Matthew Rhys is open to sharing the screen with Keri Russell again, but he says any future reunion would need to happen for the right creative reasons.
Rhys, 51, spoke about the possibility while discussing Widow’s Bay and his future projects during an interview on Tuesday, August 18.
The actor joked that he and Russell, 50, have already talked about the idea of working together again, including the possibility of one of them appearing in the other’s current series.
“Well, Keri and I discussed that,” Rhys said, adding that he has also floated the idea of joining The Diplomat, Russell’s political drama.
Despite their enthusiasm for collaborating again, Rhys said the couple does not want to recreate the success of The Americans simply for nostalgia.
“There’s the danger [though] if you’re trying to recreate something,” he explained.
According to Rhys, another project together would need to make sense for both of them creatively rather than being built around their real-life relationship or previous television partnership.
“If the right project came about and that made sense for us to be both in it,” he said, before adding, “If it made sense, absolutely. I’d love to.”
Rhys and Russell famously starred opposite each other on FX’s The Americans, which ran from 2013 to 2018. The acclaimed drama followed Soviet KGB officers Philip and Elizabeth Jennings as they posed as a married American couple while secretly conducting intelligence operations in the United States.
The two actors met while working on the series and have remained together since.
Both have moved on to major television roles in recent years. Russell stars in The Diplomat, while Rhys leads Widow’s Bay, which has been renewed for a second season.
Rhys also serves as a producer on Widow’s Bay, something he said has allowed him to become more involved behind the scenes while still experiencing the surprises of the story as an actor.
“I enjoy that inclusion,” he said of producing the series. “It feels like you’re an adult being asked to the adult’s table.”
As for what viewers can expect from season 2, Rhys admitted that he does not yet know exactly where the story will go.
He said one of his biggest questions for creator Katie Dippold concerns the mysterious curse at the center of the show.
“What is the curse? The monster? The island? What is it?” Rhys recalled asking.
The actor also joked that he would enjoy seeing Hamish Linklater’s character, Richard, return in an unexpected way.
“There’s a part of me that wants Hamish Linklater’s character, Richard, to come back,” Rhys said, suggesting that Richard himself could somehow become part of the ongoing curse.
While Rhys waits for the new season’s scripts, the prospect of another on-screen reunion with Russell remains open.
For now, however, the couple appears content to wait until a project arrives that feels natural rather than forcing a return to the dynamic audiences loved on The Americans
