Keri Russell on How Gloria Steinem Inspired Her to Do THE DIPLOMAT, Filming the AMERICAN and More for VARIETY Magazine

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In a new cover story from VARIETY, Keri Russell speaks with Deputy Editor Trish Deitch about the conversation with Gloria Steinem that inspired her to do THE DIPLOMAT, filming THE AMERICANS with her now-husband Matthew Rhys, whether her celebrity means an endorsement of Kamala Harris will make an impact, and more. 

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Russell on how a conversation with Gloria Steinem helped her decide to do “The Diplomat”: At Gloria Steinem’s 88th birthday party, Steinem turned to Russell and said, “I’m at the age now that all of that stuff doesn’t matter anymore. Now I feel again like the 9-year-old girl who only wants to climb trees.” That notion struck a chord.

“I mean, who doesn’t want to want? But it all relates back to that Gloria thing—how incredible that, at this age, she wants to climb trees.” So Russell called her husband and “The Americans” co-star Matthew Rhys and said she was going to do “The Diplomat.”

“I have done the birthday cupcakes. I have done the doctor’s appointments and the scary nights and the washing laundry. And I have been there. I’ve done the back rubs, but I want three months—or a fucking year! — where I don’t. It’s someone else’s turn—pick up the slack.’ And [Matthew] did. And it was hard. You know, Matthew was shooting at the time, too, and I’m sure that was hard, because he was trying to fly back and forth. And I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s hard—it’s called being a mom.’”

On filming “The Americans” with Rhys: “I was in love with Matthew. We were, like, hot and heavy in love, shooting the spy stuff at night in disguises and wigs. I mean, it was such a fun, sexy time. So fun, oh my gosh.”

On whether her endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris will have an impact: “If I had my wish, I would be invisible—that’s who I am. I would give all the money in the world, but I would be invisible. Someone like George Clooney, he’s at an age, he should swing and swing hard.”

On “Felicity”: “‘Felicity’ was the first time that I really went, ‘Ohhh, OK, I see what I’m supposed to be like: This is a good story. I see how it’s like a book, and I love the story of it.’ Before, I was doing it because it was around.”

Although she was a “nervous performer,” she felt some amount of ease with “Felicity.”

“A gift about that show, and a little bit ‘The Diplomat’ too, is I got to wear these big baggy sweaters, and I hardly wore any makeup. I would watch the girls who were, like, the guest stars—the beautiful girls who would come on and have to wear girl clothes? — and I see how nervous that makes them. It’s hard to be beautiful; it’s much easier just to be in a big baggy sweatshirt and sneakers. Don’t get me wrong, I love the beauty of women, too, and I like dressing up, and I like, you know, wearing makeup when I need to. But there’s so much more to being a girl than that. And I think some girls get stuck in that, you know? It was such a gift to just get to wear big baggy sweaters and just get to be funny or smart. So I was less nervous.”

On being uncomfortable with the publicity aspect of her chosen career: “I hate being watched. Oh my God, it’s the worst. I had to do two photo shoots last week, so I had to drink a beer. I’m like, ‘Oh my God, they’re gonna be watching me.’ It’s my nightmare.”

[Photo Credit: Thea Traff for Variety Magazine]

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