Keri Russell's Net Worth Is An 'Americans' Dream
Keri Russell
Keri Russell's net worth in 2024 means her bank account is almost as golden as her once-signature halo of curls.
The actress keeps a relatively low profile but has worked steadily since the 1990s, but the Golden Globe winner (and 2024 nominee) previously told Parade that she feels like her career is an "uphill sprint."
"There’s not a lot of self-reflection; just keep your head down and keep running," she said in 2018 as The Americans drew to a close. "But when this is all over, I will be very thankful for this moment in my career, this moment in my life, that I’m with a partner I love and am excited and engaged by, and that I have these kids who are healthy and this job that was so creative, cool and satisfying."
Find out how much the mom of three has earned throughout her lengthy career.
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How did Keri Russell become famous?
Disney/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Born in California to a Nissan exec father and a homemaker mom, Russell was a talented dancer from childhood. She got her start alongside JC Chasez of NSYNC on Disney's All-New Mickey Mouse Club in 1991. (The show would also be a breeding ground for future megastars including Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.)
While on MMC, Russell appeared in several other TV shows and movies, including Married...With Children, Boy Meets World, Roar, Malibu Shores and Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, as well as the classic Lifetime TV movie The Babysitter's Seduction. (We're not kidding. It's so campy-good.)
She also appeared in Bon Jovi's music video for "Always." (Look for her below around the 1:38 mark.)
It was the WB (pre-CW days!) series Felicity in 1998 that made her a household name and earned Russell her first Golden Globe.
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What is Keri Russell's net worth in 2024?
Keri Russell's net worth in 2024 is estimated at a cool $12 million, thanks to her movie and TV success through the years. She also had a deal with CoverGirl in the aughts, though the financial specifics of the contract haven't been made public.
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What is Keri Russell most famous for?
Russell is most famous for Felicity and The Americans. She most recently starred in The Diplomat, a political thriller on Netflix. In May 2023, The Diplomat was renewed for a second season.
Alex Bailey/Netflix
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How much did Keri Russell get paid for The Americans?
FX
Russell's salary for The Americans was estimated at $175,000 per episode, according to Variety. She starred in 75 episodes of the FX drama, so she likely made at least $13.125 million for her work on the series.
It's not just money that Russell got from The Americans—she also found a life partner in co-star Matthew Rhys. She previously told Parade that filming with her real-life love could be awkward at times, especially when shooting love scenes.
"It's a weird thing," she said. "When you're pretending you know the other person, because this show is pretend, you're like, 'I know you and this is embarrassing.'"
FX
After the series ended, Russell said working with Rhys was a great part of starring in The Americans.
"That brings its own complications—as anyone who works with a partner experiences—but I think I'll miss it, too," she told PEOPLE. "There's something so great about having someone so close for funny moments or really hard moments or really mundane moments, like 'Can you pick up laundry soap on your way home because we're out?' or 'We're out of milk.' "
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How rich is Keri Russell?
Russell is reportedly worth about $12 million, so it's safe to say she's pretty wealthy.
How old was Keri Russell when she did Felicity?
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Russell was 22 when she was cast in the title role of Felicity. At the beginning of the series, her character was 17 years old, but thanks to Russell's preternaturally youthful visage (and that glorious head of hair!), she pulled it off believably. She told The Washington Post of Felicity ahead of the series premiere, "This is the first time that I've really felt proud of something."
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What has Keri Russell starred in?
In addition to The Diplomat, The Americans and Felicity, Russell has starred in:
Cocaine Bear (2023)
Antlers (2021)
Free State of Jones (2016)
Dark Skies (2013)
Austenland (2013)
Goats (2012)
Leaves of Grass (2009)
Bedtime Stories (2008)
August Rush (2007)
The Girl In the Park (2007)
Waitress (2007)
Grimm Love (2006)
Mission: Impossible III (2006)
The Upside of Anger (2005)
The Magic of Ordinary Days (2005)
We Were Soldiers (2002)
Mad About Mambo (2000)
Dead Man's Curve (1998)
Eight Days A Week (1997)
When Innocence Is Lost (1997)
Roar (1997)
Malibu Shores (1996)
The Babysitter's Seduction (1996)
The Lottery (1996)
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992)
The All-New Mickey Mouse Club (1991)
She also has appeared in smaller and guest roles in:
Extrapolations (2023)
Arrested Development (2013)
Running Wilde (2011)
Extraordinary Measures (2010)
Scrubs (2007)
Into the West (2005)
7th Heaven (1997)
Married...With Children (1995)
Clerks. (1995)
Daddy's Girls (1994)
Emerald Cove (1993)
Boy Meets World (1993)
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How much did Keri Russell make for Felicity?
Russell reportedly made about $30,000 per episode of Felicity. At 84 episodes total over the course of the series, that amounts to at least $2.52 million.
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Was Felicity's hair a wig?
Getty Images
Nope! Russell's mane is all her own. In fact, she refused to wear wigs or extensions after her infamous chop in Season 2, which was producer J.J. Abrams' idea.
Russell recalled to W Magazine in 2017 that when Abrams asked if she'd cut her hair for her character, "I said, 'Yeah of course.' My hair was curly and it was an awkward haircut, but even so I didn’t care, like I loved it. I thought it was so true [to the character] and great. I did not expect all the hysteria."
Despite the onslaught of hate (including death threats, because humanity is terrible), Russell has never apologized for the crop and maintains a sense of humor about it to this day.
"I looked like a Chia Pet for a good few years and then it was fine," she said. "I have nice shoulders."
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Why did they cancel Felicity?
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Russell and her haircut were scapegoated for Felicity having lower ratings in its second season, leading to the show's cancellation in 2002 after four seasons. However, those critics ignored another major factor in the show's ratings plummeting: The show moved from its 9 p.m. Tuesday timeslot to 8 p.m. on Sundays, competing with ratings powerhouses like The Simpsons. The move reportedly cost the show an entire third of its audience, and in a pre-streaming era, that spelled doom.
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Was Keri Russell in Star Wars?
Disney/Lucasfilm
Russell appeared briefly as Zorii Bliss in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. Her visage and signature hair are covered by a helmet for most of the movie, so you're forgiven if you missed her!