The Leading Ladies Of The Diplomat And Their Real-Life Partners

If you're a fan of political intrigue, relationship drama, and power struggles, "The Diplomat" will have you hooked. The Netflix series centers around Kate Wyler, played by Keri Russell, and her role as a U.S. ambassador who must navigate a high-stakes job while also dealing with a failing marriage. Her husband, Hal Wyler (played by Rufus Sewell), is also in the political game, and although the two eventually separate, their on-screen dynamic is electrifying.

Of course, any show wouldn't be complete without some other powerful ladies, such as Ali Ahn, who plays the CIA station chief in London. Oh, and fans got a treat when Allison Janney came on as the vice president of the United States in Season 2 of "The Diplomat." She reunited with her "West Wing" co-star Bradley Whitford, who joined the cast in Season 3 as her character's husband. While Janney is husband-free in real life, though, the other ladies of "The Diplomat" are or were in relationships that luckily don't seem to be as drama-laden as their characters' stories.

No one can forget Keri Russell's stunning hair transformation, from her curly locks on "Felicity" to a straighter 'do as a Russian spy on "The Americans." The latter show is where she and co-star Matthew Rhys first felt sparks, with a source telling Page Six in 2013 that the two were spotted having an intimate lunch together. "Seeing the way they are together, I could have sworn they were a couple. They were so touchy-feely, drinking and laughing," the onlooker said. Russell and Rhys seemingly confirmed their relationship status a year later when they were seen at a play in New York City, and two years later, the couple welcomed their first son together. "He's so good. He's big and fat and nice," Russell gushed on the "Today" show two months after giving birth to Sam.

Russell and Rhys starred in "The Americans" together for six seasons, and the mom of three recalled feeling sparks with her now-partner while filming the drama. "I was in love with Matthew. We were, like, hot and heavy in love, shooting the spy stuff at night in disguises and wigs. I mean, it was such a fun, sexy time. So fun, oh my gosh," she shared with Variety in October 2024. When Rhys was asked if he would star in a show with Russell again that June, he told People, "We definitely would work together [again], we've said that before. We've just waited. We always said 'The Americans' was so special, it would have to be something akin [to] that we're both so excited to do. It shouldn't just be anything."

If Ali Ahn looks familiar, it's because you may have seen her in "The Path" or as an FBI agent in "Orange in the New Black." More recently, she was Alice in the witchy MCU series "Agatha All Along." Now, she plays complex CIA station chief Eidra Park on "The Diplomat," but she also has a love for the theater, which is how she met her boyfriend, William Jackson Harper. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, they met while acting in a New York City play, but when they reconnected with each other in a 2012 production of "Romeo and Juliet" as the titular star-crossed lovers, sparks flew. "[It] just spiraled up into the sky from there," Harper told the publication in October 2021.

While Harper is known for his roles in "The Good Place" and "Midsommar," he still has a love for the theater. In April 2024, he and Ahn spoke on behalf of the Brooklyn Children's Theater to urge fans to support the organization. "They have been a symbol of creativity and inclusivity in the theater community for the last 20 years," Harper shared. Ahn added, "It's a place where kids can come together to expand their minds and what they dream of for themselves, all through the power and magic of musical theater." 

That same year, Harper was given a Tony nomination for his role in "Uncle Vanya," with Ahn gushing on Instagram, "So proud of @williamjacksonharper. An honor to be his date to the @thetonyawards in matching @thombrowne no less!" We love how Ahn is supporting her partner as he chases his dreams — and how he reciprocates. 

No show would be complete without a morally questionable character who hatches devious plans, which is what Margaret Roylin brings to "The Diplomat." In real life, actor Celia Imrie isn't that underhanded, although she did hatch a plan of her own to become a mother while in her early 40s. The "Nanny McPhee" star shared in her memoir, "Happy Hoofer," that she asked the late British actor Benjamin Whitrow to father her child, Angus. "As long as he understood I would not ask for anything, I wouldn't want to live with him, or marry him, would never ask for money for the child, and I would be responsible for choosing and paying for the child's education, accommodation, clothing – everything," she wrote (via Express). Imrie added, "He has proved to be a marvellous father to Angus. His whole family has been very welcoming."

To no one's surprise considering her stance, Imrie has remained a celebrity who has embraced being single. According to the Daily Mail, she said in 2019 that being married is "a world of cover-up and compromise" — and that she's enjoying her freedom nowadays. That doesn't mean she never felt butterflies, but she further explained, "I think that sort of love doesn't last, that wanting to be there, it's a kind of madness. I think it's a good idea to hold on to yourself rather than lean on someone else." We totally stand by Imrie's choice to be successful and independent.