Keri Russell says she and Matthew Rhys spent much of their early romance on the set of “The Americans” indulging in secret trysts, often while dressed as their characters’ Cold War disguises. Russell, 50, described the period on Chelsea Handler’s “Dear Chelsea” podcast, in an episode released Oct. 8. When Handler said filming must have been fun, Russell agreed instantly. She said the pair were falling in love, staying up all night and “having sex all the time,” in crazy wigs and pearls, in trailers and elsewhere. She called it insanity, and said it felt fun, sneaky and sexy.
“The Americans” ran six seasons on FX, from 2013 to 2018, and followed two KGB sleeper agents, Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, who pose as a married travel-agency couple in 1980s Washington. Russell and Rhys, 51, were co-stars first, and their relationship turned romantic during the show’s early run, after Russell ended her nearly seven-year marriage to Shane Deary.
Their secret did not last. Rhys has said a burglary at his apartment exposed the romance: Russell was sleeping over when someone broke in, and police returned the stolen items on set. Russell says she made the first move, while Rhys has said he asked her out after a kickball game in 2002.
The podcast appearance follows a big month for the couple. Rhys won Emmys last month for “Widow’s Bay” and “The Beast in Me,” and drew criticism online for not thanking Russell in his speeches. Russell said she noticed how nervous he was beforehand and gave him permission to skip her. She added that he once forgot to thank members of the “Americans” crew, and it still bothers him. Russell also called marriage antiquated and said that sharing a child with Rhys means “forever.” She stars in “The Diplomat,” which has released a trailer for its fourth season.
