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Frank Underwood
House of Cards character
First appearance"Chapter 1"
Created byBeau Willimon
Portrayed byKevin Spacey
In-universe information
GenderMale
TitleJuris Doctor
OccupationMember of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 5th congressional district
(Season 1)
House Majority Whip
(Season 1)
Vice President of the United States
(Season 2)
SpouseClaire Underwood
NationalityAmerican
BornGaffney, South Carolina
Alma materThe Sentinel
Harvard Law School
SourceFrancis Urquhart

Francis J. “Frank” Underwood is a fictional character from the Netflix web television web series House of Cards played by Kevin Spacey. He is the series protagonist and is a variation of Francis Urquhart, the main character from the British novel and television series House of Cards from which the American Netflix series is adapted. Underwood made his first appearance in the series's pilot episode, "Chapter 1".

Underwood was born and raised in Gaffney, South Carolina. He graduated of The Sentinel, a fictionalized version of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, and Harvard Law School. During season 1, he is a Democrat serving as the House Majority Whip in the United States House of Representatives where he represents South Carolina's 5th congressional district. In season 2, he is the newly appointed Vice President of the United States[1] He is married to Claire Underwood (Robin Wright). Much of Underwood's dialogue throughout the series is presented in a direct address to the audience, a narrative technique that breaks the fourth wall.[2] Spacey's prior role to Underwood had been in Shakespeare's Richard III as the classic fourth wall breaching Richard III of England,[2][3] a character that serves as a partial basis for both Urquhart and Underwood.[4] The character speaks in a southern dialect.[5]

Spacey, Robin Wright, and Jason Bateman from Arrested Development shared the distinction of being the first three leading web television roles to be nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards when the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced on July 18, 2013. Spacey's portrayal of Underwood is the only to earn a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series nomination.

Season 1

[edit]

"Power is a lot like real estate. It’s all about location, location, location. The closer you are to the source, the higher your property value."

 — Underwood[5]

Underwood is passed over for an appointment as United States Secretary of State even though he had been promised the position after ensuring the election of United States President Garrett Walker (Michael Gill). He is informed of this by Presidential Chief of Staff Linda Vasquez (Sakina Jaffrey) prior to the United States presidential inauguration, which provokes him to hatch a plan. With the aid of Claire and the devious service of his own Chief of Staff Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly), Underwood uses his position as House Whip to seek retribution. He quickly allies with Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) and begins manipulating Pennsylvania Rep. Peter Russo (Corey Stoll). The viciousness of Underwood's manipulations escalates over the course of the season.[3]

Time television critic James Poniewozik, notes that by the end of the first episode Frank establishes that his metaphor of choice is meat because both literally and figuratively it is his preference. He may begin a day with a celebratory rack of ribs, because "I’m feelin’ hungry today!", but also he describes life with meat metaphors: he describes the White House Chief of Staff with grudging admiration: "She’s as tough as a two-dollar steak."; he plans to destroy an enemy the way "you devour a whale. One bite at a time."; and he endures a tedious weekly meeting with House leaders, he tells us, by "[imagining] their lightly salted faces frying in a skillet."[6]

Critical response

[edit]

The New York Times' David Itzkoff called Underwood a "scheming politician" who does "some of the most evil and underhanded things imaginable".[7] Brian Stelter of The New York Times said Underwood "…is on a quest for power that’s just as suspenseful as anything on television."[5] New York Daily News critic Don Kaplan says "…conniving Congressman Frank Underwood, is easily one of the most complex antiheroes on TV — except he’s not on TV".[8] David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle describes the character as one who "all but salivates over the chance to use his considerable power to gain more power, especially if it involves pulling the rug out from under some colleagues and the wool over the eyes of others."[9]

Director David Fincher describes the character as a "Machiavelli taking you under his wing and walking you through the corridors of power, explaining the totally mundane and crass on a mechanical level to the most grotesque manipulations of a system that is set up to have all these checks and balances".[10] Beau Willimon describes him as a "remorselessly self- interested, desiring power for power's sake" person.[4] Andrew Davies, the producer of the original UK TV series, feels that the character changes have lost the "charm" of the original character.[10]

The Independent praised Spacey's portrayal as a more "menacing" character, "hiding his rage behind Southern charm and old-fashioned courtesy,"[4] while The New Republic noted that "When Urquhart addressed the audience, it was partly in the spirit of conspiratorial fun. His asides sparked with wit. He wasn't just ruthlessly striving, he was amusing himself, mocking the ridiculousness of his milieu. There is no impishness about Spacey’s Frank Underwood, just numb, machine-like ambition. Even his affection for his wife is a calculation."[3]

Poniewozik praises Underwood's accent, saying "Spacey gives Underwood a silky Southern accent you could pour over crushed ice and sip with a sprig of mint on Derby Day."[6] Nancy deWolf Smith of The Wall Street Journal describes the accent as a "mild but sometimes missing Carolina accent".[11] Time listed him among the 11 most influential fictional characters in 2013.[12]

Awards and nominations

[edit]

At the 3rd Critics' Choice Television Awards, Spacey was nominated for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Underwood.[13]

On July 18, 2013, Netflix earned the first Primetime Emmy Award nominations for original online only web television for the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards. Three of its web series, Arrested Development, Hemlock Grove, and House of Cards, earned nominations.[14] Among those nominations was Spacey's portrayal of Frank Underwood for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series as well as Robin Wright's portrayal of Claire Underwood for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and Jason Bateman's portrayal of Michael Bluth in Arrested Development for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, making these three roles the first three leading roles to be Primetime Emmy Award-nominated from a web television series.[14] Spacey submitted "Chapter 1" for consideration to earn his nomination.[15]

