It's appropriate that a Hollywood actor who took over a British theatre should find a lasting role as a villain of Shakespearean proportions. Kevin Spacey has burned a hole in the screen as premier political parasite Francis Underwood. Over the course of three seasons (with a fourth on the way) we've watched him clamber determinedly up the greasy pole to the gates of the White House. With the Leader of the Free World gig safely under his belt, you just know Frank's hands are only going to get muddier. Duplicity, manipulation and murder are just a trio of his sociopathic pastimes. A key element of his portrayal is his tendency to address the camera during moments of tension. Drawing us into his web, he makes us the only people who truly know what's going on in that steel trap of a mind of his. At this point I have to admit to being in the minority of people who don't rate Underwood that highly as a self-aware candidate. He certainly scores in the evil department, but his asides always feel tacked-on, and only included because they were in the BBC original. Still, he has millions of viewers around the world hooked on his plans, and deserves his place here.
I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.
