Robin Wright reveals House of Cards came very, very close to cancellation

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Over the course of five seasons, House of Cards became quite the successful series for Netflix, but it was in very real danger of cancellation after a series of sexual assault allegation against Kevin Spacey were made public last year amid claims that Spacey had also made the set a "toxic work environment." The choice was made to write Spacey's character out of the show and for Robin Wright to take center stage for what will be the sixth and final season of House of Cards. While speaking with Net-a-Porter, Wright commented on completing the series as well as revealing that they came very, very close to being cancelled.

"Very, very close," Wright said. "Because of the climate at that time. The air was thick, you know. Harvey Weinstein… People were [saying], 'We have to shut everything down or otherwise it will look like we are glorifying and honoring this thing that’s dirty.'" The actress met with Netflix executives herself in order to fight for the series. "I believed we should finish. I believed we should honor our commitment. To the people that loved the show, also. Why quit?" Wright was also concerned that cancelling the series would put thousands of people out of work. "They printed that it was ‘only’ 600 people out of work, but if you include security, cops, shooting on location in Baltimore, everything, 2,500 people would have been out of a job," Wright said. "And that’s not fair – to take that security away from those people… They didn’t do anything [wrong]."

Robin Wright was also asked whether or not Kevin Spacey deserves to return to the acting world at some point in the future. "I don’t know how to comment on that, I really don’t," Wright admitted. "I believe every human being has the ability to reform… In that sense, second chances, or whatever you are going to call it – absolutely, I believe in that. It’s called growth." On a more positive note, Robin Wright added that the final season will get "pretty wild."

I mean, we’re doing an opera. And we went operatic! I don’t know how much more we could have topped ourselves. You’ll be surprised.

The sixth and final season of House of Cards will debut on Netflix on November 2, 2018.