Sarah Rafferty Shares the “Suits” Cast's Group Chat Reaction to the Show's Resurgence: 'Wait, What?!' (Exclusive)

Rafferty — who starred on the USA series from 2011 to 2019 — tells PEOPLE she has been "gobsmacked" by the recent spike in interest about 'Suits' since it dropped on Netflix over the summer

The cast of Suits was not anticipating their show to top a streaming platform four years after its finale.

Sarah Rafferty puts it simply: “I’m gobsmacked,” she tells PEOPLE of the outpouring of love for the legal drama, which racked up 3 billion viewing minutes within the first week it hit Netflix in June.

“You can’t really metabolize that in a real-world kind of way,” says Rafferty, 51. “I don’t get it.”

It’s a sentiment shared amongst her castmates, too, as she reveals the cast group chat’s response: “Somebody sent one of the articles that said ‘billions of minutes,’ and everybody was like, ‘Wait, what?!’ ”

Related: Patrick J. Adams, Sarah Rafferty and More Suits Stars to Reunite at ATX TV Festival After Netflix Resurgence

Rafferty starred as powerhouse lawyer Donna on the USA Network series, alongside Patrick J. Adams, Gabriel Macht and Meghan Markle, and says it’s “amazing” that the story is still resonating with people “10 years later.”

“I'm incredibly grateful, because our world sometimes right now feels like it's growing increasingly dark and fractured and limited in moments, and I think that it helps — it makes me feel good,” she shares.

“It's just as simple as that — to know that this thing that we worked on for 10 years is providing escape for people, or providing connection, meaning, in any way, shape, or form. And if that's just having a break from the news of the world, I'll take it.”

Related: All About the Real-Life Friendships of the 'Suits' Cast

Rafferty notes that “the multi-generational piece of Suits is kind of amazing,” as she reflects on the fact that “a generation of kids who were eight when the thing came out” are now falling in love with the story.

Recalling one of the first memories she has of being recognized from the show — which aired from 2011 to 2019 — she says a mother rolled down a car window in Toronto and thanked her because the series was helping her “connect” with her son, and they’d started watching it with his grandmother, too.

She started getting that kind of “feedback" a decade ago and continues to more than 12 years after the show’s premiere. These moments of connection like that still make her emotional.

“I'm being cheesy, but it gives me kind of a lump in my throat that I get to be a part of something, that small part of something that does that for a family."

In the months since Suits was added to Netflix, several of Rafferty’s castmates have also shared their shock at the love the series is getting.

Macht, who played leading man Harvey Specter, wrote on Instagram in July, “I’m humbled that the stories we created and produced for 9 seasons have been watched and rewatched and will continue to create memories for all whose enjoy the fruits of our labor.”

Related: Everything Meghan Markle Said About 'Suits': From Her First Audition to Her 2018 Exit

In November, Markle — who starred as Rachel Zane on the show for seven seasons, ending her run in 2018 ahead of her marriage to Prince Harry — reacted to the news herself as she said the series was “great to work on.”

“Such a great cast and crew, we had a really fun time,” she told Variety at the outlet’s Power of Women event.

She said the streaming numbers were “wild” but credited the show for how well it held up over time.

“It’s hard to find a show you can binge-watch that many episodes of these days, so that could have something to do with it,” said Markle, 42. “But good shows are everlasting.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Suits can be streamed on Netflix.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.