WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Suits LA season 1, episode 1.

Suits LA characters and featured several betrayals in a surprisingly dramatic premiere. Among the cast is Victoria Justice, and while she is a major player in the Suits spinoff, she is playing a brand-new character and not a fictionalized version of herself.

As a legal drama that mixes entertainment and criminal law, Suits LA is expected to have a lot of cameos from actors playing themselves. The spinoff also includes a promising mix of morally gray protagonists in the cut-throat world of Ted Black's career path. While Suits LA episode 1 left some questions, one of the more interesting decisions in the pilot is why Justice plays a character rather than herself.

Victoria Justice Plays Dylan Pryor In Suits LA

Pryor Is A Popular Actor In Suits LA

Victoria Justice plays Dylan Pryor in Suits LA. Dylan is a substantial character in the premiere as the first major client we see Ted interacting with, and her introduction seems to set up a major plot for Suits LA season 1. Dylan is a popular actor casually looking for legal representation. At first, the Suits LA premiere seems to imply Ted Black's indifference to whether or not his firm is hired by Dylan. His meeting with her is casual and informal. However, later on, Ted's interest in being selected by Dylan grows more clear.

Justice's portrayal of Dylan is surprising because her character seems similar to Justice's own life. They are both popular, in-demand actors that carry a large fanbase behind them. Justice's portrayal was also unexpected because Suits LA already features several actors playing themselves, namely the late John Amos in his final role. Victoria Justice appearing in Suits LA as a fictionalized version of Victoria Justice would've worked since it would not have been out of the ordinary for a Los Angeles-based actor to be a client of Ted Black.

Justice's Dylan Pryor Makes It Easy To Utilize Her As A Character

Dylan's Character Separates Her From A Justice Cameo

Creating a new character means that the show is not tethered to Justice's career when crafting stories about her. Suits LA can change the character's past and add intricate details that have nothing to do with Justice's real life and career. Focusing on Justice's personal history might have also caused story issues and made it difficult to separate fact from fiction. As a result, creating Dylan for Justice means that she is free to portray her character separately from her own life. Despite both Dylan and Justice being successful actors, the overlap stops there.

Creating a new character means that the show is not tethered to Justice's career when crafting stories about her.

Since Justice is a reoccurring cast member of Suits LA, it also makes more sense narratively to have her play a character than herself. If she were to play herself, her role would likely be reduced to a cameo. As such, it would be harder to create a genuine character arc surrounding her story in Suits LA. In other words, the creation of Dylan gives Suits LA and Justice more stylistic freedom.

Suits LA Will Feature More Actors Playing Themselves

Suits LA Will Utilize Its Proximity To Hollywood

Suits LA is separating itself from Suits in more ways than one, with one of the main aspects being that Suits LA will feature several actors playing themselves. It will utilize its proximity to Hollywood and its expertise in entertainment and criminal law by featuring well-known actors looking for legal representation. This is not only a great way for Suits LA to stand out, but it also adds an interesting touch of realism to the legal drama.

The Suits LA premiere has already featured the late John Amos playing himself in a touching role centered on forgiveness, a skill that no doubt comes with life experience. Besides Amos' heartwarming role, Suits LA is also set to feature Patton Oswalt, Brian Baumgartner, and Enrico Colantoni. Oswalt and Baumgartner are known for their roles in comedies such as King of Queens and The Office, respectively. Colantoni is best known for his role as Keith Mars in Veronica Mars.

Suits LA airs on NBC on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.

As each actor will be playing himself, they will likely appear as clients of Black's firm, either seeking counsel or advice. Given their prolific expertise in comedies, these three actors may appear in comedic roles. Whatever way they present themselves in Suits LA, their cameos are not ones to miss, especially after how good Amos' role in the pilot was.

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