Email; Twitter; Facebook; Google + Pinterest; Tumblr; Linkedin The role has been critically acclaimed. bad idea.I do not own the rights to this footage. [41] He attacks her with a letter opener, superficially wounding her in the throat, but cannot bring himself to kill her, instead collapsing into her arms. However, Claire does not announce that she is pardoning Frank in her first address to the nation as President. Claire Underwood's mother always told her to frown less and smile more but never considered her personal feelings were in the way of her happiness; she just couldn't smile from the inside out. Democratic Claire Hale (born 1965) is the 47th and current President of the United States, assuming office after the resignation of her husband Francis Underwood. Courtesy of Netflix. [49][50] She was nominated for both Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series at the 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards. Katie Holmes almost quit acting at the age of 17 when work dried up after her first film role. Thomas Jefferson 4. Produced by David Fincher, House of Cards was the first Netflix series to be produced in-house and helped usher in a new era for streaming services and prestige television. It's possible.'". Published Feb 15, 2021. The Underwoods receive an audio recording of the incident, and use it to convince Conway's campaign manager Mark Usher to abandon his flailing candidate. John Adams 3. She sets her sights on running for a House of Representatives seat in Texas, with help from political consultant LeAnn Harvey (Neve Campbell). She was portrayed by Robin Wright. Rose-Marie Avin University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire; M.V. Like Claire, Theresa often goes running (and, on a run, serendipitously finds the letter in the bottle that Kevin Costners Garretts penned), though in an oversized shirt, running attire Claire would scrupulously avoid. The House of Representatives did not choose a president but the Senate chose Claire Underwood as the 51st Vice President of the United States, which resulted in her being sworn in as the Acting President of the United States, until the House chooses a President. Despite her ambitions and devotion to Frank, part of her also yearns for a life of spiritual freedom. With Usher's help, the Underwoods finally defeat Conway once and for all, and Frank resumes his duties as POTUS. Quite a bit, Stacker finds, with a look at 100 of the most iconic moments in film history. See why some of your favorite . Claire is formidable in ways her husband is still trying to channel: raising her voice to Francis and proclaiming he needs to cut [his] fucking heart out and give it to then-President Walker; stating that shes leaving Francis in the cliffhanger finale of season 3; and betraying Francis in season 4 in order to get what she wants the vice presidency. [32], In the season finale, she urges Frank to humble himself before President Walker, with whom he has fallen out of favor, in order to complete the plan: "Cut out your heart and put it in his fucking hands. She is the wife of the show's protagonist Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and the main protagonist in the final season. When she became the Second Lady, she uses this same influence to bring a controversial topic into the national spotlight while recruiting Patricia Walker, the First Lady, to aid in her fight. Francis Joseph Underwood is a fictional character and the villainous main protagonist of the American adaptation of House of Cards, portrayed by Kevin Spacey.He is depicted as a ruthless politician who rises from United States House of Representatives majority whip to president of the United States through treachery, deception and murder. Frank rejects the idea. Claire, in her new role as UN Ambassador, is trying to get Michael Corrigan, a gay-rights activist being held in a Russian prison, to take a plea that will ensure his freedom. [6] She has a difficult relationship with her mother, Elizabeth Hale (Ellen Burstyn), who despises Frank and is disappointed in Claire for marrying him. Profession: She immediately regrets it, and tells Yates that they can't see each other anymore. Though each of these characters carries traces of Claire a penchant for cigarettes or exercise, the hauteur look of high-heeled ferocity it is on Netflix where Wright has come into filmic fruition as her character, charming us with her wit and wile. Claire first helped Frank steal the presidency during season two, planting doubt about the President's fidelity and acting as the First Lady's confidant. [5], Claire Hale Underwood is originally from the exclusive Highland Park enclave of Dallas, Texas. [13], While Frank is Machiavellian, Claire presents a woman urging on her husband's assertion of power in the image of Lady Macbeth. She became one of only seven actresses that received six or more nominations in the category for the same show. Robin Wright regrets that her House of Cards character, Claire Underwood, was not legitimately elected to the presidency. In season 3, she confronts Russian President Petrvo (Lars