FIERCE + MAGNETIC KERI RUSSELL
Always Turning Us On
The Diplomat’s Ambassador Kate Wyler. The Americans’ spy Elizabeth Jennings. College student Felicity Porter in…yes, Felicity (a good reminder to check out the WB coming-of-age classic). Keri Russell has mastered playing the trustworthy “girl next door”…and then her characters may show you all the reasons that trust is a mistake.
Russell is an executive producer on The Diplomat, surrounded by a phenomenal ensemble. Rufus Sewell is Kate’s husband, an Ambassador himself whose career path takes some unexpected twists as the seasons progress. Ali Ahn and Atto Essandoh bring such nuance to complicated characters. Rory Kinnear and David Gyasi are English counterparts who vacillate between allies and enemies. Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford join along the way but feel like they were essential parts of the ensemble from the start.
There are shades of Homeland (but here conspiracy theories get confirmed more quickly); the castle intrigue of The Crown and Bridgerton; and moments that, in the best way, feel like Grey’s Anatomy in The West Wing. At the center, entertainingly, a very messed up but at times shockingly mature and powerful couple in Russell and Sewell.
Before The Diplomat, there was The Americans, which gave us the gift of on and off-screen power couple Russell and Matthew Rhys. On screen, the complexities of the Jennings’ espionage is hard to look away from. Off screen, Russell and Rhys have been together since 2014.
Besides the cultural touchstone Felicity, two more Russell roles to recommend — Waitress and August Rush. In the feature version of Adrienne Shelley’s Waitress, Russell originated the role of kind but overwhelmed small-town pie-maker Jenna, while August Rush sees Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays parents to a musical savant in a truly bittersweet family drama.
There are the comedic chops showcased in her Scrubs arc and rom com Austenland; the action of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Mission: Impossible III; and the sprawling generational mini-series Into the West. From her early days on The Mickey Mouse Club, to the dramatic roles she tackles now, Russell has an epic range, successfully transitioning from a teen actor of the 90’s and WB starlet of the 2000’s, to the award-winning amazingly respected actress of now.
The Diplomat‘s fourth season premieres October 15 on Netflix.