Actress Keri Russell has offered a rare glimpse into her long-term relationship with partner Matthew Rhys. She discussed how their demanding acting careers, time apart, and quiet family routines shape their life together.
The couple first met on the set of the hit FX series The Americans, where they played married Soviet KGB spies. They have been together for 13 years. While promoting their work and discussing life after the show, Russell touched on the practical realities of sustaining a Hollywood relationship while balancing separate international projects.
The Gift of Time Apart
During an interview on the Dear Chelsea podcast, the conversation turned toward how the couple handles work-related separations, such as Rhys preparing for a five-month filming stint in the U.K. Rather than viewing long-distance work as a strain, Russell described it as an unexpected benefit for their dynamic.
“We have this gift of being apart a lot,” Russell said during the podcast appearance. “And that is the way to do it.”
That balance allows both actors to pursue high-profile projects-such as Russell’s starring role in Netflix’s political drama The Diplomat and Rhys’s recent turns in Apple TV+’s Widow’s Bay and Netflix’s The Beast in Me-while maintaining independence and personal space.
A Private Romance Born on Set
Russell and Rhys initially kept their romance under wraps during the early seasons of The Americans. Their cover was famously blown in 2014 when a burglar broke into Russell’s Brooklyn home and stole personal items. When local police later insisted on returning the stolen property to the set for publicity, crew members quickly realized that a bag assumed to be Russell’s actually belonged to the Welsh actor.
“Lo, it came to pass that we were together,” Rhys recalled during an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers. “Everyone found out in one clean sweep. Didn’t have to hire a publicist, it was great.”
Long before playing on-screen spouses, the pair had a brief encounter at a kickball-and-beer party in Los Angeles a decade prior. Rhys later admitted he drunkenly asked for her number as a young single actor, though nothing came of it until they reunited in the casting room for The Americans.
Family Life and Why They Remain Unwed
Despite sharing a 10-year-old son, Sam, along with Russell’s two children from her previous marriage to carpenter Shane Deary, the couple has never legally married. When asked about tying the knot, Rhys told The Times that they “literally haven’t got round to marriage yet.”
At the 2018 Emmy Awards, where Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for The Americans, he joked during his acceptance speech that Russell had threatened to “punch him clean in the mouth” if he proposed on stage. Russell later confirmed her aversion to public proposals, emphasizing that their relationship thrives away from the public eye.
When they aren’t working or attending award ceremonies, the family splits their time between their home in Brooklyn and an upstate New York retreat where they enjoy a much quieter pace of life.
“I do like my life, my quiet little life,” Russell shared in a previous interview. “I like pitter-pattering around the house and doing my little laundry, and putting everything in its order.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys
How long have Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys been together?
Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys have been together for 13 years, officially starting their relationship in 2013 after meeting and starring together on the FX series The Americans.
Do Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys have children?
Yes, the couple shares a 10-year-old son named Sam. Russell also has two older children-River and Willa-from her previous marriage to Shane Deary.
Are Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys married?
No, the couple is not legally married. They have been together for over a decade, with Rhys joking that they simply haven’t gotten around to it yet.
How did Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys meet?
Though they officially connected while playing married spies on The Americans in 2013, they actually first met a decade earlier at a casual kickball party in Los Angeles.
Where do Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys live?
The couple primarily resides in Brooklyn, New York, but frequently escapes to an upstate New York retreat to decompress with their family.
