Keri Russell Gets Honest About Falling for Matthew Rhys

Keri Russell is offering a rare and unusually candid look at the beginning of her relationship with longtime partner Matthew Rhys. Speaking on Chelsea Handler’s Dear Chelsea podcast, Russell reflected on the first stretch of their romance while they were working together on The Americans, describing it as intense, secretive and thrilling.

According to Russell, the early phase of their relationship had a chaotic energy that matched the unusual world they were inhabiting on screen. She recalled staying up all night, having sex constantly and trying to manage the excitement of falling in love while filming a series built around disguises and deception. Russell even joked that the whole experience felt stranger because she was often dressed in character, complete with wigs, pearls and various undercover looks. In her telling, that period was wild, sneaky and incredibly fun.

Russell and Rhys had crossed paths briefly before, but their real connection took shape in 2012 when they began filming the first season of The Americans. Speculation about a romance started in late 2013, and the relationship became public in April 2014. Their family later grew in May 2016 when they welcomed their son, Sam. Russell is also mother to River and Willa, her two children from her previous marriage to Shane Deary.

Why marriage still is not a priority

Even after more than a decade together, Russell said she still does not feel any pressure to marry Rhys. On the podcast, she explained that marriage simply is not something she considers necessary at this point in her life. Having already been married once, she said she does not feel a need for another wedding or formal milestone to confirm a committed partnership.

Russell also spoke about the issue in practical terms. She said women no longer need marriage in the way they once did for security or independence, and she added that she has no interest in giving up her last name. For her, the stronger idea is choosing each other freely rather than staying together because of an institution. Since she and Rhys share a child, she said that already represents permanence, and she described marriage itself as feeling somewhat antiquated.

Career momentum and a lighthearted awards moment

The conversation arrives as Russell continues promoting the fourth season of Netflix’s The Diplomat, in which she stars as Kate Wyler, the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom. The role places her in the middle of rising political tensions and international conflicts, and it is clearly one she enjoys. In comments to People, Russell praised Kate as smart, funny and fierce, while also noting that the character is allowed to make mistakes.

She has said that part of the appeal is Kate’s bluntness and authority, especially because the character often charges into difficult situations and then has to recover quickly. That balance of confidence and imperfection has made the role one of Russell’s most talked-about recent performances.

The podcast also touched on a smaller but widely noticed awards-season detail involving Rhys. After he did not thank Russell in his Emmy acceptance speeches for Widow’s Bay and The Beast In Me, Handler joked that Russell should respond by thanking her ex-boyfriends if she wins for The Diplomat. Russell made clear there was no conflict behind the omission. She said Rhys had been nervous about possibly giving a speech, so she told him beforehand that he did not need to mention her. As she explained it, she wanted to remove one more thing from his list of worries because she already knew how he felt. In fact, she said they have more or less agreed that public thank-yous are not necessary between them.