Photo:Shannon Finney/Getty

Shannon Finney/Getty
Keri Russelldidn’t take anything physical when she left the set ofThe Mickey Mouse Club.
The former child star toldW Magazinethe things she brought away from the Disney experience were “my sanity [and] my dignity.”
“Not everyone got out alive,” she jokingly added.
Russell, 47, was just one young celebrity to appear on the variety show — alongside the likes ofRyan Gosling,Britney Spears,Justin Timberlake,Christina Aguileraand more familiar faces.
“Some of those people are still my best friends—Ilana [Miller] and Lindsey [Alley]. I was there at a time when there were a lot of famous kids there,” she said.
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The Diplomatstar named the A-listers as talented costars — which led to questions about her own employment. “And I say this completely truthfully: I was literally the least talented one there. I’m not kidding,” she said. “When I look at those kids, I’m like, why in the world did they pick me? It was wild.”
“Pretending I can sing, which I can’t,” Russell joked of the image.
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She also recognized her time on the series was spent with “really famous kids.”
“They were all very talented. Christina, and Britney, and Ryan Gosling, and Justin — all those kids were 12 when I was 17. So I was a little older. I could drive. I was cool. But they were wildly talented.”
Most recently, she’s stepped into the role of Kate Wyler, a U.S. ambassador who struggles to balance her high-demand job and spotlighted love life, in Netflix’sThe Diplomat. Russell is nominated for an Emmy for the role: outstanding lead actress in a drama series.
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Season 1 ofThe Diplomatis now available to stream on Netflix.
source: people.com