What happened to William Sutter in suits? His Death Explained (and Where the Actor Is Now)

William Sutter may not have been the greatest villain in Suitsbut her random death in the show’s final season still came as a shock. On air from 2011-2019, Suits saw a huge spike in popularity when it began streaming on Netflix in 2023. A big reason for this is because, in an era of short-form streaming shows, audiences want a traditional yet high-quality TV experience. Suits delivers a digestible series full of well-defined protagonists and antagonists, as Harvey Specter and Mike Ross regularly face off against rival law firms and lawyers from their past with an ax to grind.

Although he is not one of Suits‘special appearances by the most famous celebrities, veteran actor Alan Rosenberg certainly contributed to the series’ gripping drama as William Sutter. Rosenberg notably played the Apostle Thomas in Martin Scorsese’s film The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), although he is perhaps best known for attorney Eli Levinson in both Civil Wars and Los Angeles 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 is more than at home in a legal drama, which makes him at home as William Sutter in It suits.

Willaim Sutter was a Suits villain who died in season 9

Sutter had a fatal heart attack off-screen

William Sutter is featured in Suits Season 6, Episode 3, “Back on the Map.” He is the father-in-law of Mike’s roommate Kevin and the head of a $2 billion investment firm. He is also one of the shadiest businessmen Suits already seen, so much so that Harvey doesn’t want to represent him when Sutter finds himself in trouble for insider trading. “This guy makes Madoff and Forstman look like saints” says Harvey.

Harvey is absolutely correct, as Sutter’s lack of scruples 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 prison for his help with the case.

Knowing he has nowhere to go, Sutter signs plea deal and agrees to three years in prison. It’s a nice cool win for everyone. In the real world, it’s very easy for white-collar criminals like Sutter to get away with their crimes, but shows like Suits We are happy to deliver these satisfying victories.

With the Season 6 storyline wrapped up, William Sutter is never seen in Suits again, although he is mentioned in the show’s final season. In Suits season 9, episode 8, ‘Prisoner’s Dilemma’, it is revealed that Sutter has passed away, but even more fascinatingly, he gave a deathbed confession that State’s Attorney Andrew Malik is happy to use in an attempt to put Mike back behind bars. However, Malik’s plans are thwarted when it is discovered that Sutter died of a heart attackand therefore could not provide a deathbed confession.

It’s certainly a bit random to have such a prominent character die off-screen, but it wouldn’t make sense to show his death as that would completely give away the big twist of how Sutter actually died. Furthermore, although Alan Rosenberg totally chewed the scenery with Sutter’s villainy, he was never one of the Suits‘main antagonists. His storyline was wrapped up in one arc and the show moved on.

William Sutter actor Alan Rosenberg continues acting on TV

He had recurring roles on Shameless and Bosch

Since your passing SuitsAlan Rosenberg continued to appear in popular TV series. He notably played forensic anthropologist Dr. William Golliher in both Bosch and its spin-off, Bosch: Legacy. However, your most notable postSuits the role is Clyde Youens in Shameless.

Youens is an engineering professor who becomes something of a mentor to Lip Gallagher. Ironically, as William Sutter in SuitsYouen also dies in prison. Although he was a flawed man, Youens was a much more sympathetic character than Sutter, and his death was much more tragic. Although the two characters met similar fates, overall they couldn’t have been more different, a testament to Rosenberg’s versatility. Hopefully the actor will continue to appear on the small screen – although audiences shouldn’t get too attached to his character if he ends up going to jail.