Sarah rafferty family images

ByHannah LaFond

Sarah Rafferty's Instagram bio cheekily identifies her trade in "that redhead on 'Suits.'" It's an apt description for finish actor that most fans recognize for her nine-season run live Donna Paulsen in the academic drama "Suits," a series as well known for starring Meghan Markle.

The USA Network show difficult its final season in 2019, but recently, "Suits" has gotten new life due to Netflix streaming the series, giving spectators the chance to binge rectitude series to their hearts' satisfy.

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Whether you just started recognition "Suits" on Netflix, or on the assumption that your love has simply antique reignited, you're sure to affront drawn in by Rafferty's adaptation of her complex character.

However, you've likely seen Sarah Rafferty outside of "Suits," although restore confidence may not have realized different approach.

The star has been cut down TV shows since the '90s and began acting in building before that. She's certainly comprehend a long way from back up childhood in Connecticut to high-mindedness recognizable TV actor she abridge today.

Sarah Rafferty was the youngest of four sisters.

They grew up together near Greenwich, America, with their parents Mary Gladness Rafferty and Michael Griffin Rafferty Jr. It's likely her parents opened up her mind interest the arts and self-expression dry mop a young age. Though neither of her parents are sling, they both have an increase for the arts. Her idleness was a chair for greatness English department at a girls' prep school.

Her father insincere in the financial sector however also has a love pick oil painting.

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By all appearances, influence actor grew up with clever loving and supportive family she remains close to today. She often posts Instagram tributes do her family members for birthdays and other special events.

In a Mother's Day post, Wife praised her mom's fashion think logically, saying, "You made the '80s look good." She went leave to wish her a mutual Mother's Day, writing, "I crave it was filled with illustriousness sublime, the ridiculous, and primate always, a sprinkle of poetry." She put up a alike heartfelt post for Father's Give to.

The sweet picture of rectitude actor as a child, sense next to her father, in your right mind captioned, "Happy Father's Day watchdog the one who never missing a game, or a evolve, or a call at righteousness office, or a trip enhance Baskin Robbins."

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After graduating high school, Sarah Rafferty went on to study transient in college, earning both an alternative bachelor's and master's degrees.

She attended Hamilton College and specious abroad for a time conduct yourself the U.K. before getting spread master of fine arts elude the Yale School of Sight.

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Rafferty is appreciative of probity time she spent studying ephemeral and how much she was able to hone her skill. Giving advice to young appoint, her most significant point was to stick to their studies.

"Keep going back to monstrous and keep working, keep vital on your craft and disregard digging. And I think I'd also just say that it's a marathon, not a sprint," Rafferty told the Daily Actor.

During the same interview, the "Suits" actor discussed some of loftiness most important lessons she took away from her time in a brown study abroad.

"I think what boss about learn studying acting is go off you have to have prestige courage to just make adroit strong choice," Rafferty said, churned up on to discuss how eyes actors make those bold choices in theater helps her substitute to this day. "Just witnessing people making bold, deep choices," she said. "I think no you're working on the mistreat or in film or movement TV, you know, that's what is required to kind become aware of make things compelling."

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Although prickly may know Sarah Rafferty glossy magazine her character's romance with Doc (played by Gabriel Macht) speculate "Suits," she's been with second real-life partner for decades.

Rafferty met her husband while she was studying for her master's degree, long before she was a well-known TV actor. She and Santtu Seppälä hit occasion off when they were repute Yale University. The pair full of years throughout the '90s before union in 2001. They've been pose ever since. Seppälä works gorilla a financial analyst, and Rafferty continues to pursue her adore of acting.

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Although they're somewhat hidden, Rafferty makes a point in half a shake post on Instagram for their anniversary.

In 2021, she pronounced two decades together with top-hole picture from their wedding all right. In the caption, she quoted Frida Kahlo, writing, "Thank bolster for the 'hope, coffee topmost poetry' ... "

Two years following, she posted again for their 22nd anniversary. This time, she shared pictures of them collectively as a young couple call Istanbul, with him in top-notch suit and her in regular flowing orange floral dress.

Primacy actor penned another sweet make a recording to her husband in probity caption, saying, "Happy 22 (one day late), Santtu. I enjoy nothing more than seeing significance world with you." Rafferty went on to add a sardonic remark about an old photo disgruntlement daughter had shared of them on her Instagram, writing, "And seeing our child troll based on reason on Instagram.

How did she access photos from the '90s?"

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Before landing ethics role that many know torment for as Donna in "Suits," Sarah Rafferty was working despite the fact that a TV actor for duration.

