Keri Russell credits 'The Americans' for changing her career.

Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell

Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell

The 41-year-old actress - who began her career at 15 and went on to win a Golden Globe for her lead role in college drama 'Felicity' and star in movies including 'Mission Impossible III' and 'Waitress' - was cast as Elizabeth Jennings in the FX spy drama in 2012 and claims the show has "woke [her] up" creatively.

She said: "It was a real adult creative job for me. I wasn't playing a kid anymore. It kind of woke me up creatively."

Keri - who has 22-month-old son Sam with co-star Matthew Rhys - has really enjoyed playing Elizabeth and admitted that isn't always the case with her characters.

She told Variety: "Elizabeth is tough and cool and strong and sexy and all of these things I really enjoy playing. You don't always enjoy the characters you get to play."

The show is set to come to an end with the upcoming sixth and final season and the actress - who also has children River, 10, and Willa, seven, with ex-husband Shane Deary - has promised fans of the saga won't be disappointed.

She said: "[The ending] they've created is so satisfying in a really surprising way. It's exactly in line with the tone of the show. It really got me."

But Keri, and 43-year-old Matthew - who plays her on-screen husband and fellow spy Philip Jennings - recently admitted they just wanted to get shooting the final scene of the show over and done with because it took place on such a "bad night" of freezing temperatures.

Asked if filming was emotional, she said: "We were mostly just cold. I'm going to be honest."

Matthew added: "It was a bad night here. It was freezing. It was snowing. Everyone was like, 'We just want to get it finished. We don't care about crying anymore.' "

But the pair admitted they will miss the team they have worked with over the past six seasons.

Matthew told Us Weekly magazine: "It was tough. We had a number of [cast and crew] with us for [all] six seasons -- saying bye to [them was hard].

"It's a cliche, but it's true -- especially those who had slightly more personal relationship -- the boom guys, the camera guys, the focus guys -- the grips. You work with them on a physical level. You dance with them a bit. They're as much a part of it as anything else."

Keri added: "I think [it'll be hard to say goodbye to] the crew. We do become sort of a family. Everyone moves on and scatters and does other things. Especially this series - we shoot a lot outside, in New York winter. It's hard. It's different than shooting on a stage. You get closer to people. I will miss our camera guys and our grips."

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