For playing the title role in the political drama series The Diplomat (2023–present), she received further Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Russell's other film appearances include We Were Soldiers (2002), Waitress (2007), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

On stage, she acted in Neil LaBute's off-Broadway play Fat Pig (2004–2005) and made her Broadway debut in the Lanford Wilson revival Burn This (2019).

The family lived in Coppell, Texas; Mesa, Arizona; and Highlands Ranch, Colorado, moving frequently due to her father's work.

Russell was a dancer, and her dancing had helped get her a role as a cast member of The All New Mickey Mouse Club television show on the Disney Channel.

[3] From 1998 to 2002, Russell starred as the title character on the successful WB Network series Felicity, and in 1999 won a Golden Globe for the role.

During the show's run, Russell appeared in the films Eight Days a Week, The Curve and Mad About Mambo, all of which received only limited releases in North America.

When Felicity ended, Russell moved to New York City and made her off-Broadway stage debut in 2004 in Neil LaBute's Fat Pig.

[12] In an appearance on The View on December 15, 2008, Russell said she got the part because Adam Sandler's wife Jackie had seen her in Waitress and suggested her for the movie.

[3][16] Russell played Aileen Crowley, a mother who tries to build a normal home life for her sick children while her husband and an unconventional scientist race against time to find a cure.

[22] In July 2018, Russell was announced to have joined the cast of the film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which was released on December 20, 2019.

"[25] In 2023, Russell began starring in The Diplomat, a political series on Netflix from writer and producer Debora Cahn.