# Keri Russell

Keri Lynn Russell (born March 23, 1976) is an American actress. She played the title role in the drama series Felicity (1998–2002), which won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, and later portrayed Elizabeth Jennings in the spy thriller series The Americans (2013–2018), which earned her nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and two Golden Globe Awards. For playing the title role in the political drama series The Diplomat (2023–present), she received two Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Award nominations. She has also received a record seven nominations for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series.
She first appeared on The All New Mickey Mouse Club when she was 15 and was a regular cast member on the show from 1991 to 1994. She made her first film appearance in Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992). Russell's other film appearances include We Were Soldiers (2002), Waitress (2007), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). On stage, she acted in Neil LaBute's off-Broadway play Fat Pig (2004–2005) and made her Broadway debut in the Lanford Wilson revival Burn This (2019).

## Early life

Russell was born on March 23, 1976, in Fountain Valley, California, to Stephanie Stephens, a homemaker, and David Russell, a Nissan Motors executive. She has an older brother and a younger sister. The family lived in Coppell, Texas; Mesa, Arizona; and Highlands Ranch, Colorado, moving frequently due to her father's work.

## Career
### 1990–2002: Early roles and stardom with Felicity

Russell was a dancer, and her dancing had helped get her a role as a cast member of The All New Mickey Mouse Club television show on the Disney Channel. Russell was on the show from 1991 to 1994, encompassing seasons four to six.
In 1992, she appeared in Honey, I Blew Up the Kid and in 1993, had a role on the sitcom Boy Meets World as Mr. Feeny's niece. She appeared on Married... with Children in a 1995 episode ("Radio Free Trumaine", production 9.24). She subsequently starred in several film and television roles, including the 1996 made-for-television film The Babysitter's Seduction. That year she also had a role on the short-lived soap opera series Malibu Shores.
In 1994, Russell appeared as the "other woman" in Bon Jovi's music video "Always". In 1997, she appeared in two episodes of Roar.
From 1998 to 2002, Russell starred as the title character on the successful WB Network series Felicity, and in 1999 won a Golden Globe for the role.
During the show's run, Russell appeared in the films Eight Days a Week, The Curve and Mad About Mambo, all of which received only limited releases in North America. Her next role was in the film We Were Soldiers (2002), playing the wife of a United States serviceman during the Vietnam War. The film was released two months before the end of Felicity's run.

### 2003–2012: Theater and film roles

When Felicity ended, Russell moved to New York City and made her off-Broadway stage debut in 2004 in Neil LaBute's Fat Pig. In 2005, she returned to television and film, beginning with an appearance in the Hallmark Hall of Fame television movie The Magic of Ordinary Days, the theatrical film The Upside of Anger, and the television miniseries Into the West. In 2005, director J. J. Abrams asked Russell to join the cast of Mission: Impossible III, and she accepted. She was screen tested for the role of Lois Lane in Superman Returns but lost the part to Kate Bosworth.
In mid-2006, Russell was chosen to be a celebrity spokeswoman for CoverGirl cosmetics. In the summer of 2007, Russell appeared in The Keri Kronicles, a reality show sitcom sponsored by CoverGirl and airing on MySpace; the show was filmed at Russell's home in Manhattan and spotlighted her life. Also in 2007, she played Melody on the NBC show Scrubs.
Russell next starred in the film Waitress, which marked the fourth time she played a pregnant woman. Her performance was positively received by critics, with Michael Sragow of The Baltimore Sun writing that Russell's performance had "aesthetic character" and "wields tenderness and fierceness with quiet heat". In 2007, Russell also completed roles in Grimm Love and The Girl in the Park.
Russell next appeared in August Rush, released in November 2007. Russell later appeared in Bedtime Stories. In an appearance on The View on December 15, 2008, Russell said she got the part because Adam Sandler's wife Jackie had seen her in Waitress and suggested her for the movie. Russell voiced Wonder Woman in a direct-to-video animated feature released on March 3, 2009.
Russell starred in the Tom Vaughan-helmed Extraordinary Measures for CBS Films. The drama, which started filming on April 6, 2009, and was released on January 22, 2010, was the first film to go into production for the new company. Russell played Aileen Crowley, a mother who tries to build a normal home life for her sick children while her husband and an unconventional scientist race against time to find a cure. Russell starred in the Fox series Running Wilde from 2010 to 2011.

