Key Points<\/h2>\n\n- Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell met filming The Americans and became a real-life couple.<\/li>\n
- They co-parent three children but are not officially married despite a long-term partnership.<\/li>\n
- Balancing work and parenthood is challenging; they emphasize teamwork and support.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
Matthew Rhys<\/strong> and Keri Russell<\/a> <\/strong>didn\u2019t just play a compelling couple on the FX espionage drama The Americans \u2014 they turned their on-screen chemistry into a real-life love story that\u2019s lasted more than a decade.<\/p>\n\u201cWe were, like, hot and heavy in love, shooting the spy stuff at night in disguises and wigs,\u201d Russell told Variety<\/a> of their six seasons as KGB agents Elizabeth and Philip Jennings. \u201cI mean, it was such a fun, sexy time.\u201d<\/p>\nA decade-plus into their relationship, Rhys told<\/a> Parade<\/a> that the secret to their success<\/a> is that they \u201cbalance each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cThere\u2019s usually that thing where you need one person to be the calm head \u2014 that\u2019s her,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd then I\u2019m the kind of fiery one. \u2026 We work well as a team; we have a good partnership and we make each other laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n
Keep reading to learn more about their romance, including whether Russell left her former husband for Rhys (she was married with two kids when The Americans started filming in 2012), and if she and her \u201cWelsh guy\u201d have tied the knot themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfac\u00a0<\/strong>SIGN UP for Parade\u2019s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\ud83c\udfac<\/strong><\/p>\nAre Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys still together?<\/strong><\/h2>\nYes! They were one of the hottest couples on the red carpet at the Critics Choice Awards in January this year, where they each earned nominations \u2014 Russell for her performance in The Diplomat and Rhys for his turn in The Beast in Me. Neither took home an award, but they certainly won the E! Glambot:<\/p>\n
In March, they were back on the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (now officially rebranded as the Annual Actor Awards), where both were nominated once again. This time, Russell walked away with the win for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, and she gave Rhys a sweet shoutout in her speech: \u201cHappy Saint David\u2019s Day to my Welsh guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Related: Keri Russell Doesn\u2019t Hold Back When Sharing Candid Thoughts on Plastic Surgery<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nDid Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys fall in love on set?<\/strong><\/h2>\nYes. The exact timeline of their relationship is a little murky, but reports of a romance heated up in December 2013, after Season 2 of The Americans completed filming, when they were spotted walking around Russell\u2019s Brooklyn Heights neighborhood a few days before Christmas.<\/p>\n
Weeks earlier, the Felicity star\u2019s publicist confirmed to multiple outlets that the actress and her husband of six years, Brooklyn-based contractor Shane Deary<\/strong>, had split. \u201cThey have been separated since early summer,\u201d the rep said. \u201cThe separation is amicable and their focus is on their children.\u201d Russell and her ex share two kids\u2014son River <\/strong>and daughter Willa<\/strong>\u2014who were 6 and almost 2, respectively, at the time.\u00a0<\/p>\nThat confirmation came just after Russell\u2019s Brooklyn Heights home was burglarized and reports indicated that she was sleeping in the downstairs bedroom of her brownstone when the 3 a.m. break-in occurred. Many outlets noted that her then husband and kids weren\u2019t home at the time, which is presumably what prompted Russell\u2019s publicist to step in with the update.<\/p>\n
As it turned out, Rhys was actually at the brownstone when the burglary took place, too, although that detail wouldn\u2019t surface until years later, when Rhys himself shared it on the Smartless podcast in 2023. Recalling his response to the break-in, he told the hosts<\/a>, \u201cI remember thinking in any logical moment you\u2019d go, \u2018Let\u2019s lock ourselves in the bathroom and call 911. And for some stupid reason, because we were very early days, I thought, \u2018What I do next, she will judge me on for the rest of our lives.\u2019\u201d So he grabbed a fire poker and headed upstairs without a \u201cstitch\u201d of clothing on, he continued. The burglars ran out the front door before any confrontation could occur. <\/p>\nRelated: Everything to Know About \u2018The Beast in Me\u2019 Starring Matthew Rhys<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nWho was Keri Russell\u2019s first husband?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\nBefore dating Rhys, Russell was married to Brooklyn-based contractor Shane Deary<\/strong>. They exchanged vows on Valentine<\/a>\u2019s Day 2007 and split in 2013. The pair kept their relationship \u2014 and the details of their divorce \u2014 private.<\/p>\nDid Keri Russell leave her first husband for Matthew Rhys?<\/strong><\/h2>\nNone of the people involved have ever acknowledged any overlap or wrongdoing, and going by the timeline available to the public, there wasn\u2019t any: The actress and her husband parted ways in the summer of 2013 and she and Rhys got together sometime later that year (Russell himself said they were still in the \u201cearly days\u201d of their relationship when Russell\u2019s Brooklyn brownstone was burglarized in December).<\/p>\n
