When a show is filled with characters you love to hate, you love when they are given worthy challengers. In this season of House of Cards, when Neve Campbell sauntered onto the screen to play Claire Underwood’s right-hand woman, she was exactly the competitor that the show's anti-heroes needed. We talked to Campbell about fandom cults and political ambitions.
You have a major strut in this show. How did you develop that?
It’s in the heels and the powerful clothes! Once you take on those elements of the character, her power and her determination and strength, the rest of it comes easily. I was excited about the idea of playing someone unapologetically powerful and strong and successful and an intelligent woman. That’s not something you often get to play as a woman in this industry, sadly. This is a good year for women in House of Cards! All the female characters are very powerful.
Do you like negotiating?
I find it challenging to be honest. It is empowering once you get through it, but I find it daunting at times. It’s the fun of the character that she’s not afraid to go toe-to-toe with Frank Underwood and Claire and meet them in intelligence and courage. I think that’s what's so fascinating to the audiences about this show. The political world is intriguing and different from us, what that world is. To imagine the amount of people who are constantly negotiating and compromising and trying to contain something. It’s a fun game.
The Craft seems to absolutely be surging in popularity recently. Could you have imagined that longevity?
Not really, to be honest! Now, I know they’re talking about a reboot—they’re going to make another, which I think is hilarious and great. There’ll be an audience for it. I’m sure it will do very well. There was something very empowering about it for young women. I didn’t realize it until, in Hollywood there’s a cemetery where they do screenings in the evening in the summertime. They did one of The Craft. It was hilarious! Five thousand people came in the evening; they were wearing the outfits. It was like going to a Rocky Horror Picture Show: They were quoting the lines throughout the whole show. It’s a fascinating culture of fans.
And what about the fan culture for House of Cards?
I went to the premiere, and it was my second time in Washington. It was fascinating to be there, because people are such big fans of the show. The rest of the cast are treated like rock stars. The premiere was at the Smithsonian, and they unveiled a portrait of Frank Underwood, Kevin Spacey as president, that’s going to be hanging in the Smithsonian as if he’s a real president. Art imitating life imitating art! It was very strange.
Did you ever have political ambitions?
Absolutely not! I grew up in the theater. My grandparents were actors. It’s just a family of artists, none of us were very politically leaning. I don’t think I could survive in that world, to be honest. It’s not in my genetics. To willingly enter a business where you know at times you will have to compromise your moral compass, it’s a tough thing to face!