Keri Russell is opening up about the intense romance that sparked with co-star Matthew Rhys while filming the spy drama The Americans, revealing they were up all night, had sex all time, and wore disguises while playing undercover KGB agents.
What to Know About the Spy Set Romance
- The on-screen marriage between Elizabeth and Philip Jennings bled into real life during the 2013–2018 run of The Americans.
- Their secret relationship was eventually exposed following a burglary at Russell’s apartment when police returned stolen items belonging to Rhys to the production set.
- More than a decade later, the couple shares a 10-year-old son named Sam, alongside Russell’s two children from a previous marriage.
Undercover Disguises and Late-Night Filming Realities
The boundary between fiction and reality dissolved early for Russell and Rhys on the set of The Americans. Playing married KGB officers Elizabeth and Philip Jennings required wigs and constant roleplay. According to Russell’s appearance on Chelsea Handler’s podcast Dear Chelsea, those elaborate costumes often spilled over into their off-camera dynamic.
Keri Russell Recalls "Having Sex All the Time" With Matthew Rhys on 'The Americans' Set https://t.co/O6mPDdXqsW
“We were in the middle of falling in love, were up all night and had sex all over the place. And we walked around in disguises, with crazy wigs and beads,” Russell said. Rhys initially resisted dating another actor following what he described to The Times as a disastrous past relationship. Yet the intensity of playing an undercover married couple proved impossible to fight, leading him to accept the romance as fate.
How a Burglary Exposed the Secret Relationship
Keeping a high-profile Hollywood romance under wraps is rarely easy, but the couple faced an unexpected logistical hurdle early on. The relationship came to light after an intruder broke into Russell’s apartment. When police arrived at the show’s set to return stolen belongings, colleagues noticed that several of the recovered items clearly belonged to Rhys.
Despite the public unveiling of their private lives, the partnership endured far beyond the series finale in 2018. The couple has now been together for over ten years, balancing demanding television schedules with family life. Russell shares a son, Sam, with Rhys, in addition to her two children from her previous marriage to Shane Deary.
From Cold War Spies to High-Stakes Diplomacy
Both actors have transitioned to new prestige projects. Russell stars in the Netflix series The Diplomat, earning an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of American diplomat Kate Wyler. The series features Wyler, her husband, Hal Wyler, played by Rufus Sewell, and U.S. President Grace Penn, played by Allison Janney.
Russell initially planned to take an extended break from acting after The Americans. However, receiving the scripts for The Diplomat proved too compelling to pass up.
| Project | Role | Network / Platform | Active Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Americans | Elizabeth Jennings | — | 2013–2018 |
| The Diplomat | Kate Wyler | Netflix | — |
The off-screen partnership remains a real-life family.
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