Still, as with any romance, it\u2019s hard to say for sure when the sparks started to fly. Speaking to the Smartless podcast, Rhys described his relationship with Russell as \u201ca very slow burn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first season, you know, I think we\u2019re both trying to be sworn off to that thing \u2026 \u2018I\u2019m not going to do what everyone tells us never to do,\u2019\u201d he said, presumably referring to dating a co-star. But by \u201cthe beginning of the second season,\u201d he added, it was on. (Season 2 started filming in October<\/a> 2013.)\u00a0<\/p>\nWhen did Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys confirm their relationship?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe pair never released a formal statement acknowledging their relationship, but People confirmed the romance<\/a> in April 2014, after Russell and Rhys were spotted together at the Public Theater in New York City for Steven Soderbergh<\/strong>\u2019s play The Library.\u00a0<\/p>\nRhys revealed in his 2023 Smartless interview that The Americans crew found them out in December 2013, when the district attorney for Brooklyn returned Russell\u2019s burgled belongings on set with a photographer in tow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the DA held up a Filson bag, Rhys recalled, \u201cone of the young PAs went, \u2018Wait, that\u2019s not Keri\u2019s bag. That\u2019s Matthew\u2019s bag.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Do Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys have children?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\nYes, they welcomed son Sam<\/strong>, now almost 10, between the fourth and fifth seasons of The Americans. Accepting the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama series in 2018, Rhys nodded to the boy by thanking the casting directors for giving him the role \u2014 and \u201cby default \u2026 a son.\u201d<\/p>\nRussell also shares two other children with her ex-husband: River, born June 2007, and Willa, born December 2011.<\/p>\n
Speaking to People<\/a> about how he and Russell juggle work and parenthood, Rhys said, \u201cWhat we try to do is \u2014 how many of our friends do it \u2014 one works when the other one doesn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nThat often means that \u201cthere are moments where you\u2019re ships passing in the night to a degree, and that makes it a little tricky,\u201d he added. \u201cBut we try not to disrupt home life too much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, he admitted a couple of years earlier on a 2023 episode of Smartless<\/a>, the rule is a bit \u201cridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s just, that never works out, right? Because like, what if somebody gets a great, great call and it\u2019s, you just can\u2019t say no, but this is your turn?\u201d That\u2019s what happened to him and Russell in 2022, he said, when she was filming the first season of The Diplomat and he was still working on Perry Mason. \u201cGrandma came in and you know, the kids ate sugar for six months.\u201d<\/p>\n
Russell gave additional insight into how they negotiated that period, saying it involved Rhys agreeing to take on more work at home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI have done the birthday<\/a> cupcakes,\u201d she recalled telling him, in an interview with Variety<\/a>. \u201cI have done the doctor\u2019s appointments and the scary<\/a> nights and the washing laundry. And I have been there. I\u2019ve done the back rubs, but I want three months \u2014 or a f\u2014ing year! \u2014 where I don\u2019t. It\u2019s someone else\u2019s turn \u2014 pick up the slack.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cAnd he did,\u201d she continued. \u201cAnd it was hard. You know, Matthew was shooting at the time, too, and I\u2019m sure that was hard \u2026 And I was like, \u2018Yeah, it\u2019s hard \u2014 it\u2019s called being a mom.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Related: Keri Russell on Why \u2018The Diplomat\u2019 Got Her to Return to TV<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nAre Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys married?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\nNot officially.<\/p>\n
