Little seed #1566: The Americans - Season 6 On Set
On the Set of 'The Americans' as Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys Bid Farewell to Series
By Hilary Lewis - June 11, 2018
(Click on the pics to enlarge)
The cast knew about the final episode during THR’s visit. “I thought they really nailed it because this was a tough one to land,” says Rhys, who also has directed a few episodes. “It’s a very intelligent, sensitive, timely, sympathetic ending.”
FX's Cold War drama centered on Russian spies Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Rhys and Russell) wrapped up on May 30 after six seasons, leaving the cast and crew reflective: "We've had moments of sentimentality," says co-showrunner Joel Fields.
FX’s Cold War drama The Americans, which tells the story of Russian spies Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) and their FBI agent neighbor Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), for six seasons mined the tension in seemingly mundane interactions. So it’s fitting that on a frigid Jan. 18 on the White Plains, New York, street that stands in for the show’s Falls Church, Virginia, neighborhood, the scenes being filmed consist of everyday conversations packed with meaning.
On the back porch of one of several look-alike homes used as the exterior of the Jennings’ house, Elizabeth is smoking, a frequent image in the final season as the spy life takes a toll on her and her marriage. “Her continuing to work and him stopping work has made it so difficult for them to maintain the kind of marriage they had in the past,” co-showrunner Joe Weisberg tells THR. “No matter what kind of problems they had, the marriage always did work, in part because they were working together.”
Russell seconds the tension between the couple: “They’re just in completely other worlds and a really kind of lonely place.” But while their characters may be at odds, Rhys and Russell’s natural chemistry as co-stars (they’re a couple in real life) is easy to spot. In one take, Rhys forgets his line and, dropping his American accent for his native Welsh lilt, exclaims, “For the love of Christ!” Russell offers, “Oh, brother.”
The cast and crew are just weeks away from wrapping the final season (the last episode premiered May 30), but the fact that the end was near hasn’t hit them. “We’ve had moments of sentimentality,” says co-showrunner Joel Fields. “Mostly we’ve been in a sort of blissful denial, followed by a desire to just appreciate what we have as long as we can.”
The license plates on the show’s cars are changed so it looks as if they’re in Virginia in the ’80s, not in a New York suburb in 2018.
Fields revealed how he hopes the series’ ending affects viewers: “I would like for the melancholia to actually brighten their lives like therapy.”
“I learned a lot about work ethic from Matthew and Keri and just being kind, respectful people,” says Holly Taylor (right), who plays daughter Paige Jennings. “The biggest lesson I’ve taken from the set is how to treat others no matter where you are in your life. They’re very successful people, everyone likes them, and they’re so nice to every single person.”
“More than any other season, in their relationship, they’re completely far apart,” Russell says of Elizabeth and Philip toward the series’ end.
The episode being filmed that day, “Harvest,” the seventh of the final season, was directed by Stefan Schwartz. (Scenes also were shot for the fifth episode.)
Elizabeth’s heavy smoking habit throughout the season came courtesy of these prop herbal cigarettes.
A box of camera lenses on the set.
Russell had a laugh between takes.
“Paige is really passionate about things she believes in and always wanted to find something to fight for for the rest of her life,” Taylor says.
The crew huddled around monitors.
“It’s a very important breath of fresh air for Stan to have this relationship with his neighbor, who’s not in the business, as far as he knows, and is just a casual, good, family-man friend,” says Emmerich (right), whose FBI agent began to suspect his neighbors this season.
After the sun set, the video village moved inside a van.
A night shoot outside Stan's home.
“Stan is innocent in many ways,” Rhys says, adding that he feels Philip “loves him.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Photographed by Dustin Cohen
By Hilary Lewis - June 11, 2018
(Click on the pics to enlarge)
The cast knew about the final episode during THR’s visit. “I thought they really nailed it because this was a tough one to land,” says Rhys, who also has directed a few episodes. “It’s a very intelligent, sensitive, timely, sympathetic ending.”
FX's Cold War drama centered on Russian spies Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Rhys and Russell) wrapped up on May 30 after six seasons, leaving the cast and crew reflective: "We've had moments of sentimentality," says co-showrunner Joel Fields.
FX’s Cold War drama The Americans, which tells the story of Russian spies Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) and their FBI agent neighbor Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), for six seasons mined the tension in seemingly mundane interactions. So it’s fitting that on a frigid Jan. 18 on the White Plains, New York, street that stands in for the show’s Falls Church, Virginia, neighborhood, the scenes being filmed consist of everyday conversations packed with meaning.
On the back porch of one of several look-alike homes used as the exterior of the Jennings’ house, Elizabeth is smoking, a frequent image in the final season as the spy life takes a toll on her and her marriage. “Her continuing to work and him stopping work has made it so difficult for them to maintain the kind of marriage they had in the past,” co-showrunner Joe Weisberg tells THR. “No matter what kind of problems they had, the marriage always did work, in part because they were working together.”
Russell seconds the tension between the couple: “They’re just in completely other worlds and a really kind of lonely place.” But while their characters may be at odds, Rhys and Russell’s natural chemistry as co-stars (they’re a couple in real life) is easy to spot. In one take, Rhys forgets his line and, dropping his American accent for his native Welsh lilt, exclaims, “For the love of Christ!” Russell offers, “Oh, brother.”
The cast and crew are just weeks away from wrapping the final season (the last episode premiered May 30), but the fact that the end was near hasn’t hit them. “We’ve had moments of sentimentality,” says co-showrunner Joel Fields. “Mostly we’ve been in a sort of blissful denial, followed by a desire to just appreciate what we have as long as we can.”
The license plates on the show’s cars are changed so it looks as if they’re in Virginia in the ’80s, not in a New York suburb in 2018.
Fields revealed how he hopes the series’ ending affects viewers: “I would like for the melancholia to actually brighten their lives like therapy.”
“I learned a lot about work ethic from Matthew and Keri and just being kind, respectful people,” says Holly Taylor (right), who plays daughter Paige Jennings. “The biggest lesson I’ve taken from the set is how to treat others no matter where you are in your life. They’re very successful people, everyone likes them, and they’re so nice to every single person.”
“More than any other season, in their relationship, they’re completely far apart,” Russell says of Elizabeth and Philip toward the series’ end.
The episode being filmed that day, “Harvest,” the seventh of the final season, was directed by Stefan Schwartz. (Scenes also were shot for the fifth episode.)
Elizabeth’s heavy smoking habit throughout the season came courtesy of these prop herbal cigarettes.
A box of camera lenses on the set.
Russell had a laugh between takes.
“Paige is really passionate about things she believes in and always wanted to find something to fight for for the rest of her life,” Taylor says.
The crew huddled around monitors.
“It’s a very important breath of fresh air for Stan to have this relationship with his neighbor, who’s not in the business, as far as he knows, and is just a casual, good, family-man friend,” says Emmerich (right), whose FBI agent began to suspect his neighbors this season.
After the sun set, the video village moved inside a van.
A night shoot outside Stan's home.
“Stan is innocent in many ways,” Rhys says, adding that he feels Philip “loves him.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Photographed by Dustin Cohen