COUPLESKeri Russell Reacts to Being Left Out of Matthew Rhys' Acceptance Speeches
Keri Russell discussed Matthew Rhys’ Emmy acceptance speeches and why she never expected him to thank her publicly.
Oct. 9 2026, Published 5:45 a.m. ET
Keri Russell is standing by Matthew Rhys' decision not to mention her in his Emmy acceptance speeches, explaining why she never expected a public thank-you from her longtime partner.
The Felicity actress discussed the topic during an appearance on Chelsea Handler's "Dear Chelsea" podcast on Thursday, October 8.
Keri Russell recalled telling Matthew Rhys he did not need to mention her during his Emmy acceptance speeches.
The Diplomat actress recalled how tense Rhys, 51, felt about speaking onstage and said she wanted to make things easier for him.
"I looked at him a few days before and I said, 'OK, well, can you articulate what you’re most nervous about?'" she said.
"And he’s like, ‘Yeah, having to speak.' And I said, 'Totally.' And I said, 'Take me off your plate. Like, you don’t have to thank me. I know you love me,'" she added.
Keri Russell Says People Still Criticize Matthew Rhys
Keri Russell called the criticism of Matthew Rhys’ Emmy speeches stupid and lame after people questioned his decision not to thank her.
The Magic of Ordinary Days actress also addressed the criticism Rhys continued to receive for not thanking her during his 2018 Emmy acceptance speech after winning lead actor in a drama series for The Americans.
"It’s so crazy. People get nuts," she said.
"It’s stupid, and it’s also lame," she added.
Handler, 51, noted that a winner might have other people involved in a production to acknowledge before their partner.
Russell agreed, emphasizing that the moment belonged to the person accepting the award.
"I don’t care if you want to thank the dog walker. You do whatever you want to do. That’s your minute. That’s your 45 seconds," she said.
"So I just said, 'Take me off your plate,'" she added.
"We kind of said to each other, 'We don’t have to thank each other. This is private. … This is for the business people. Thank whoever you want to thank,'" she continued.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Matthew Rhys won lead actor in a drama series for 'The Americans' at the 2018 Emmy Awards.
Rhys made headlines at the 2026 Emmys, winning lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie for The Beast in Me before taking home lead actor in a comedy series for Widow’s Bay. The latter series earned 14 awards during the ceremony.
During his acceptance speech for The Beast in Me, Rhys joked about the pressure of being onstage before thanking the show's writers, director and costar Claire Danes.
"Oh, good grief. If you try and taunt me, I’ll stab you in the eyes with this," he said, referring to his Emmy statuette.
He later praised Danes for leading the cast and expressed his gratitude for working alongside her.
"Thank you for letting me join the mystery machine and bringing out the beast," he said.
"You are an intimidating scene partner, but I’m very grateful for all of this," he added.
Inside Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys' Family Life
Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys share son Sam, while Russell also has two children with her ex-husband, Shane Deary.
Per Page Six, the couple met while filming The Americans in 2012 and have been together for more than a decade. They share a son, Sam, 10, whom they welcomed in May 2016.
Russell also shares son River, 19, and daughter Willa, 13, with her ex-husband, Shane Deary.