When Rhys won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2018, he joked <\/strong>in his speech that Russell warned him against proposing to her onstage, as a previous winner did to his girlfriend<\/a> that night. \u201cAnd, finally, to the woman who truly got me this award who just stands in front of me every day and puts up with me,\u201d Rhys told the crowd. \u201cShe said, \u2018If you propose to me, I will punch you clean in the mouth.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\nEight years later, perhaps that\u2019s still the case!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew Rhys<\/strong> and Keri Russell<\/a> <\/strong>didn\u2019t just play a compelling couple on the FX espionage drama The Americans \u2014 they turned their on-screen chemistry into a real-life love story that\u2019s lasted more than a decade.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were, like, hot and heavy in love, shooting the spy stuff at night in disguises and wigs,\u201d Russell told Variety<\/a> of their six seasons as KGB agents Elizabeth and Philip Jennings. \u201cI mean, it was such a fun, sexy time.\u201d<\/p>\n A decade-plus into their relationship, Rhys told<\/a> Parade<\/a> that the secret to their success<\/a> is that they \u201cbalance each other.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s usually that thing where you need one person to be the calm head \u2014 that\u2019s her,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd then I\u2019m the kind of fiery one. \u2026 We work well as a team; we have a good partnership and we make each other laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n Keep reading to learn more about their romance, including whether Russell left her former husband for Rhys (she was married with two kids when The Americans started filming in 2012), and if she and her \u201cWelsh guy\u201d have tied the knot themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfac\u00a0<\/strong>SIGN UP for Parade\u2019s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\ud83c\udfac<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes! They were one of the hottest couples on the red carpet at the Critics Choice Awards in January this year, where they each earned nominations \u2014 Russell for her performance in The Diplomat and Rhys for his turn in The Beast in Me. Neither took home an award, but they certainly won the E! Glambot:<\/p>\n In March, they were back on the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (now officially rebranded as the Annual Actor Awards), where both were nominated once again. This time, Russell walked away with the win for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, and she gave Rhys a sweet shoutout in her speech: \u201cHappy Saint David\u2019s Day to my Welsh guy.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: Keri Russell Doesn\u2019t Hold Back When Sharing Candid Thoughts on Plastic Surgery<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Yes. The exact timeline of their relationship is a little murky, but reports of a romance heated up in December 2013, after Season 2 of The Americans completed filming, when they were spotted walking around Russell\u2019s Brooklyn Heights neighborhood a few days before Christmas.<\/p>\n Weeks earlier, the Felicity star\u2019s publicist confirmed to multiple outlets that the actress and her husband of six years, Brooklyn-based contractor Shane Deary<\/strong>, had split. \u201cThey have been separated since early summer,\u201d the rep said. \u201cThe separation is amicable and their focus is on their children.\u201d Russell and her ex share two kids\u2014son River <\/strong>and daughter Willa<\/strong>\u2014who were 6 and almost 2, respectively, at the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n That confirmation came just after Russell\u2019s Brooklyn Heights home was burglarized and reports indicated that she was sleeping in the downstairs bedroom of her brownstone when the 3 a.m. break-in occurred. Many outlets noted that her then husband and kids weren\u2019t home at the time, which is presumably what prompted Russell\u2019s publicist to step in with the update.<\/p>\n As it turned out, Rhys was actually at the brownstone when the burglary took place, too, although that detail wouldn\u2019t surface until years later, when Rhys himself shared it on the Smartless podcast in 2023. Recalling his response to the break-in, he told the hosts<\/a>, \u201cI remember thinking in any logical moment you\u2019d go, \u2018Let\u2019s lock ourselves in the bathroom and call 911. And for some stupid reason, because we were very early days, I thought, \u2018What I do next, she will judge me on for the rest of our lives.\u2019\u201d So he grabbed a fire poker and headed upstairs without a \u201cstitch\u201d of clothing on, he continued. The burglars ran out the front door before any confrontation could occur. <\/p>\n Related: Everything to Know About \u2018The Beast in Me\u2019 Starring Matthew Rhys<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Before dating Rhys, Russell was married to Brooklyn-based contractor Shane Deary<\/strong>. They exchanged vows on Valentine<\/a>\u2019s Day 2007 and split in 2013. The pair kept their relationship \u2014 and the details of their divorce \u2014 private.<\/p>\n None of the people involved have ever acknowledged any overlap or wrongdoing, and going by the timeline available to the public, there wasn\u2019t any: The actress and her husband parted ways in the summer of 2013 and she and Rhys got together sometime later that year (Russell himself said they were still in the \u201cearly days\u201d of their relationship when Russell\u2019s Brooklyn brownstone was burglarized in December).