House of Cardswas one of the firstNetflix original seriesthat ever released on the streaming platform. The TV series grew wildly popular and received fantastic ratings across the board, running for six seasons from 2013 to 2018. The storyline follows House member Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and his wife Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) on their journey to execute vengeance on those that wronged him — at least those he feels has wronged him. Nobody is safe from his vengeance, with the President of the United States and his own cabinet members included. Cunning and conniving Frank Underwood and his equally manipulative and ambitious wife Claire make their way through Washington, ascending the ladder to power. The drama series is a recreation of the BBC seriesHouse of Cardsfrom 1990.
Although the TV series was so popular,House of Cardsran into trouble with one of their star cast members. Back in 2017, Spacey was fired fromHouse of Cardsfor allegations of sexual harassment and assault. Due to the production companies, including Netflix, having to fire Spacey, they suffered $31 million in losses from theHouse of Cardsseries. This resulted in the production companiessuing Spacey for the lostamount. Ultimately, they won their case 2021, and, perVanity Fair, Spacey was ordered to pay back the losses. Let’s check out where Spacey and the otherHouse of Cardscast are today.
Robin Wright
Robin Wrighthas some killer films and series under her belt. She was the only actor to appear in all 73 episodes ofHouse of Cards, finishing out her fiery role with grace. Before she played Claire Underwood, Wright appeared in many titles, such asThe Princess Bride, She’s So Lovely, Beowulf, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,andMessage in a Bottle. After her lead role inHouse of Cards, she seemed to switch up her world a little. Starring in only one TV series,First Ladies(narrator) and two films,Wonder WomanandLand, she’s lived a quieter life with acting. However, in the same time frame, she has also made her directorial debut withLand, along with directing two episodes ofOzarkand the season finale ofTell Me Lies.
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AlthoughKate Mara(Zoe Barnes) only spent a short 14 episodes onHouse of Cards, she was a huge draw-in for season one. Mara wasn’t even aware her character returned in Season 5, but mentioned that so many years after filming was complete, it meant so much to her. BeforeHouse of Cards, she spent time in various TV shows and films, such as24, Entourage, American Horror Story,andShooter. After her short, but loved, time onHouse of Cards, she could be found inFantastic Four, The Martian, Moonbeam City, Pose, Call Jane,andMy Days of Mercy. Between 2017 and 2022, she also produced three films,My Days of Mercy, GhostwriterandThe Smell of Money, along with one TV miniseries,A Teacher.
Michel Gill
Prior to playing Mr. President Walker inHouse of Cards,Michel Gilldidn’t have a ton of film credits, unlike the others thus far. Before the series, he played a few minor roles inLaw & Order: Criminal Intent, All My ChildrenandThe Good Wife. Since his success from the show, his screen appearance has risen significantly. Between 2017 and 2022, he has starred inMr. Robot, Chicago Med, Nova Vita, The Gilded Age,andThe Dropout.
Derek Cecil
BeforeHouse of Cards,Derek Cecildispersed his time across a ton of TV series. Since he didn’t join the Netflix series until 2014, he had plenty of time to star inThe Beat, Pasadena, Push Nevada, Mall Cop, Law & Order, Grey’s Anatomy,andTreme. After his impressive 50-episode run onHouse of Cards, Cecil has starred inThe Tomorrow Man, Law & Order: SVU, The Outsider,andThe First Lady. As a fun note, Cecil was a still photographer onLittle House on the Prariein 2015.
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Michael Kelly
Coming in second only to Wright for highest number of episodes,Michael Kellyappeared in every episode ofHouse of Cardsexcept one. In an interview withDeadline, Kelly discusses how hard it was to finishHouse of Cardsafter Spacey’s scandal broke, but mentioned that Wright was the glue that held him and the crew together, along with getting the show it’s proper ending. Before his long run in the series, he spent some time onKojak, Law & Order: SVU, The Sopranos, Level 9,andCriminal Minds: Suspect Behavior. Since his time onHouse of Cards, Kelly has spent the majority of his screen time onTom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, with a few roles inPantheon, Outside the Wire,andThe Comey Rule.
Kevin Spacey
Before his 65-episode spree onHouse of Cards,Kevin Spaceystarred inAmerican Beauty, Father of Invention, andHorrible Bosses. As we mentioned earlier, he was fired fromHouse of Cards, never to finish the series out due to a whirlwind of sexual assault allegations. After he was removed from the series, his career suffered greatly, as most of us could figure. Since 2017, he has only appeared in two films,Billionaire Boys ClubandThe Man Who Drew God. Additionally, he has not produced any films or series since then, either.
