The Diplomat Star Honors The Real-Life Inspirations Behind Hit Netflix Show

The series star has honored the real-life inspirations behind the hit Netflix political thriller during the 32nd Actor Awards. The Diplomat season 4 is currently filming, with Russell continuing in her role as US Ambassador Kate Wyler. The drama pulls inspiration from real political figures and positions, despite providing a fictional, conspiracy-laden story.

Speaking in the press room of The Actor Awards, Russell explained how the biggest thing she’s learned working on The Diplomat is how difficult the positions of the people depicted in the series are in real life. She praised real-world international diplomats, especially those who used to be involved in USAID, for their importance to the United States:

Reporter: What has been the thing you’ve learned most about yourself while filming this role?

Keri Russell: I’ve learned, most of all, how hard these people actually work. We have this incredible army of diplomats, and all the people that comprised USAID who are now gone and fired; most of these people in our country. I’ve learned how hard they work. This invisible institution that supported our country, which has now mostly gone away, [I’ve learned] how important they are and were.

Debora Cahn, who writes it, finds a way to celebrate those people but also make it funny and watchable and palatable. It’s just been one of my favorite jobs I’ve ever done.

Although The Diplomat‘s characters embody dramatized renditions of real-world positions, the show still offers a behind-the-scenes look at the kinds of hard work unsung heroes do to keep the world running. Even though the show mostly focuses on international conspiracies and heel-turn twists, it still pulls from real-world inspirations, thus making its presentation an important factor.

So far, The Diplomat has earned critical praise throughout its run, partially because of its twists and turns in the story. The other side of the coin is the way it depicts its political situations. As Russell states, this includes some humor and intense drama, but still manages to honor the real-world work of the types of positions the series depicts at its forefront.

This is likely to continue into season 4, which is currently filming as of writing. The Diplomat season 3 ended on a major cliffhanger, with Kate’s husband, Hal (Rufus Sewell), betraying her by helping to hide a critical weapon with President Grace Penn (Allison Janney). Season 4 is anticipated to be extremely intense as Kate no longer knows who to trust.

The dramatized approach the series has to its real-world counterpart seems to be working well for the series, which has continued to succeed at Netflix with every new installment. Season 4 doesn’t appear to be the end, either, which means Russell, creator Debora Cahn, and her fellow cast and crew can continue dramatizing their political positions with realistic tact.

As The Diplomat continues, the show has an opportunity to keep up the momentum of its political depictions, while also providing plenty of drama that makes the series so engaging. Russell clearly has tons of respect for the people who do the job she’s dramatizing, something that appears onscreen and will seemingly grow stronger as the show continues.