<\/p>\n Still, as with any romance, it\u2019s hard to say for sure when the sparks started to fly. Speaking to the Smartless podcast, Rhys described his relationship with Russell as \u201ca very slow burn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe first season, you know, I think we\u2019re both trying to be sworn off to that thing \u2026 \u2018I\u2019m not going to do what everyone tells us never to do,\u2019\u201d he said, presumably referring to dating a co-star. But by \u201cthe beginning of the second season,\u201d he added, it was on. (Season 2 started filming in October<\/a> 2013.)\u00a0<\/p>\n The pair never released a formal statement acknowledging their relationship, but People confirmed the romance<\/a> in April 2014, after Russell and Rhys were spotted together at the Public Theater in New York City for Steven Soderbergh<\/strong>\u2019s play The Library.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rhys revealed in his 2023 Smartless interview that The Americans crew found them out in December 2013, when the district attorney for Brooklyn returned Russell\u2019s burgled belongings on set with a photographer in tow.\u00a0<\/p>\n When the DA held up a Filson bag, Rhys recalled, \u201cone of the young PAs went, \u2018Wait, that\u2019s not Keri\u2019s bag. That\u2019s Matthew\u2019s bag.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Yes, they welcomed son Sam<\/strong>, now almost 10, between the fourth and fifth seasons of The Americans. Accepting the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama series in 2018, Rhys nodded to the boy by thanking the casting directors for giving him the role \u2014 and \u201cby default \u2026 a son.\u201d<\/p>\n Russell also shares two other children with her ex-husband: River, born June 2007, and Willa, born December 2011.<\/p>\n Speaking to People<\/a> about how he and Russell juggle work and parenthood, Rhys said, \u201cWhat we try to do is \u2014 how many of our friends do it \u2014 one works when the other one doesn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n That often means that \u201cthere are moments where you\u2019re ships passing in the night to a degree, and that makes it a little tricky,\u201d he added. \u201cBut we try not to disrupt home life too much.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, he admitted a couple of years earlier on a 2023 episode of Smartless<\/a>, the rule is a bit \u201cridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just, that never works out, right? Because like, what if somebody gets a great, great call and it\u2019s, you just can\u2019t say no, but this is your turn?\u201d That\u2019s what happened to him and Russell in 2022, he said, when she was filming the first season of The Diplomat and he was still working on Perry Mason. \u201cGrandma came in and you know, the kids ate sugar for six months.\u201d<\/p>\n Russell gave additional insight into how they negotiated that period, saying it involved Rhys agreeing to take on more work at home.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI have done the birthday<\/a> cupcakes,\u201d she recalled telling him, in an interview with Variety<\/a>. \u201cI have done the doctor\u2019s appointments and the scary<\/a> nights and the washing laundry. And I have been there. I\u2019ve done the back rubs, but I want three months \u2014 or a f\u2014ing year! \u2014 where I don\u2019t. It\u2019s someone else\u2019s turn \u2014 pick up the slack.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he did,\u201d she continued. \u201cAnd it was hard. You know, Matthew was shooting at the time, too, and I\u2019m sure that was hard \u2026 And I was like, \u2018Yeah, it\u2019s hard \u2014 it\u2019s called being a mom.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Related: Keri Russell on Why \u2018The Diplomat\u2019 Got Her to Return to TV<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Not officially.<\/p>\n When Rhys won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2018, he joked <\/strong>in his speech that Russell warned him against proposing to her onstage, as a previous winner did to his girlfriend<\/a> that night. \u201cAnd, finally, to the woman who truly got me this award who just stands in front of me every day and puts up with me,\u201d Rhys told the crowd. \u201cShe said, \u2018If you propose to me, I will punch you clean in the mouth.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Eight years later, perhaps that\u2019s still the case!\u00a0<\/p>\nAre Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys still together?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Did Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys fall in love on set?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Who was Keri Russell\u2019s first husband?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Did Keri Russell leave her first husband for Matthew Rhys?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
When did Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys confirm their relationship?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Do Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys have children?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Are Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys married?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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