Canadian content in U.S. show
Actress Neve Campbell says House of Cards now ‘a nice escape’ from real-world politics
NEW YORK (AP) — When Netflix’s presidential drama House of Cards premiered in 2013, it was so outrageous in its ruthless depiction of U.S. politics that it seemed like science fiction. With season five set to begin Tuesday, it seems more like a documentary.
President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and first lady Claire (Robin Wright) are unconscionable in their lust for power. Their ambition is made even more naked through direct nods to the camera (with Claire joining in at the end of last season).
This will be the first season of the series, however, to air after the election of Donald Trump. Suddenly, presidential behaviour has been cast in a whole new light. Do the Underwoods now seem dull and conventional?
We put the question to the Canadian in the cast, Neve Campbell.
“I haven’t met a fan yet who has said, ‘Aww, I don’t think I’m going to bother to watch this year,”’ she said while promoting the fifth season in New York with castmate Michael Kelly. “If anything, it’ll be a nice escape.”
In other words, viewers should enjoy these characters even more this season “because they’re not real,” said Campbell. “You can love to hate these characters, but nothing bad is going to happen when you turn the TV off.”
“To your children, or to your wife,” added Kelly, “or women’s rights, or all the other appalling things that are happening with the current administration.”
Born and raised in Guelph, Ont., Campbell joined the large cast last season as Texasbased political consultant Leann Harvey. The actress, 43, rose to fame in the 1990s on the series Party of Five and later starred in the four installments of the Scream film franchise. She said the writers have not had to ramp up the horrors on season five of House of Cards to outpace the headlines coming out of the real White House.
“That already existed on this show, so it’s not like they’re changing anything,” she said. “I think it would have been dangerous to try and suddenly usurp what’s actually happening in the real political climate.”
Besides, she pointed out, production on season five wrapped in February, with Trump taking office in January.
The House of Cards writers simply stuck to their scripts.
“We were shooting an election,” Campbell said, “while an election was occurring.”