Keri Russell: The Americans subverts gender roles ‘I love it. I think it’s real’

Fox Winter TCA All-Star Party
The Americans has been renewed for two more seasons, but unfortunately its sixth season, which will air in 2018, The Hollywood Reporter has a new interview with on and off screen couple, Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell. It’s a wide-ranging interview well worth reading, especially if you’re a fan. (For those of you who haven’t yet seen this show or who have tried and weren’t able to get into it, you can watch the first three seasons for free on Amazon Prime on demand.) Rhys and Russell officially got together a couple of years ago, maybe not-so-coincidentally just as Russell’s marriage was ending. They welcomed their first child, a son named Sam, a little over two months ago. THR caught up with them near Woodstock, New York, where they have a summer home.

Speculative spoilers for The Americans follow, but they’re just about what won’t happen, as far as the lead actors know. So I think they’re safe for most of us to read as they only rule out one possible ending. Plus anything could happen at this point. I was so happy to read that the fact that they have an FBI agent as a next door neighbor is based on the true life story of a Russian agent. It’s not just some plot device the writers cooked up. Here’s more, and I especially liked how Keri explained that her character, kickass spy Elizabeth, isn’t the typical female character you see on screen.

Russell on what interested her in the part
The part that interested me most was that marriage. In the beginning, it’s a relationship where the female was a little less invested, which is such an interesting take because it’s always the woman pining after the guy who’s cheating on her. I read those scripts all the time. I love it. Because everything we see as a woman is that you’re supposed to be loving and nurturing. Elizabeth believes in what she has to do and it’s OK that there’s another parent at home who’s a little more touchy-feely. I know it’s not always cozy, perfect parenting, but I also think it’s real. As a mother of three, there are moments where [you’re not] the craft-making, cookie-making mom you want to be.

Russell on doing sex scenes extensively
I know you might find it surprising, but people don’t cast me for my voluptuous body all the time. “We’re looking for a woman with a 13-year-old boy’s body. Who can we get? Yes, you!”

Rhys on if being an offscreen couple helps with sex scenes
There’s that immediate thing where, like, physically you’re comfortable together, and so that’s fine, and you’re not all [hesitant]… I get a little protective. I’m like, “Can someone get her a f—in’ robe, please?! She’s standing there naked, we’ve cut for five seconds, Jesus Christ.” (Laughter.) And they’re like, “Dude, this is the fourth season.”

Russell on collaborating with the showrunners (mild spoilers here)
Every year we sit down with them at the beginning of the season, and they give us a basic outline for that season. I think they already have the ending that they want, and it has nothing to do with what we say or want. (Laughs.)… I actually said to them at the beginning of last [season], “Are we seeing cracks? Is there any way this could be Elizabeth saying, ‘Maybe we should double agent or something?’ ” And Joe looked like I had said the most blasphemous thing. He was like, “No, there is not a chance.” (Laughter.)

Rhys on how the based the FBI agent neighbor on a real spy’s experience
These spies were called “illegals,” and so we had a real illegal come to set who did exactly what we did. We caught some flack in the press about having an FBI agent [Noah Emmerich] living next door, but that was his story. He had an FBI agent who lived next door to him who turned him, so I was saying all this to Joe and Joel. I was like, “This is perfect. Noah Emmerich will turn us — we’ll become double agents.” [It was] this whole massive pitch. And they went, “Yeah … no.”

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

There’s so much more in the interview, including Rhys and Russell explaining how fans approach them. Russell gets compliments on how she beat up Margo Martindale in the first season “yo, you kicked that lady’s ass” and still meets Felicity fans who talk about how she cut her hair, which she doesn’t think would get as much mileage these days. She said that while she loved her character that “it’s not kosher to talk that much sh-t about some girl’s hair anymore. Like, Hillary might be president. You gotta be cool with that sh-t. Tone it down. And I hope that someone would call someone out on that if it happened now.

I never even thought about the fact that Elizabeth was the “tough” one in her relationship with Phillip because it’s something that seems true-to-life as compared with how outrageous their daily activities can be. Oh and Rhys joked about how their Emmy nominations would bring more pressure. He said he thought “Oh no, now people will watch. We’re dead. Everyone will hate us. This is terrible.” No, it’s about time. I would say that The Americans is like Breaking Bad in that it takes a little while to get into the rhythm because it’s so unique, but once you watch a couple of episodes you’re hooked.

Keri Russell during an appearance on NBC's 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.'

Fox Winter TCA All-Star Party

Photos credit: WENN.com and Getty

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28 Responses to “Keri Russell: The Americans subverts gender roles ‘I love it. I think it’s real’”

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  1. Crowdhood says:

    I loved him so much in Brothers and Sisters but I had to stop watching that show because I just sobbed uncontrollably for the entire time.

    • jess1632 says:

      my absolute favourite show! Have the entire series on dvd…have yet to watch this show b/c he’ll always be Kevin to me

  2. Annieb says:

    The Americans is one of those shows I just couldn’t get into.

    I like Felicity’s short hair.

    • ds says:

      Me neither. They lost me with that fake baby in one episode. Show is good, but I don’t think I have the needed attention sapn for series in general, that must be my problem. I did watch Felicity growing up. And I loved her short hair. She’s so pretty.

    • Scal says:

      I to loved the short hair. And the curls. I miss the curls! They were stunning.

    • ohdear says:

      I can’t either – I actually find it too suspenseful for me. I like the idea of the show, and I think the actors are all great, but it didn’t hook me as much as I wanted it too and I watched quite a few episodes.

