Matthew Rhys Rants About Phone Users Blasting Videos Without Headphones in Public

Matthew Rhys expressed frustration with a common public habit that drives him crazy: people playing videos, music and FaceTime calls on their phones without headphones.

The Americans star shared his irritation during a Wall Street Journal interview. Asked about pet peeves, Rhys said, "What is driving me bananas these days are people who watch things on their phones without headphones. I’m turning into my dad, but I feel like I have to start saying to people, ‘Excuse me, do you have headphones?’ Because if we’re not schooling people, it’s going to become more rampant than it already is, and it is out of control."

Rhys offered a simple fix for modern overstimulation. Asked how he relaxes, he replied, "If it’s not on the water—if it’s not a kayak or sail or something like that—then horses are big for me. You just get to be quiet and in nature. You can’t be on your phone. You have to be present."

The Welsh actor stars in the new series Widow’s Bay alongside Stephen Root. He plays Tom Loftis, an ambitious mayor on a fictional island who aims to attract tourists and turn the place into the next Martha’s Vineyard.

Rhys has been with partner Keri Russell, known for Felicity, since 2014. They welcomed a son, Sam, two years later.

Their relationship began while filming FX’s The Americans as married Soviet spies. Russell once told Variety, "We were, like, hot and heavy in love, shooting the spy stuff at night in disguises and wigs. I mean, it was such a fun, sexy time."

What started as on-screen chemistry grew into a lasting partnership. Rhys told Parade the secret to their success lies in how they balance each other. "There’s usually that thing where you need one person to be the calm head—that’s her," he said. "And then I’m the kind of fiery one. … We work well as a team; we have a good partnership and we make each other laugh."