Keri Russell biography

She also co-starred with Skeet Ulrich in the television film The Magic of Ordinary Days that same year. The pair also appeared together in the miniseries Into the West (2005).

Returning to the big screen, Russell was reunited with J.J. Abrams for Mission Impossible III (2006),

starring Tom Cruise. She also became a model for CoverGirl cosmetics that same year. But her most recent career breakthrough came from a small personal dramatic comedy, Waitress (2007).

Written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, the film told the story of Jenna, a pregnant waitress stuck in a miserable marriage who channels some of her discontentment into amazing pies. She attempts to find happiness in an affair with her doctor played by Nathan Fillion. First shown at the Sundance Film Festival, the movie garnered a lot of critical acclaim, especially for Russell.

However, the tragic death of Shelly weighed heavily on the cast. She had been murdered in her New York City apartment before the film's release. At a question and answer session on the film at Sundance, a visibly emotional Russell said, "People had such a nice, warm reaction that I felt like I just can't believe [Shelly] isn't here to experience this. She was like a firecracker—she loved this world. I just feel like we have to talk for her, and get word out about the film," according to a report in People magazine. Around this time, Russell announced that she was expecting her first child with her fiancé Shane Deary.

Personal Life

In June 2007, the now-married couple welcomed son River Russell Deary. She often discussed being a new mom as she promoted her next project, August Rush (2007), a few months later. A musical fairy tale of sorts, the film tells the story of two musicians (Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers) have a brief encounter, which results in a son. The boy was given to an orphanage by her father after he told her that the baby died. The plot follows the lost child's quest to be reunited with his parents.

Russell's other works include the fantastical comedy Bedtime Stories (2008) with Adam Sandler and Wonder Woman (2009).

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