere [Savile Row](https://www.edgepedia.org/savile-row) style toward increasing flamboyance, and that Hoffman has described the character's suit as a shield protecting his insecurity[9](https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/163284/1/WRAP_Theses_Wolthuis_2020_Redacted.pdf).
The role gave Hoffman a level of public recognition his earlier work had not. A photograph of him at the 2018 royal wedding of Meghan Markle, his former *Suits* co-star, circulated widely online as viewers captioned his facial expression[10](https://time.com/5284169/louis-litt-royal-wedding/). After the series arrived on Netflix in 2023 it became one of the service's biggest hits, giving the show, and Louis Litt with it, a large new audience[7](https://time.com/6303530/suits-netflix-why-to-watch/).
## After Suits
Hoffman's main television role after *Suits* has been a recurring guest part on the Showtime drama *Billions*, playing Dr. Swerdlow, a physician whose services for ailing characters have an ethically flexible, fixer-like character; he appeared in six episodes between 2020 and 2023[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0389069/?showAllCredits=true) • [6](https://www.usanetwork.com/usa-insider/suits-rick-hoffmans-movie-tv-show-roles). His recent film work includes the horror film *Thanksgiving* (2023), in which he played Thomas Wright, and the action-comedy *London Calling* (2025)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0389069/?showAllCredits=true). He also played Stan in the 2023 Hallmark Hanukkah movie *Round and Round*[11](https://jewishscenemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/HebrewWatchman-web-2025-1-16.pdf).
In 2025 he reprised Louis Litt in a guest appearance on the NBC spinoff *Suits LA*, in the episode "Angry Sylvester," in which Louis clashes with a new-series lawyer at an anger-management retreat[12](https://www.tvinsider.com/1190876/suits-la-rick-hoffman-louis-litt-mudding-stuart-preview/). He is set to appear in the Prime Video thriller series *Bishop* and to play broadcaster [Howard Cosell](https://www.edgepedia.org/howard-cosell) in [David O. Russell](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-o-russell)'s biographical sports drama *Madden*[13](https://www.artistandbrand.com/clients/rick-hoffman). Hoffman lives in Ontario, Canada, and is the father of a son, Cole[13](https://www.artistandbrand.com/clients/rick-hoffman).
## References
1. [Rick Hoffman, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0389069/?showAllCredits=true)
2. [Rick Hoffman – Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/rick-hoffman/)
3. [Rick Hoffman, University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television](https://tftv.arizona.edu/news/rick-hoffman/)
4. [Rick Hoffman, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/9123/rick-hoffman)
5. [8 Questions with...Rick Hoffman, Backstage](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/questions-withrick-hoffman-8876/)
6. [Suits Star Rick Hoffman's Best Roles Outside Suits, USA Insider](https://www.usanetwork.com/usa-insider/suits-rick-hoffmans-movie-tv-show-roles)
7. [In Defense of Suits, Time](https://time.com/6303530/suits-netflix-why-to-watch/)
8. [Rick Hoffman lights up campus with funny anecdotes and critical advice, The Eagle](https://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2024/04/rick-hoffman-lights-up-campus-with-funny-anecdotes-and-critical-advice)
9. [Wolthuis, Suits costume design thesis, University of Warwick](https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/163284/1/WRAP_Theses_Wolthuis_2020_Redacted.pdf)
10. [Suits' Rick Hoffman's Facial Expression Was a Royal Wedding Highlight, Time](https://time.com/5284169/louis-litt-royal-wedding/)
11. [The Hebrew Watchman, January 16, 2025](https://jewishscenemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/HebrewWatchman-web-2025-1-16.pdf)
12. ['Suits LA': Rick Hoffman Talks Playing Louis Litt Again, Mudding & More, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1190876/suits-la-rick-hoffman-louis-litt-mudding-stuart-preview/)
13. [Rick Hoffman, Artist & Brand](https://www.artistandbrand.com/clients/rick-hoffman)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames He to Hs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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