In January 2013, Keri Russell made a striking debut in FX’s period spy thriller The Americans. Russell portrayed Elizabeth Jennings, a deep-cover Russian KGB agent posing as an American during the tumultuous 1980s Cold War era. Her powerful performance earned her several Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress.
Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys attend the premiere of FX’s The Americans, where they first sparked a romance that later blossomed into a real-life partnership (Credit: Andres Otero / WENN / Michael Carpenter / Ivan Nikolov)
According to the show’s creator, Joseph Weisberg, she was cast on a hunch. He discussed the casting process at the New York Institute of Technology auditorium in January 2016.
“I was in a room with John Landgraf, the president of [FX] and five other people, and a list of the 100 best-known television and some film actresses in Hollywood, who were in a certain age range. Everyone was studying the list, and John went, ‘Keri Russell.’ That’s how [she was cast].”
Maximiliano Hernández, Holly Taylor, Keidrich Sellati, Noah Emmerich, Keri Russell, and Matthew Rhys star in the American period spy thriller television series The Americans (Credit: Andres Otero / WENN / Michael Carpenter / Ivan Nikolov)
Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys: From On-Screen Partners to Real-Life Couple
Russell starred opposite Welsh actor Matthew Rhys, who portrayed her character’s husband and fellow spy on The Americans. Their on-screen chemistry blossomed into a real-life romance, and the couple welcomed their son, Sam, in 2016.
The shooting of the pilot episode began in May 2012, when Keri Russell was 36 years old. Born on March 23, 1976, in Fountain Valley, California, she turned 37 on March 23, 2013.
Matthew Rhys was born in Cardiff, United Kingdom on November 8, 1974. He was 37 when filming the pilot episode. The Americans premiered in the United States on January 30, 2013, and the series finale aired on May 30, 2018.
Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys started dating after meeting on the set of The Americans (Credit: Andres Otero / WENN / Michael Carpenter / Ivan Nikolov)
“It was a real adult creative job for me. I wasn’t playing a kid anymore. It kind of woke me up creatively. Elizabeth is tough and cool and strong and sexy and all of these things I really enjoy playing. You don’t always enjoy the characters you get to play,” Keri said about “The Americans” in an interview with Variety.
Keri Russell’s Leather Jumpsuit: A Bold Fashion Statement
In November 2014, “The Americans” actress Keri Russell joined Lupita Nyong’o and Mindy Kaling on the red carpet for the 2014 Glamour Women of the Year Awards at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Keri Russell in a strapless leather jumpsuit from the J. Mendel Spring 2015 collection in black, silver, and red (Credit: Andres Otero / WENN / Michael Carpenter / Ivan Nikolov)
The then-38-year-old actress and dancer wore a strapless leather jumpsuit in black, silver, and red from the J. Mendel Spring 2015 collection.
Keri Russell at the 2014 Glamour Women of the Year Awards held at Carnegie Hall in New York City on November 10, 2014 (Credit: Andres Otero / WENN / Michael Carpenter / Ivan Nikolov)
At the 2014 Glamour Women of the Year Awards, she accessorized with Jacob & Co. jewelry and completed the ensemble with black pointy-toe pumps by Gianvito Rossi.