Elizabeth Jennings (The Americans)

Elizabeth Jennings
The Americans character
First appearance	"Pilot"
Created by	Joe Weisberg
Portrayed by	Keri Russell
Information
Occupation	KGB agent
Spouse(s)	Philip Jennings (legally married)
Children	Paige Jennings, Henry Jennings

Elizabeth Jennings (real name Nadezhda; Russian: Надеҗда) is a fictional character in the American television drama series The Americans on FX, as the female lead. Her character was conceived by show runner Joe Weisberg and is portrayed by Keri Russell.

Elizabeth is a KGB agent who, with her husband Philip (Matthew Rhys), is an illegal, posing as a travel agent in Washington D.C.

Elizabeth was born Nadezhda in Smolensk, the daughter of a coal miner and a bookkeeper for the local Communist Party committee. Her family suffered great privation both during and after the Great Patriotic War, in which her father was killed. Elizabeth grew up believing her father to be one of the honored war dead, until her mother revealed that he had actually been shot as a deserter. When she was 14 her mother was bedridden with diphtheria, forcing Elizabeth to nurse her while still attending school.

As a teenager, the KGB approached Elizabeth as a candidate for the Illegals Program. Although prohibited from telling anyone, Elizabeth surreptitiously managed to consult with her mother about her decision, who unhesitatingly told her that she must do her duty for her motherland. She trained to become an undercover agent until the age of 22. During this time, she was raped by one of her captains in the KGB, Timoshev. In 1962, Elizabeth and fellow KGB agent "Phillip Jennings" (Mischa) were assigned to each other to pose as husband and wife in America. In 1965 they move to America under false identities and take up work in a travel agency. Elizabeth meets and recruits civil rights activist Gregory to the KGB and has an ongoing affair with him. She gives birth to her and Phillip's first child, Paige, in 1967, and their second child, Henry, in 1970.

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