Matthew Rhys gets all hot and bothered in 'Burnt'

BY DONNA FREYDKIN

Matthew Rhys is the star of the acclaimed FX series "The Americans," currently in production on its fourth season. He's gregarious, very funny and recognizable. And yet, this hasn't enabled him to land a coveted reservation at Mario Batali's perpetually mobbed Italian eatery Babbo.

"I've failed to get in," laments Rhys.

We feel his pain. But that's going to change now that he's co-starring in the foodie drama "Burnt," opening Friday; Batali served as a consultant on the film, which stars Bradley Cooper as a hot-headed chef.

So how much of a culinary superstar is Rhys in real life?

"In my head, I cook. In the execution, I go, '(Expletive), this isn't romantic.' I'm screaming and shouting and throwing things. Let's just go out for dinner," he says.

That being said, "I agree with Mario: get two or three things down. What I've been working on this year is my spaghetti Bolognese. Chicken coq au vin. There's a Jamie Oliver chili I do, which is great."

The same word applies to working alongside Cooper.

"I fell in love with him," jokes Rhys, who's actually dating his "Americans" costar Keri Russell. "Look at those eyes. I had this weird moment, doing our first scene, going, 'You have great eyes.' Oh wait, what's my line? You have those moments. I've spent years with his films and then you're in front of him."

Let's get back to his show for a minute. When season three of "The Americans" ended, Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Russell) were outed as KGB spies by their daughter Paige, who told her pastor. So, what happens next?

"The aftermath is how we deal with Paige and Pastor Tim. Kill him? Don't kill him? That's where we're at. There's a lot of that. The conflict of, does she come into the fold? I say no, never. Mom wants to bring her in. Dad wants the best for his princess," says Rhys.