Keri Russell ‘Never’ Wants ‘to Work’, Says She Only Joins a Project if It Has This ‘Unshakeable Thing’

Keri Russell is only interested in pursuing projects that tug on her heartstrings.

Over the years, the actress, 48, has made a name for herself with award-winning performances in projects like The Americans, The Diplomat and more. Despite this, Russell told Variety “I never want to work” and only seeks roles in film and television that she can get passionate about.

“It takes me a lot to get to the point of saying yes,” she said of accepting jobs. “And what usually is the unshakable thing that moves me out of the comfort zone is that it’s just a story I can’t stop thinking about.”

Her partner and former The Americans costar, Matthew Rhys, gave further context to the outlet an shared how her “shy” personality has made it difficult for her to bare her soul on camera.

“It’s rare that she’s enthusiastic about acting,” he told the outlet. “I mean, there’s a genuine — it’s not so much a ‘dislike’; that’s too strong a word — it’s a discomfort, I think. She is naturally a very shy person, and to expose herself in that way day after day, I think she finds both taxing and challenging.”

Rhys added, “But she is a mind, and she loves being challenged, and she loves words — books are her biggest passion. Words and narrative are her great love.”

After The Americans concluded its sixth and final season in 2018, Russell and Rhys joined forces again for the first time since the series’ end for a play reading at The 92nd Street Y in New York City in May. Rhys, 49, portrayed one of his long-time heroes, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. 

While the reading was a passion project for the actor, at the time, he told PEOPLE it took a bit of convincing to get Russell involved.

“I told her she’d be taking part in Tuesday night’s reading whether she liked it or not,” he joked. He added that Russell understood “the weight of it for me and she also knows what Dylan means to me. So she very kindly said, ‘Look, whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.’”

Though Rhys revealed Russell felt “very nervous” about her performance, their onstage reunion was a long time coming.

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“We just waited. We always said The Americans was so special, it would have to be something akin that we’re both so excited to do. It shouldn’t just be anything,” he continued.

As for the dynamic of working with Russell given their romantic entanglements, Rhys told PEOPLE, “And as our relationship develops, you go through those days where sometimes you’re mad at each other and you have to play happy, and sometimes you’re happy with each other and you have to play mad. So it’s a whirlwind of things.”

The Diplomat premieres Thursday, Oct. 31 on Netflix.