Denzel Washington's Suits LA Episode 2 Cameo Explained

This article contains spoilers for "Suits LA" Season 1, Episode 2, "Old Man Hanrahan."

Denzel Washington was a talking point in regard to "Suits LA" before it even hit the airwaves, despite him not even starring in the series. The early promotional materials revealed that he's a client of the law firm run by Ted Black (Stephen Amell), which is further established in Season 1's first two episodes. That said, "Suits LA" really wants viewers to know that the scene-stealing "Gladiator II" star exists in this universe, as evidenced by one key scene in Episode 2, "Old Man Hanrahan."

The "Suits LA" season premiere contains a blink-and-you-will-miss-it moment showing Denzel posing alongside Ted in a photo Amell's character keeps on his desk. Meanwhile, another scene depicts a poster for "American Gangster," the underappreciated Ridley Scott crime opus that gained a new lease of life on Netflix in 2024, reaffirming that Ted's firm reps our guy — but there's more to this story than simple acknowledgments.

Episode 2 adds more context to Ted's relationship with Denzel, with the lawyer explaining that the snap was taken at a Los Angeles Lakers game, and it reminds him to never give up. This is because he grew up as a fan of the New York Knicks, but changed teams because of Kobe Bryant embodying the never-give-up attitude Ted brings to the world of law. Denzel only factors into the equation because he attended a game with Ted, but it's a riveting speech nonetheless. That said, are there plans to bring the actor into the "Suits" franchise?

Denzel Washington has starred in some great movies, and he continues to grace blockbusters and awards darlings with his presence. As such, it's hard to imagine him finding time on his schedule to appear in an episode of "Suits LA." If he did, though, Stephen Amell would welcome him on board with open arms. As the actor explained in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:

"Denzel, open invitation [to cameo], you heard it here first. That's a good sign, but I think [the jump from] photo to cameo is a stretch."

Only time will tell if Denzel accepts the invitation, but the good news is that "Suits LA" already has some big actors on its roster, so a cameo from the "Man on Fire" star probably won't make or break the series. Victoria Justice plays the rising actor Dylan Pryor and looks set to have a recurring role in the series. Elsewhere, Patton Oswalt and original "Suits" star Gabriel Macht are already confirmed to appear in upcoming episodes, so at least viewers have some fun surprises to look forward to. Still, Denzel is arguably the coolest man alive, and having him in the "Suits LA" universe would go down well with most fans.

New episodes of "Suits LA" air Sundays at 9pm EST on NBC before streaming on Peacock the next day.