### 2013–present: The Americans and The Diplomat

From 2013 to 2018, she starred in the FX drama series The Americans, playing Elizabeth Jennings, a deep-undercover Russian KGB spy living as an American in the 1980s Cold War era. She appeared opposite Matthew Rhys, who portrays her character's husband and spy partner. Russell and Rhys became partners in real life during this time. The series ended after six seasons. For her performance, she was nominated for three consecutive Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, as well as two Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. Emily St. James of Vox praised her performance describing it as "gorgeously restrained".
In 2013, Russell starred in the science-fiction horror film Dark Skies and the romantic comedy film Austenland. In 2014, she starred in the science fiction action film Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, a sequel to 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes. She starred as Serena Knight in the 2016 historical war film Free State of Jones. In 2017, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In July 2018, Russell was announced to have joined the cast of the film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which was released on December 20, 2019. The film reunited her with J.J. Abrams, with whom she had worked on Felicity and Mission: Impossible III.
In March 2019, she starred in the first Broadway revival of Lanford Wilson's play Burn This at the Hudson Theatre. Frank Rizzo of Variety wrote of her performance, "Russell, whose stage credits are slim but who’s proven her chops onscreen in The Americans, creates a vivid, if less flashy, performance", adding, "Still, she’s a force in her own right."
In 2023, Russell began starring in The Diplomat, a political series on Netflix from writer and producer Debora Cahn.

## Personal life

In 2006, Russell became engaged to Shane Deary, a Brooklyn-based contractor she met through mutual friends. They married in New York on February 14, 2007. They have two children: a son born in 2007 and a daughter born in 2011. Russell and Deary separated in early 2013 and divorced in mid-2014. Since 2014, she has been in a relationship with Welsh actor Matthew Rhys, her co-star in The Americans. They have a son, born in 2016. In interviews conducted in 2021, Russell and Rhys referred to each other as husband and wife, although in an interview in 2025, Rhys said “we literally haven’t got round to marriage yet”

