House of Cards (2014) | Season 2
Plot: Francis (Kevin Spacey) and Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) continue their ruthless rise to power as threats mount on all fronts. Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara), an up-and-coming reporter and Francis’s former paramour, is inching closer to the truth about his crimes. President Walker’s (Michel Gill) billionaire confidante Raymond Tusk (Gerald McRaney) demands that Francis reciprocate political favors or face retribution. And Claire must confront the increasing glare of the spotlight as it eats away at her and Francis’s once private existence. The Underwood’s must overcome these dangers — past and present — to avoid losing everything, regardless of collateral damage they leave in their wake.
Cast: Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Kate Mara, Molly Parker, Mahershala Ali, Nathan Darrow, Rachel Brosnahan, Jimmi Simpson, Joanna Going, Sam Page, Sakina Jaffrey, Kristen Connolly, Constance Zimmer, Kate Lyn Sheil, Sebastian Arcelus, Sandrine Holt, Michel Gill, Ben Daniels, Boris McGiver, Jayne Atkinson, Derek Cecil, Mozhan Marno, Reg E. Cathey, Benito Martinez, Elizabeth Marvel, Reed Birney & Gerald McRaney.
Directors: Robin Wright, Jodie Foster, Carl Franklin, James Foley & John David Coles.
Writers: Beau Willimon, Bill Cain, Laura Eason, Kenneth Lin, John Mankiewicz, Bill Kennedy & David Manson.
Filming Dates: April 29, 2013 to November 8, 2013
Filming Locations: Filming occurred primarily in Baltimore.
Release Date: February 14, 2014 on Netflix
Budget: $100 million for 26 episodes in two seasons (13 episodes per season)
The second season of “House of Cards” is executive produced by David Fincher, Beau Willimon, Joshua Donen, Eric Roth, Kevin Spacey, Dana Brunetti, Andrew Davies, Michael Dobbs & David Manson.
Robin Wright makes her Directorial Debut
The second season finds Robin Wright taking her first turn behind the camera as a director.
Chapter 23 (Season 2 Episode 10) is the first episode of 10 that Robin will direct on the show.
Robin Wright says she loves directing: “I love it. I want to keep doing it. I kind of want to stop acting. I’m such a control freak, that’s the truth of it. And being in this business for almost 30 years, I’ve been biting my tongue for so many years on sets. It’s nice to be at the helm of the ship, because you’re actually allowed. You’re granted clemency to direct.”
Wright also believes that having experience as an actor helps in directing other actors: “A lot of directors don’t know how to direct actors because they’ve never done it before, and it’s actually fiercely destructive to say, ‘Have more energy,’ or ‘Be sadder.’ ‘I can’t fucking play that, what are you talking about?’ It warps your brain because you are a puppet as an actor, in a sense, and you want to try to achieve the direction given, and that is virtually impossible. You can’t play a descriptive word like that. ‘Be evil.’ Give me a scenario, give me a story, give me what would allow me to portray evil. Give me an idea, a reference of some kind.”