When House of Cards, the Netflix series following politician Frank Underwood and his wife Claire, debuted in 2013, audiences were captivated by Kevin Spacey’s show-stealing performance as the cunning Underwood. Since its debut, the show has received rave reviews from critics and fans alike, and it was recently announced that the show would return for its fifth season on May 30th, 2017. As one of the best shows on television today, we thought it would be interesting to look at how Kevin Spacey became the perfect Frank Underwood. How Kevin Spacey became the perfect Frank Underwood
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The actor
Most will remember actor Kevin Spacey from his role as Mel Gibson’s son in The Usual Suspects. Since then, he has been nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. When President Obama appointed John Kerry to be Secretary of State, many saw it as political nepotism; Spacey was no exception. He lobbied hard for a Cabinet position but eventually took a break from acting to pursue politics full-time.
The writer
David Fincher has directed a dozen feature films, including Se7en, Fight Club and The Social Network. But his greatest achievement as a director is House of Cards, which may be his most daring work. His filmography spans both slasher hits (Alien 3) and prestige pictures (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), but it was only when he ventured into television with Netflix’s House of Cards that his talent truly shined: As an executive producer on Season 1, he crafted several hours of exceptional entertainment.
Supporting roles
In The Usual Suspects, a 1995 crime film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie, Spacey portrayed Roger ‘Verbal’ Kint, a con artist who has been talking with police officers while in shock from being severely wounded. His performance won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor at age 38. He has since played villain roles in L.A.
Third time lucky
Spacey’s third attempt at series TV was his biggest success by far. House of Cards, which he executive produced and starred in as scheming politician Francis Frank Underwood, earned 11 Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe noms during its debut season. The show returned for a second season in February and has already been commissioned for a third season.
The new ‘Bosch’ star
The ‘House of Cards’ and ‘The Usual Suspects’ actor returns to TV on April 1 in Amazon’s detective series. How did he prepare for his new role? (Hint: He looked to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio). We caught up with Spacey as he promoted season two of ‘House of Cards.’ Read our Q&A!