Matthew Rhys talks ‘The Americans’ and co-star Keri Russell
Both stars of the hit Cold War drama The Americans spoke to LA Times about the show in the wake of the season 2 finale and star Matthew Rhys really detailed how the two main characters on the show are so different and working with Keri Russell. The Americans season 3 is already set at the network.
“I love that fact about [Keri’s] character; she sees the fast-food world and thinks, “This place is disgusting.” Whereas with Phillip, he’s like, “Look at these boots! Look at this car!” If you look at how he was formed, it’s hard at home, it’s hard. So why wouldn’t he like it?”
Rhys sees the appeal of the spy drama as a connection to the real espionage in our world.
“There’s an area of fascination that men especially have with Special Forces books or movies: Who are these people? What makes them tick? How could I possibly do that?…It intrigues as much as possible. It’s a very interesting question about patriotism and adrenaline junkies. And it can be incredibly egotistical.”
The former star from Brothers & Sisters says the Russian in a hardest thing to pull off.
“Speaking Russian is a nightmare. My publicist, she’s a Russian woman, and as we’re filming, I’ll say, “Am I saying this right?” And she’ll say, “You’re saying it perfectly.” So I’ll say, “Do I sound like a Russian?” And she says, “Oh, God, no.” So, great.”
The interview features some funny back and forth over dating rumors, but Rhys can’t help but praise his co-star.
“She can burp like a man….She brings a lot to the game. You can’t sit back on your laurels. There’s no slacking off.”
Check out the full interview HERE
FX has already renewed the show for a third season.
