Philip Jennings (The Americans)
| Philip Jennings | |
|---|---|
| The Americans character | |
 |
|
| First appearance | "Pilot" |
| Created by | Joe Weisberg |
| Portrayed by | Matthew Rhys |
| Information | |
| Occupation | KGB agent |
| Spouse(s) |
Elizabeth Jennings Martha Hanson (not legally married) |
| Children | Paige Jennings, Henry Jennings |
Philip Jennings (real name Mikhail (called Mischa); Russian: Михаил/Миша) is a fictional character in the American television drama series The Americans on FX, and the male lead. He was created by series creator Joe Weisberg and is portrayed by Welsh actor Matthew Rhys. Philip is a KGB agent and, along with Elizabeth (Keri Russell), poses as a travel agent in Washington D.C.
Philip was born as Mikhail in Tobolsk. His father died when he was six years old; his mother's history is unknown. Philip describes being attacked by gangs at a young age while collecting milk across the city. One day he fought back, and beat one of the bullies to death. As a teenager, Philip dated a young Russian woman named Irina, who shared his dream of joining the KGB. When Philip is accepted into the Illegals Program, Irina breaks up with him and tells him that she's met someone else. Later, Irina also joins the KGB as an undercover agent in Europe. Philip trains for several years before meeting "Elizabeth Jennings," another member of the Illegals Program, who is assigned to be his wife in America. They move to Virginia in 1965 and have their first child, Paige, in 1967.
In 1981, Philip Jennings lives with his (pretend) wife Elizabeth outside of Washington D.C. They are revealed to be a pair of sleeper agents working for the KGB. They have two children, Paige and Henry. After a failed deportation, Philip and Elizabeth kidnap Timoshev, a defected KGB agent, who raped Elizabeth when she was in training. At the time of Timochev's kidnapping, counter-intelligence FBI agent Stan Beeman moves next door, causing Philip to suggest defecting themselves. Elizabeth declines and Philip murders Timoshev when he finds out he raped her. Elizabeth and Philip try to become a real married couple, but after finding out Elizabeth had an ongoing affair with Gregory Thomas (Derek Luke), a black militant, he is hurt. She tells Philip that she is beginning to feel love for him for the first time in their 16-year relationship.
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Wikipedia