US election shows we “haven’t gone far enough” with House of Cards says Kevin Spacey
Frank Underwood actor reflects on the real world of Washington politics at Netflix's programming showcase in Paris, and promises that departure of showrunner Beau Willimon won't affect quality of series
Kevin Spacey says the excesses of the real-life US election has allayed his fear that House of Cards goes too far with its portrayal of the evils of Washington politics.
Speaking at Netflix's showcase of upcoming shows in Paris, Spacey said that the political life of his character Francis Underwood is tame when compared with the real world of Messrs Trump, Clinton and co.
“Well, we just need to remember that he’s a fictional character,” he said to laughs from the audience, adding, “Some of the candidates running appear to be fictional characters."
Spacey went on: “There are many times when we will finish a sequence, there will be a storyline that we will be attacking and I will leave the set and I will go to my hotel room and I will wonder: ‘Have we gone too far? Have we crossed the Rubicon? Is there something we have done that feels unreal and unbelievable and crazy?' And then I turn on the television and I watch the news and I think we haven’t gone far enough.”
He added that his friend Bill Clinton told him that he “loved that House of Cards”.
Spacey also reassured fans that the show’s quality would not be diminished by the decision of show runner Beau Willimon to leave the series for season five, which promises to run in tandem with the real US election.
He said: “Beau was very tired. He has been working non-stop since we began. He’s a remarkable man and we had an incredible experience. And without question I will miss him being there every day. But the writers' room is the same writers that we had in season four. Nothing has changed in terms of the quality of the work that we are going to be doing.”
He said he and Willimon discussed season five mid way through making season four.
“Much has been discussed [with Willimon], much has been put on the table and we are excited that the writing process is happening and we will begin season five soon enough."
