A former House of Cards actress has just reminded the world that, despite the fact that allegations against Kevin Spacey formed a dark cloud over the Netflix series, many good people worked on the political drama.
If you're not already a little bit infatuated with the titular character on Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, then it's because you haven't started watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The new streaming series, about a vivacious 1950s housewife who becomes an accidental standup comedian following the end of her marriage, is a pure, utter delight — and star Rachel Brosnahan is much of the reason why.
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Prior to her role on the new Amy Sherman-Palladino series, Brosnahan portrayed sex worker Rachel Posner on House of Cards. She left the series in 2015.
House of Cards has been embroiled in controversy ever since its star, Kevin Spacey, was accused of sexual misconduct. Following the allegations, Deadline reported that Netflix suspended production on House of Cards.
In October, Buzzfeed conducted an interview with Rent actor Anthony Rapp, who, in the interview, alleged that Spacey acted inappropriately with him when he was 14. Since Rapp came forward, multiple people have spoken out to also accuse Spacey of sexually inappropriate conduct.
When Rapp's Buzzfeed interview first came out, Spacey took to Twitter to apologize, stating that he "does not remember the encounter." In the same statement, the actor also said he wanted to be "honest" about other areas of his life, and that he now "live[s] as a gay man." Spacey's coming out angered many members of the LGBTQ+ community, who pointed out that there's no connection between homosexuality and pedophilia or sexual abuse.
When asked by Vulture if the allegations against Spacey have clouded her own memories of working on House of Cards, Brosnahan told the outlet that she hadn't actually worked with him all that much. "Well, the interesting thing about that show as it relates to me is that I never had a scene with Kevin," she said. We’ve only met two or three times, so I have no personal opinion about Kevin that has been changed."
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While she told Vulture she couldn't speak about Spacey on a personal level, she told the outlet that there were people on House of Cards who were incredibly "supportive."
"My experience on the show was filled with so many joyous firsts. I was straight out of college. To be a part of something with David Fincher and Robin Wright, it was mind-blowing. My work with Michael Kelly [who portrays Doug], which is who I spent 98 percent of my onscreen time with, has forever changed me. He’s one of the nicest, generous, most supportive people and most talented actors I’ve ever met," she told Vulture.
She added:"Beau Willimon [who created the series] took such a chance on me. For me, there is nothing that could change my personal experience on that show."
It's good to hear a woman speak out about a positive experience on set, especially amongst the many sexual assault and harassment allegations that have come out in Hollywood. (Like the multiple accusations against Harvey Weinstein. Or Brett Ratner. Or James Toback. Or Jeremy Piven.)
And for those in need of a feminist TV show in the wake of all of these allegations, may I humbly suggest The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel?