Julia Garner walked into Ozark and reshaped the show around her. But before Ruth Langmore and Fantastic 4‘s Silver Surfer became Garner’s signature roles, Garner delivered a smaller, razor-sharp performance in The Americans, FX’s Cold War thriller, which has 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and is one of the most emotionally complex political dramas of the last decade.
If you were floored by Ruth’s fury and Garner’s heartbreaking performance, then Kimberly Breland deserves your attention. Garner plays her with the same emotional precision, in a story about surveillance, betrayal, and how lonely people get pulled into dangerous systems.
Julia Garner Played Kimberly Breland In The Americans
A Washington Teen With Ties To Soviet Espionage
Garner’s character, Kimberly Brelan, appears in The Americans season 3, just as the Jennings target the CIA through more personal channels. Kimberly is the daughter of a CIA Afghan group head and becomes Philip’s entry point into classified intel.
The setup sounds familiar, but the execution isn’t. What unfolds is a methodical unraveling of trust, shaped by psychological tension and handled with restraint and care. Kimberly is observant, emotionally raw, and increasingly vulnerable.
Garner makes every moment count, imbuing limited screen time with surprising gravity. There’s no theatrical breakdown, no oversold betrayal — just a young woman caught in the blind spot between trust and manipulation.
How Julia Garner’s Character In The Americans Compares To Ruth Langmore
Two Outsiders, Both Used By Systems Bigger Than Them
Ruth Langmore fights to prove she’s smarter than anyone in the room, but Kimberly Breland barely realizes she’s in danger until it’s too late. On the surface, they come from different worlds — Ozark’s harsh realities vs. sheltered D.C. privilege — but both are exploited by people who see them as leverage.
Julia Garner joined The Americans at just 20 years old. Her performance predated her Emmy wins and became an early signal to casting directors.
Each role stands on its own. Garner builds Ruth and Kimberly from different instincts, different emotional rhythms. Ruth masks pain with fury, while Kimberly absorbs it until it changes her. And although Garner only appears in 10 episodes of The Americans, Garner’s precision lets you feel that shift before the character does.
|
Notable Julia Garner Performances |
Movie/TV Show |
Role |
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Scores |
|
Weapons (2025) |
Movie |
Justine Gandy |
100% |
|
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) |
Movie |
Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer |
86% |
|
Ozark (2017–2022) |
TV Show |
Ruth |
82% |
|
The Americans (2013–2018) |
TV Show |
Kimberly Berland |
96% |
The most important link between them, though, is how both women are underestimated until it’s too late. And Garner knows exactly how to turn that into power, on-screen and in the story.
Why Ozark Fans Will Love The Americans
Prestige Drama At Its Most Intimate And Ruthless
As one of the best political spy dramas that immediately hooks you, The Americans has no shortage of espionage, but it’s not a spy show built on gadgets and glamor. Rather, it’s about loyalty under pressure, moral drift, and the cost of living a lie. That thematic DNA aligns it more with Ozark than most thrillers.
Like Ozark, the smallest choices ripple outward — love, guilt, and survival grind against each other until something breaks. The writing is deliberate, tension slow-building, and emotional payoffs earned.
Garner is part of one of The Americans’ most psychologically fraught arcs, and to fully grasp what she’s capable of as an actor, Ozark fans need to begin here.
The Americans
10/10
- Release Date
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2013 – 2018-00-00
- Showrunner
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Joseph Weisberg
