Read an oral history of The Americans

Variety

FX boss John Landgraf says of Keri Russell's role in the Variety oral history: "We explicitly made the decision to tell this story with the female character in the traditionally male role. The woman is the more physically and emotionally tougher of the two. She’s more rigid, more ideologically dedicated and pure. He’s the one more emotional and sensitive. (Russell) got to play all the things. We chose a very feminine, open, all-American actress and turns out Keri is literally one of the toughest, hardest-working, most stoic people. She has Elizabeth Jennings’ steel and spine right in her DNA. We didn’t know that when we cast her. But we knew we wanted that all-American girl next door to be given the opportunity to play the brooding man, anti-hero part." ALSO: Meet Alyssa Monks, the painter who's an integral part of the final season.