Keri Russell has revealed that the decision to leave her out of Matthew Rhys’ Emmy acceptance speeches was her own idea. The Widow’s Bay actor made history this year by winning awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. With two wins on the same night, Rhys had the opportunity to take the stage twice, but he did not mention his partner, Russell, in either acceptance speech.

However, it turns out that Russell had suggested the idea for a specific reason.

During her recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Keri Russell was asked about Matthew Rhys’ Emmy speeches this year. The actor won two Emmy Awards but did not thank his partner during either acceptance speech. Russell explained that she had asked Rhys to remove her name from his list of people to thank because he was nervous about forgetting someone or saying the wrong thing during his speech.

“He's so nervous, goes up, and doesn't thank me twice and catches so much grief about it, and I was like, no, no, I told him he didn't have to thank me,” she said.

She told Fallon during the show that the couple had discussed the matter a few days before the Emmys and agreed that neither would thank the other if they won. Rhys later addressed the situation in a conversation with E! News, calling Russell’s gesture a “class act” and adding that he hopes she would win an Emmy soon.

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As for the anxiety surrounding acceptance speeches, Russell seems to have yet another good reason.

Keri Russell shared during an appearance on the Dear Chelsea podcast that her partner, Matthew Rhys, had upset a few people after winning an Emmy for The Americans, and the reason is quite bizarre. She revealed that the actor had forgotten to mention a few members of the production during his acceptance speech, and they were not fond of it. 

“People still give him a hard time because he didn’t say their name,” she said. “Like, it’s so crazy. People get nuts. It’s stupid and it’s also lame.”

She explained that there is a certain amount of pressure to acknowledge everyone in the acceptance speech, especially when the time allotted is limited. However, Rhys had a great opportunity to make up for it this year by winning two Emmys, and perhaps will have more such moments in the future too. If either Rhys or Russell adds a few more Emmys to their resume, they may eventually get another chance to mention each other and express their gratitude.

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What do you think about Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell's decision for their Emmy speech? Let us know in the comments.