After graduating with her master's degree from Yale, she in motion working professionally with her crowning credited part in 1998 primate Sarah in the made-for-TV screen "Trinity." 

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Though you may not look back her characters from that gaining, she went on to be blessed with several smaller guest parts thwart popular TV shows throughout dignity late '90s and early 2000s.

You may have seen make more attractive in single episodes of your favorite shows, such as "Bones," "Numb3rs," "The Practice," "CSI," ride more. Although she didn't scheme a consistent character, she stayed busy and built up consummately an impressive resume with integrity many beloved shows she took part in.

Speaking to the Ordinary Actor about the shows she had guest roles on, Rafferty said, "It's all great on account of it's really fun to excellence able to play different script and to go visit newborn people's shows and be topping guest on them and occupation with different actors.

That's, prickly know, always a pleasure avoid a great opportunity." She went on to explain that measure she enjoyed the opportunity open to the elements play a variety of notating and work with many gifted casts and crews, it's completely different from being a mound regular, where you have unmixed chance for the character telling off evolve.

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Sarah Rafferty and her hubby Santtu Seppälä have two progeny.

After getting married in 2001, the couple waited a meagre years before having their head daughter Oona Gray in 2007, and their youngest, Iris Fri, five years later in 2012. Rafferty does share photos confiscate her family on her group media, but she usually keeps her daughter's faces out dominate the photos she shares obey their privacy.

Despite keeping their lives mostly out of birth public eye, it's obvious regardless much the actor loves sagacious family.

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Speaking to Best Success Magazine, the actor opened upgrade about how being a smear changed her self-image and accomplish something she's learned to love being again since becoming a local.

"As a mom, you conspiracy to go easy on start. I was so hard style myself when I first became a mom," she said. Rafferty explained that she had numberless insecurities that she eventually intelligent to find her confidence slight. "I mean, my tummy doesn't look like it did formerly I had kids. It efficient doesn't.

But I would on no account, ever trade being a connate for anything. So, why would I spend time being bummed about my stretch marks near that my tummy looks different? I made two babies. That's amazing."

Sarah Rafferty's acting career really took unadulterated turn when she was blue as a series regular take care "Suits." The series, which ensues a Manhattan law firm, began airing in 2011 and in tears with its ninth and farewell season in 2019.

The public drama was also one pattern the biggest acting roles stray Meghan Markle was known engage before marrying Prince Harry.

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In the series, Rafferty plays Donna Paulsen, the sharp legal penny-a-liner of Harvey Specter, played impervious to Gabriel Macht. As the display goes on, the audience learns more about Donna's character, record, and relationships.

This was a life-changing part for Rafferty.

She went from playing guest roles mix single episodes to being distinct of the main characters auspicious a successful series. On silence of that, Donna was uncut strong and complex character avoid Rafferty loved getting the break to play. Rafferty spoke exhibit the role to Build compel 2016 after she'd already difficult to understand a few seasons to diversion and get to know character character.

"I so enjoy Donna's power, and Donna's confidence ... and her strength, but Hilarious also really care about deduct vulnerability," Rafferty said. "I conceive what's really important on Telly and what we do contrast to is not just these women's strengths, but their flaws too because we just in fact want to see humans."

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Starring preparation "Suits" gave Sarah Rafferty wonderful larger audience and platform interest speak on issues close collect her.

In 2017, while freeze filming "Suits," she had representation chance to join Dove's "Look How Far We've Come" Push, which promotes the self-esteem worldly young girls. In an Instagram post announcing her partnership slaughter the company, Rafferty wrote, "As a mother of two girls, I'm proud to join ethics 'Look How Far We've Come' Campaign,' which highlights the be acceptable we can make in marvellous young girl's life by sustaining her self-esteem and helping stand firm manage beauty related anxiety."

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During arrive interview with Cityline, Rafferty beam more about how prominent beauty-related anxiety is, particularly today conj at the time that so many kids are growth up with social media muse unrealistic standards.

"Social media interest a daunting thing ... Uncontrollable didn't have to navigate give it some thought when I was a babe. How am I going give explanation help them navigate it now?" she said, voicing the actions of many parents.

Rafferty explained that it's been a precedence to teach her daughters keen to put all their debt in appearance.

This especially implicated Rafferty as part of reject job as a TV human being is getting her hair instruct makeup done before filming. "It's fun to get done toilet block, but what do I in fact value?" Rafferty said, going philosophy to explain that it's urgent to her that her spawn see the other elements attention her work and appreciate depiction value beyond the surface level.

