Keri Russell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Keri Russell
Russell in 2014
Born	Keri Lynn Russell (1976-03-23) March 23, 1976 (age 49) Fountain Valley, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1991–present
Spouse(s)	Shane Deary ​ ​ (m. 2007; div. 2014)​
Partner(s)	Matthew Rhys (2014–present)
Children	3

Keri Lynn Russell (born March 23, 1976) is an American actress. She is well-known for her roles in popular TV shows and movies. Keri first became famous for playing the main character in the drama series Felicity from 1998 to 2002. For this role, she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, which is a major award in television.

Later, she starred as Elizabeth Jennings in the spy thriller series The Americans from 2013 to 2018. This role earned her several nominations for top awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and the Golden Globe Award. More recently, she has been starring in the political drama series The Diplomat since 2023, where she also received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Keri Russell started her career early, appearing on the Disney Channel's The Mickey Mouse Club when she was just 15 years old. She was a regular cast member from 1991 to 1994. Her first movie role was in Honey, I Blew Up the Kid in 1992. She has also appeared in other films like Waitress (2007), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Keri Russell was born on March 23, 1976, in Fountain Valley, California. Her mother, Stephanie Stephens, was a homemaker, and her father, David Russell, worked for a car company. Keri has an older brother and a younger sister. Her family moved around a lot because of her father's job, living in places like Coppell, Texas, Mesa, Arizona, and Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

Keri was a dancer when she was in middle school and high school. Her dancing skills helped her get a spot on The All New Mickey Mouse Club on the Disney Channel. She was part of the show from 1991 to 1994.

Career Highlights

Becoming a Star: Felicity and Early Movies

In 1992, Keri appeared in the movie Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. The next year, she had a small role in the TV show Boy Meets World. She also appeared in an episode of Married... with Children in 1995. Keri then took on several other roles in films and TV shows. In 1994, she was even in the music video for Bon Jovi's song "Always".

From 1998 to 2002, Keri Russell played the main character in the very popular TV series Felicity. This show made her a well-known actress, and she won a Golden Globe Award for her performance in 1999. While working on Felicity, she also appeared in movies like We Were Soldiers (2002), where she played the wife of a soldier during the Vietnam War.

Movies and Stage Roles

After Felicity ended, Keri moved to New York City. In 2004, she started acting on stage in an off-Broadway play called Fat Pig. She returned to TV and movies in 2005, appearing in the TV movie The Magic of Ordinary Days and the film The Upside of Anger.

Keri Russell at the premiere of Mission: Impossible III in 2006.

In 2005, director J. J. Abrams asked Keri to join the cast of Mission: Impossible III, a big action movie, and she agreed. She also became a spokesperson for CoverGirl cosmetics in 2006. In 2007, Keri starred in the movie Waitress, where she played a pregnant woman. Critics really liked her performance in this film. She also appeared in August Rush and Bedtime Stories. In 2009, she voiced Wonder Woman in an animated movie.

Spy Thrillers and Recent Work

Keri Russell at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2013.

From 2013 to 2018, Keri Russell starred in the TV series The Americans. In this show, she played Elizabeth Jennings, a Russian spy pretending to be an American during the 1980s Cold War. She acted alongside Matthew Rhys, who played her character's husband and spy partner. For her amazing work in The Americans, she was nominated for several Emmy and Golden Globe awards.

In 2014, Keri starred in the science fiction action movie Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. In 2017, she received a special honor: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2019, she joined the cast of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which brought her back together with director J.J. Abrams.

In 2019, Keri also returned to the stage, starring in a play called Burn This on Broadway. Since 2023, she has been starring in The Diplomat, a political series on Netflix.

Personal Life

Keri Russell has three children. She has two children with her former husband, Shane Deary, whom she married in 2007. They separated in 2013. Since 2014, Keri has been in a relationship with actor Matthew Rhys, her co-star from The Americans. They have one son together, born in 2016.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Video games

Theatre

Awards and Nominations