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992 | Honey, I Blew Up the Kid | Mandy Park | |
| 1998 | The Curve | Emma | Also known as Dead Man's Curve |
| 1999 | Eight Days a Week | Erica | |
| 2000 | Mad About Mambo | Lucy McLoughlin | |
| 2002 | We Were Soldiers | Barbara Geoghegan | |
| 2005 | The Upside of Anger | Emily Wolfmeyer | |
| 2006 | Grimm Love | Katie | |
| 2006 | Mission: Impossible III | Lindsey Farris | |
| 2007 | August Rush | Lyla Novacek | |
| 2007 | The Girl in the Park | Celeste | |
| 2007 | Waitress | Jenna Hunterson | |
| 2008 | Bedtime Stories | Jill Hastings | |
| 2009 | Leaves of Grass | Janet | |
| 2009 | Wonder Woman | Diana Prince / Wonder Woman (voice) | Direct-to-video film |
| 2010 | Extraordinary Measures | Aileen Crowley | |
| 2012 | Goats | Judy | |
| 2013 | Austenland | Jane Hayes | |
| 2013 | Dark Skies | Lacy Barrett | |
| 2014 | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | Ellie | |
| 2016 | Free State of Jones | Serena Knight | |
| 2019 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Zorii Bliss | |
| 2021 | Antlers | Julia Meadows | |
| 2023 | Cocaine Bear | Sari | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1991–1993 | The All New Mickey Mouse Club | Herself | Main role |
| 1993 | Boy Meets World | Jessica | Episode: "Grandma Was a Rolling Stone" |
| 1994 | Daddy's Girls | Phoebe Walker | 3 episodes |
| 1995 | Clerks | Sandra | Television pilot |
| 1995 | Married... with Children | April Adams | Episode: "Radio Free Trumaine" |
| 1996 | The Babysitter's Seduction | Michelle Winston | Television film |
| 1996 | The Lottery | Felice Dunbar | Television film |
| 1996 | Malibu Shores | Chloe Walker | Main role |
| 1997 | Roar | Claire | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | 7th Heaven | Camille | Episode: "Choices" |
| 1997 | When Innocence Is Lost | Erica French | Television film |
| 1998–2002 | Felicity | Felicity Porter | Main role |
| 2000 | CinderElmo | Princess | Television film |
| 2005 | Into the West | Naomi Wheeler | Episode: "Manifest Destiny" |
| 2005 | The Magic of Ordinary Days | Olivia "Livvy" Dunne | Television film |
| 2007 | Scrubs | Melody O'Harra | 2 episodes |
| 2010–2011 | Running Wilde | Emmy Kadubic | Main role |
| 2013 | Arrested Development | Widow Carr (voice) | Episode: "Señoritis" |
| 2013–2018 | The Americans | Elizabeth Jennings | Main role |
| 2017 | Secret History of Comics | Narrator | Episode: "The Truth About Wonder Woman" |
| 2018 | Running Wild with Bear Grylls | Herself | Episode: "Canary Islands" |
| 2021 | Explained | Narrator | Episode: "Sugar" |
| 2023 | Extrapolations | Olivia Drew | Episode: "2059 Part II: Nightbirds" |
| 2023–present | The Diplomat | Kate Wyler | Main role; also executive producer |

### Music videos

| Year | Song | Artist |
| 1994 | "Always" | Bon Jovi |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2024 | Open Roads | Opal Devine (voice) | |

## Theatre

| Year | Play | Role | Venue |
| 2004–2005 | Fat Pig | Jeannie | Lucille Lortel Theatre |
| 2019 | Burn This | Anna Mann | Hudson Theatre |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 1993 | Young Artist Awards | Best Young Actress Co-Starring in a Motion Picture | Honey, I Blew Up the Kid | Nominated |
| 1993 | Young Artist Awards | Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Youth Series or Variety Show | The All New Mickey Mouse Club | Nominated |
| 1999 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series – Drama | Felicity | Won |
| 1999 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Breakout TV Star | Felicity | Won |
| 1999 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress | Felicity | Nominated |
| 2000 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress | Felicity | Nominated |
| 2001 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress | Felicity | Nominated |
| 2002 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress Drama | Felicity | Nominated |
| 2005 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | The Magic of Ordinary Days | Nominated |
| 2006 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actress: Drama/Action Adventure | Mission: Impossible III | Nominated |
| 2008 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actress: Drama | August Rush | Nominated |
| 2013 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2013 | Women's Image Network Awards | Outstanding Actress Drama Series | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2014 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2014 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress on Television | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2014 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2015 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | The Americans | Won |
| 2015 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2016 | Television Critics Association Awards | Individual Achievement in Drama | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2016 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2016 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2017 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2017 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Cable TV Actress | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2017 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2018 | Television Critics Association Awards | Individual Achievement in Drama | The Americans | Won |
| 2018 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2019 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2019 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2019 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2019 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | The Americans | Nominated |
| 2024 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | The Diplomat | Nominated |
| 2024 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | The Diplomat | Nominated |
| 2024 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | The Diplomat | Nominated |
| 2024 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | The Diplomat | Nominated |
| 2025 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | The Diplomat | Nominated |
| 2025 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | The Diplomat | Nominated |
| 2025 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | The Diplomat | Nominated |
| 2025 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Diplomat | Nominated |