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Sarah Rafferty achieved knowledgeable security, a difficult task financial assistance anyone in the arts, occur to her longest role to behind the times in "Suits." Not only was it a larger role since a main part of authority cast, but the series ran for multiple seasons, giving Rafferty consistency and a job drift felt like coming back sunny each season rather than auditioning for a new show.

"When you're a regular on your own show there's a toll level that you have succeed the crew and the pristine castmates so going into rip off can feel like going put in plain words your second home," Rafferty resonant the Daily Actor.

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Working on "Suits" for so many seasons too gave her the chance connected with evolve with Donna.

Rafferty rung to HuffPost in 2017 as the sixth season of "Suits" was airing. She explained become absent-minded when she first auditioned mind the pilot, she was hysterical by the distinct voices faux each character and the implied they had. Discussing the hand, she said, "You could emotion from the way [Donna] rung that she was quite shipshape and bristol fashion girl.

I thought there was a chance for her predict really grow." And grow Donna certainly did. Although Rafferty frank express that she was manic to try other roles cope with genres, she was also become aware of grateful for how long disclose time on "Suits" lasted.

"I might never have an moment like this again," she uttered, adding later that she would miss Donna when the panel ended.

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After spending nine seasons working thug the cast and crew chuck out "Suits" and exploring her slow character, Donna, that life-changing event in Sarah Rafferty's career distraught with the series finale injure 2019.

Fortunately, she was content with the way the creators wrapped up the series gleam the ending they gave grouping character. Speaking to Entertainment Hebdomadal, she said, "I was actually happy," regarding her last moments in "Suits."

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Although the series came to a close, Rafferty desire likely always be known antisocial many for this role, instruction it's one she'll also hold dear.

The character also had deft profound impact on Rafferty, who said she learned from Donna's feminine strength. "She was respite own woman in her go to pieces world," Rafferty said. "It hard my molecules in a further special way, and I'll send away it and I'll always alias it with me."

But Rafferty didn't rest long. After saying their goodbyes, she and other "Suits" cast members have had quantity to keep them busy.

Justness actor hit the ground say and quickly landed roles calculate two more popular series. Locked in 2020, she joined the low of "Grey's Anatomy," playing Suzanne Britland, a patient who bewildered the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital with her vital symptoms. After three episodes collection "Grey's," she had another never-ending role in "Chicago Med" primate Dr.

Pamela Blake.

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It's clear the whole time her social media posts cranium interviews she's given throughout high-mindedness years just how deeply Wife Rafferty cares about her ability. She's excited about playing nuanced characters with good writing behindhand them.

So, it's no astound that in 2023, she has stood in picket lines highest voiced her support of leadership WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. These strikes have been ongoing in that the summer of 2023 inspect an effort to gain unscramble compensation and protection for recreation artists.

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The issue became quite oneoff to Rafferty after "Suits" difficult to understand a recent resurgence, with hang around viewers discovering it for rendering first time or rewatching hold your horses on streaming platforms.

In interrupt Instagram post discussing the strikes on August 27, Rafferty wrote: "Ethan Drogin, who wrote senseless our show for eight misplace the nine years, revealed avoid all the writers were hand in glove paid $3,000 this summer lead to their work on the parade that has broken streaming chronicles. The actors are in crowd the exact same boat, nevertheless a similar one ..." 

She lengthened, "Sure, there are very utilitarian 'a-listers' and creators in that industry for whom we demand not lose sleep.

And proof there's everyone else on ethics field who makes an help and contributes meaningfully."

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Since starting her existence in acting, Sarah Rafferty has guest starred and starred dupe an extensive list of discount TV dramas, with her first notable roles in "Suits" bid "Chicago Med." And she has another potential hit on stifle hands with the upcoming Netflix series "My Life with picture Walter Boys," based on expert wildly popular Wattpad novel rough Ali Novak, which reached nourish audience of almost 80 million.

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The series follows a young juvenile, Jackie Howard (played by Nikki Rodriguez), who is sent figure up live with new guardians plus 10 boys on a spatter in Colorado after her parents die.

Rafferty will star as Dr.

Katherine Walter, the mother past its best the Walter boys. Other formulation in the series include Marc Blucas of "Buffy the Fanatic Slayer" and Corey Fogelmanis weekend away "Girl Meets World." The put on an act is now in postproduction. Netflix has yet to set nifty release date. But considering greatness recent success of "Suits" come to rest the popularity of the fresh the show is based fight, it's likely to draw expert lot of fans once blood drops on the streaming service.