The role has also earned Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series nominations.[16][17]

Relationships

[edit]
Claire

Stelter described Frank and Claire as a "scheming" couple.[14] Michael Dobbs compares the compelling nature of the relationship between Frank and Claire favorably to the original characters and likens them to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.[4] Frank has strong feelings for Claire, and frequently plots with her at night. He says "I love that woman, I love her more than sharks love blood."[3] While Frank is Machiavellian, Claire presents a woman urging on her husband's assertion of power in the image of Lady Macbeth.[18][19] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post describes her as an ice-queen wife.[20] She encourages his vices while noting her disapproval of his weakness saying "My husband doesn’t apologize...even to me."[19] This gives a credibility to their symbiosis.[6]

Zoe

Underwood develops an intimate relationship with reporter Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara), with Claire's knowledge.[10] Stuever notes that as the show begins, aspiring journalist Zoe Barnes is desperate to rise from covering the "Fairfax County Council" beat to covering "'what's behind the veil' of power in the Capitol hallways."[20] Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times notes that by the end of the first episode, Mara's Barnes is among the cadre of Frank's accomplices. After she pleads for a relationship with him by promising to earn his trust and not "ask any questions", Frank uses her fiendishly.[19]

Underwood vs. Urquhart

[edit]

Underwood is an Americanized version of the original BBC character Urquhart. Urquhart was a fictional Machiavellian post-Margaret Thatcher chief whip of the Conservative Party. He employed deceit, cunning, murder and blackmail to influence and pursue the office of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. According to series producer Willimon, the name change stemmed from the "Dickensian" feeling and "more legitimately American" sounding resonance of the name Underwood. Whereas Urquhart was an aristocrat by birth, Underwood is a self-made man.[10] Urquhart was one of television's first antiheros,[4] whereas Underwood follows the more recent Tony Soprano, Walter White and Dexter Morgan antiheroes.[3] Although the character is based on the BBC show's lead character, In interviews during the writing and filming of season 2, creator and showrunner Beau Willimon said he drew regular inspiration from Lyndon B. Johnson as a repeated source for themes and issues.[21]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Blake, Meredith (2013-12-04). "Netflix sets premiere date for 'House of Cards' Season 2". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
  2. ^ a b Cornet, Roth (2013-01-31). "Netflix's Original Series House of Cards -- From David Fincher and Kevin Spacey -- May be the New Face of Television". IGN. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  3. ^ a b c d e Bennett, Laura (2013-02-05). "Kevin Spacey's Leading-Man Problem The star of the 13-hour "House of Cards" is as impenetrable as ever". New Republic. Retrieved 2103-07-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e Hughes, Sarah (2013-01-30). "'Urquhart is deliciously diabolical': Kevin Spacey is back in a remake of House of Cards". The Independent. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  5. ^ a b c Stelter, Brian (2013-01-18). "A Drama's Streaming Premiere". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  6. ^ a b c Poniewozik, James (2013-01-31). "Review: House of Cards Sinks Its Sharp Teeth into Washington". Time. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  7. ^ Itskoff, Dave (2013-07-18). "Emmy Nominees: Kevin Spacey of 'House of Cards'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  8. ^ Kaplan, Don (2013-07-21). "Kevin Spacey and Netflix's 'House of Cards' receive Emmy nominations, signaling a new order in TV". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  9. ^ Wiegand, David (2013-01-30). "'House of Cards' review: Sexy political revenge". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  10. ^ a b c d Lacob, Jace (2013-01-30). "David Fincher, Beau Willimon & Kate Mara On Netflix's 'House of Cards'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  11. ^ deWolf Smith, Nancy (2013-01-31). "Fantasies About Evil, Redux". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  12. ^ Alter, Charlotte and Eliana Dockterman (2013-12-09). "The 11 Most Influential Fictional Characters of 2013: These are the on-screen figures who got our attention: 6. Frank Underwood". Time. Retrieved 2013-12-11.
  13. ^ "Big Bang, Horror Story, Parks & Rec, Good Wife, The Americans Lead Critics Choice Nominations". TVLine. May 22, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  14. ^ a b c Stelter, Brian (2013-07-18). "Netflix Does Well in 2013 Primetime Emmy Nominations". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-07-18.
  15. ^ Riley, Jenelle (2013-08-26). "Emmy Episode Submissions: Lead Actor in a Drama". Back Stage. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  16. ^ "SAG nominations 2014: The complete list of nominees". Los Angeles Times. 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
  17. ^ Farley, Christopher John (2013-12-12). "Golden Globes Nominations 2014: '12 Years a Slave,' 'American Hustle' Lead Field". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
  18. ^ "Ostrow: Kevin Spacey shines in "House of Cards" political drama on Netflix". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  19. ^ a b c Stanley, Alessandra (2013-01-31). "Political Animals That Slither: 'House of Cards' on Netflix Stars Kevin Spacey". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  20. ^ a b Stuever, Hank (2013-01-31). "'House of Cards': Power corrupts (plus other non-breaking news)". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  21. ^ Leopold, Todd (2013-08-28). "'House of Cards' creator Beau Willimon plays a solid hand". CNN. Retrieved 2013-10-02.


Category:Drama television characters Category:Fictional antiheroes Category:Fictional characters introduced in 2013 Category:Fictional Democrats (United States) Category:Fictional characters from South Carolina Category:Fictional members of the United States House of Representatives Category:Fictional murderers Category:Fictional Vice Presidents of the United States

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