Keri Russell 'Was Nervous' When Allison Janney Was Cast in “The Diplomat”: 'She’s Awesome and So Good' (Exclusive)
Janney will be appearing in a guest role as a vice president in the second season of the Netflix hit
Courtesy of The Paley Center For Media; Courtesy of Netflix
Keri Russell (left) at a red carpet event and Allison Janney in 'The Diplomat' season 2Celebrities, they are just like us!
Keri Russell had a fangirl moment when she found out that Allison Janney was cast in the second season of her hit Netflix series, The Diplomat.
Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE at a special event for the show during PaleyFest 2024 on Sunday, Oct. 20 in New York City, the actress says she “was nervous, a little bit” when she heard of Janney’s new role.
"Just because she’s awesome and so good,” Russell, 48, continues before noting that she’s partially fond of the Oscar winner’s performance in the 1998 comedy Primary Colors.
"I love her," she adds of Janney. "There's a scene she does in Primary Colors – that movie is so good – where she does this physical comedy fall up the stairs. So I think I was a little nervous, but she's everything you want her to be. She's gracious and funny and smart and cool."
While Russell "tried to keep it cool at first" while working with her new costar, she says she eventually told her about her appreciation for the movie.
Courtesy of Netflix
Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in 'The Diplomat'Janney’s role in season two of the political thriller series, which ultimately follows U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Kate Wyler (Russell) and her husband Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell) as they try to prevent a global war, was first announced in January with Variety reporting that she will be appearing in a guest role as a vice president.
The new TV project sees Janney reuniting with The West Wing writer Debora Cahn, who also serves as the showrunner of the streaming series. The actress starred as Claudia Jean Cregg, better known as C.J. Cregg, on the drama series from 1999 to 2006, and took home four Emmy Awards for her performance.
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Janney praised Cahn and expressed her excitement for her upcoming appearance in September, writing on Facebook, "I am so excited to announce that I am part of season two of the Diplomat, which comes out October 31st on Netflix!! If you haven’t already, go watch season one!! #KeriRussell and @rufus_sewell are fantastic, as is the entire cast! And brilliant writing by #DeboraCahn."
Alex Bailey/Netflix
Allison Janney in 'The Diplomat'Cahn and The Diplomat actress Ali Ahn also praised Janney at the event, with Ahn telling PEOPLE that she "got to have some delicious dinners with her after work."
"We were basically at summer camp," she says. "We were away shooting and we were in these beautiful locations. And so there were days where we would all gather for dinner after work and it is pretty surreal to be dining with Alison Janney and Keri Russell, and just throwing back a couple of glasses of wine."
Meanwhile, Cahn felt inspired by the combined star power of Janney and Russell. "There is a scene in season two where Keri and Rufus and Allison are having a dinner together," the showrunner teases before noting that they "go at it" in the scene.
"It was really great. Watching her and Allison squaring off was great. It is just amazing to see two people who are that much at the top of our game get to play with each other," she says.
Courtesy of Netflix
David Gyasi as Austin Dennison and Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in 'The Diplomat'Related: The Diplomat Season 2 Teaser Answers Burning Question About Netflix's Political Thriller — Watch
The show's season 2 teaser trailer, released in September, gave a first look at Janney’s vice presidential character as she ominously turns around to face Kate while at a high-profile event.
"A deadly explosion in the heart of London shatters US Ambassador Kate Wyler’s world (Russell)," the synopsis for the season teases. "Struggling to rebuild the lives that broke and the team that split apart, Kate’s worst fears unfold: The attack that brought her to the UK didn’t come from a rival nation, it came from inside the British government."
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Season 2 of The Diplomat premieres Thursday, Oct. 31 on Netflix.
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