  3. Sixer says:

    I bloody love this show! I want to read the full interview but we still haven’t finished the latest season here in the UK, so I’d better not.

    The trade craft always seems more credible than other spy shows (ok, the bio-weapons bit has had some silly moments, but still). And it’s not afraid to question religion or capitalism or or or, which is SUCH a rarity in American TV. It’s not all white knight westerners versus evil eastern communists. There’s some shade and context in it.

    I think it’s more that she has the finer-honed ruthless streak and is more of a true believer in the motherland than he is, more than her being “tougher”.

    Also: I cried when they shot Nina Sergeevna. I LOVED Nina.

    • rosalee says:

      Break my heart, I was stunned when Nina was executed…Elizabeth firm belief her love of Mother Russia will extend to her children…and blind to the realities they are Americans. I want Philip to go all Cher on Elizabeth slapping her and screaming snap out of it.

      • Sixer says:

        And then poor Martha got exiled. I also loved Martha. Not at the end of the season yet and I’m hoping to see her again but I bet I won’t. Meh!

      • LucyHoneychurch says:

        Elizabeth gets on my nerves too! Her character is much less interesting to me than Philip. In the first season, I was rooting for them to stay together and now I am kind of hoping Philip leaves her and takes the kids, lol. The whole backstory with his past as a child and then his training as a KGB agent made him very sympathetic to the viewer. Much more so than Elizabeth imo.

        At the end of the series, I’d like to see the Berlin Wall come down, P&E realize their spying is no longer necessary, and they melt into the background and try to become “normal.” I feel like that would be really unsettling to them and an interesting idea for the audience (former spies among us).

      • ohdear says:

        @Lucy (spoiler for those who haven’t seen the show) – I thought she played the backstory of her recruitment very well though. Her rape is supposed to show why she separates the job from her relationships.

      • Bridget says:

        @OhDear: I disagree with you there. I thought she viewed her marriage with Philip as her job, and that he was her partner. To me, what we saw in that first episode was that she realized for the first time that Philip’s feelings for her went beyond partnership as a spy team. While they separate what they do with their bodies as work (and that included being able to compartmentalize her rape), her primary romantic relationship before Philip was an asset, so I disagree with your assessment there.

    • Aulty says:

      Nina didn’t hit me nearly as much as Martha.

    • Bridget says:

      I agree that Elizabeth is the true believer, though I don’t think her character is any less complex than Philip.

      I wonder how this show will end. I mean, it has to end with them coming in from the cold, right?

      • Sixer says:

        I know! That’s what I keep thinking. And there must have been people like that in Real Life, you know? On both sides. Mad to think of, isn’t it?

      • Bridget says:

        It was inspired by that raid in New England not that long ago, that uncovered a ring of Russian spies, and of course Weisberg’s own experiences. The show is great! I won’t give any spoilers for the end of this season, but I too was really disappointed that they shot Nina, and felt bad for Martha.

        There’s only a limited number of ways the show can end: the come in, they go back to Russia, one or both is killed, or they just quietly disappear and assimilate into American life. The groundwork has been laid for all of these possibilites, but I just don’t think the show will go in a way that any of us will predict.

      • Sixer says:

        It’s honestly one of my favourites. And I don’t think they even spend much money on it, do they? It’s properly good storytelling and acting with no need for bells and whistles.

  4. LucyHoneychurch says:

    I love this show and I LOVE Mathew Rhys on it. His ability to convey complex emotions with a facial expression and reveal how torn he is about the job seriously makes it what it is. He is the best actor on the whole show by far. Very glad to hear that Stan (the FBI neighbor) isn’t going to turn them. I hate that guy! He is such a selfish bumbler.

  5. Adele Dazeem says:

    ‘There are moments when you are not the craft making, cookie baking mom you want to be.’ Love this quote.

  6. shannon says:

    this is a life imitating art relationship. I give them 2 – 3 years tops after the show is canceled.

  7. Lambda says:

    The Adorables!
    The Americans is a solid show, to say the the least. It has a simmering intensity and exquisite character arcs. And traumatic suitcase packing scenes.
    I’m glad the show is going to end up on a high with two more seasons, but I wonder how they’re going to place the show’s timeline in the historic one. 85, Gorbachev? I don’t think they’re gonna go as far as 91.

  8. ell says:

    idk this guy, but he bugs me for the simple fact that he clearly was the other man in her marriage yet he got no backlash, whereas women in the same position are always crucified.

    • CF98 says:

      I agree but she’s getting a pass too if the roles were reversed we would be talking about what a cheating douche he was.

  9. pikawho? says:

    The Americans is one of those amazing shows that nobody seems to watch, like Manhattan, The Knick etc

    I love how her character is so sympathetic despite doing horrible, horrible things. She manages to convey that Elizabeth isn’t as cold as she tries to come across. There’s a broken multifaceted human in there.

  10. ExistingisExhausting says:

    Honk for The Americans!!

  11. Angel says:

    Honk for keri!

  12. Esmom says:

    I’m one of those people who just cannot get into it. On paper it seems like I should love it but I’ve tried numerous times and it just feels so contrived to me. Maybe I haven’t watched enough episodes to really slip into that world and have it feel authentic to me.

    And I used to love Matthew Rhys in Brothers and Sisters but I feel like he’s lost some of his hot. Plus there’s something distracting about his acting to me. I’m usually not this hard to please as a viewer! 🙂