Keri Russell Slams Plastic Surgery Obsession and Hollywood Beauty Standards

Keri Russell is choosing a different path in an industry often defined by unattainable beauty ideals.

The actress, 49, opened up about the pressures of looking perfect in Hollywood and the growing obsession with plastic surgery — especially among women.

“It’s such a weird thing,” she told People in an interview published on Sunday, October 19, while discussing her character in The Diplomat. “Everyone has an opinion about the way you look, the way you dress, the way your hair is.”

Russell, who portrays U.S. Ambassador Kate Wyler on the show, empathizes with the scrutiny of her character’s appearance. “It’s just the nature of our society. But I also find it really enjoyable, I mean, it’s like a fun thing to play,” the star explained, revealing that she finds Kate’s reaction to the expectations about the way she should style herself refreshing and “delightful.”

RealSelf Docs Reveal Most Requested Celeb-Inspired Plastic Surgeries by State

“I like how cranky she is about it, and how she’s always trying to fight people about it, and is rude about it. I love it,” Russell added, praising her character for taking her professional role more seriously than remarks about her appearance.

During her interview, Russell said that she and her friends have regular chats about beauty standards in Tinseltown, noting that going under the knife and getting cosmetic enhancements has become common practice.

“Plastic surgery is having such a moment right now — men, women, 20-year-olds. I mean, it is around,” she explained. “We’re inundated with these movie stars. Even though they might be 50 or 60 years old, they look amazing.”

Keri Russell on ‘The Diplomat’ Alex Bailey / ©Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

When she sees herself on The Diplomat, Russell said it’s been an eye-opening experience.

“I watch this show and I’m like, I do not look like that, you know,” she added. “I like the way I look on the show, and it’s amazing that I feel like that’s strange, like that’s a unique thing to look like that, but it is.”

There is one notable moment during season 3 in which Kate calls out her secret service agent, who is meant to be her body double with a noticeably unkempt ‘do. “It’s not like I don’t wash it. I do. And I comb it,” Kate tells the agent. “It’s a style,” her character continued.

“That style is: not looking like you spend hours [doing your hair], because some people have more important things to do. It’s not: couldn’t get the top up on the convertible,” Kate doubled down.

8 Celebrity Plastic Surgery Revelations

Russell previously said that scene in particular brought her great joy, especially since her character waited for the perfect moment to speak her mind. She also raved over Kate’s “frankness” as well as her “bossiness.”

“The way that was directed, that Kate’s clocking it, clocking it, clocking it, and then finally — she knows she shouldn’t say something, but she’s like, ‘I am going to say something. I’m going to clarify this for you so that you can get it,’” the actress told the outlet in a separate interview published on October 17.

Russell added, “I mean, I love this writing so much. That’s all [creator] Debora [Cahn].”