Robin Wright Led the Charge on Continuing ‘House of Cards’

Robin Wright sang the rallying cry to get House of Cards back in order after Kevin Spacey was fired because of sexual misconduct allegations, co-star Patricia Clarkson said.

“It was truly the great Robin Wright rallying,” Clarkson said on CBS’ The Talk Friday. “We have beautiful show writers Frank [Pugliese] and Melissa [Gibson] and they killed themselves to rethink the whole show. It’s only eight episodes.”

Clarkson, who stars in HBO’s Sharp Objects with Amy Adams, continued, “Robin led all of this charge so that people would save their livelihoods, because when the show goes away some people don’t get paid. I think it’s going to be stunning, stunning new season and I’m thankful for it.”

Clarkson joined House of Cards in season five, playing Jane Davis, the Deputy Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade. Clarkson also worked with Wright on the 2001 Jack Nicholson movie The Pledge.

House of Cards needed to be reconfigured for its sixth and final season after Spacey was fired last fall. The two-time Oscar winner was accused of sexual misconduct by several men, including actor Anthony Rapp. House of Cards staffers also accused Spacey of “predatory behavior.” Spacey apologized to Rapp, but claimed he had no memory of the incident.

At the end of season five, Spacey’s Frank Underwood stepped down as president, leaving his wife, Vice President Claire Underwood (Wright), to take over the presidency. Wright’s character will now be the main focus for the final season.

House of Cards was launched in 2013 and is based on the U.K. series of the same name. It was Netflix‘s first original drama and both Spacey and Wright won Golden Globes. They were also nominated for Emmys for each season.

In an interview with Deadline in November, original House of Cards showrunner Beau Willimon insisted he was not aware of the alleged incidents on his set.

“I am heartsick that anyone on the crew had to endure this sort of behavior,” Willimon told Deadline. “Clearly we as an industry, particularly those in a position of power, myself included, need to be more perceptive and proactive… We also need to do a better job at empowering and supporting our colleagues who come forward.”

MRC, the studio behind House of Cards, said it was “deeply troubled” by the allegations, adding, “As the producer of the show, creating and maintaining a safe working environment for our cast and crew has always been our top priority. We have consistently reinforced the importance of employees reporting any incident without fear of retaliation, and we have investigated and taken appropriate actions following any complaints.”

House of Cards‘ new season will debut later this year.

Photo Credit: Facebook / Netflix