Mikkelsen) during a press conference for his intolerance of LGBTQ citizens, undercutting her husband's wishes while simultaneously. But it turns out that Frank himself was the source of the leak, having determined that his presidency was beyond saving and that it was more important to maintain control over the White House with Claire at the helm. Claire becomes increasingly ruthless as the season progresses. Martin Van Buren 9. [12][1] As a couple Frank and Claire are said to "reverberate with tension and wit". How is Claire Underwood acting president? During a heated exchange, she gets him to confess that he poisoned Frank in order to stop him from killing her, in order to protect the Underwood "legacy". Claire Underwood has a heart now, and it makes her visibly sick. Though she was pleased to end her already impressive run on House of Cards by directing the series finale, she did wish that Claires success was achieved by means other than lying, cheating, and killing. Claire Hale Dress Like Claire: Go Wild With a Wide Neckline. She doesn't want to be coddled and held on a pedestal and mentions that Frank was the only man she dated that understood that. When Stamper confronts her about what Frank left him in his will, Claire says that she is pregnant with Frank's child. Since Russo dies within 48 hours, which seems to be precisely timed by Underwood, the bill doesn't seem to make a difference. . She became the third U.S. President to ascend to the Presidency after their successor resigns. Abraham Lincoln 17. ", "Claire's Fourth Wall Breaks In 'House of Cards' Season 6 Reveal She's Just As Cunning As Her Husband", "Claire Underwood's Pregnancy In 'House Of Cards' Season 6 Was The Ultimate Power Move", "Kevin Spacey's Leading-Man Problem The star of the 13-hour "House of Cards" is as impenetrable as ever", "House Of Cards Season 1, Episode 13 Recap: All's Well That Ends Well (Or Not)", "Review: 'House of Cards' returns for more political dirty deeds", "Second season of 'House of Cards' is a vote for vice", "Antihero Or Villain? She's the 47 th President of the United States, and the first female. Whenever she confronts an adversary she spreads her legs squarely, her stance never wavering. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. She is a lobbyist and runs an environmental nonprofit organization, but in later seasons ascends to the positions of Second Lady of the United States, First Lady of the United States, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Vice President of the United States, and finally the 47th President of the United States. Played by: There's a lot to be said for the journey of First Lady Claire Underwood ( Robin Wright) over the course of House of Cards ' fifth season. Al Ahmadi reneges on the deal, however, and tells them to kill the hostages. However, she has shown to have some guilt and sadness with her ruthless pragmatism, which is demonstrated following her visit to a rape victim who becomes suicidal after Claire uses and discards her. She was able to manipulate Trisha Walker into seeking couple's counseling for herself and the President, where the First Lady was also prescribed pills that were really meant for the President. "I should've never made you president," Claire retorts. [20], In season 3, when the Underwoods are President and First Lady of the United States, Claire's marriage to Frank begins to falter. The Netflix series was nearly derailed when accusations of sexual misconduct led to Spaceys firing. This House Of Cards Season 5 recap will help refresh your memory and remind you of the twisted path that led Claire from wife of House Majority Whip to First Lady to Vice President to first female POTUS, long may she reign smash the patriarchy amen. Robin Wright delivers a delicious performance in "Chapter 71," as Claire reveals to a stunned Doug (Michael Kelly) that she's pregnant with an heir to the Underwood estate. She then converts the focus on that issue into political support that becomes critical to the Underwoods' ascension to the Oval Office. Share. Representation is important, and Claire Underwood was not a good representation of a female politician. [7], Brian Stelter of The New York Times described her as Frank Underwood's conniving wife[8] and described the Underwoods as "the scheming husband and wife at the center of 'House of Cards'". Rutherford B. Hayes 20. He felt that the Presidency was not the pinnacle of power. House of Card 's clothing designer Kemal Harris spoke of this. 'male ego' (as Claire calls it). For the first time, Claire looked directly into the camera alongside Frank as her husband ominously declared, "We make the terror.". William McKinley 26. If anything, they add to her complex, steely gradations of gray. Join Amazon Prime Watch Thousands of Movies & TV Shows Anytime Start Free Trial Now, threatened to go public if they did not acquiesce, House of Cards Season 2 Review: Episodes 4-6, House of Cards Season 2 Review: Episodes 1-3, House Of Cards season 4 spoiler-filled review, Heat, Empire Records, and the Best Movies Free on Plex in January, The Best Jeff Beck Side Project Tracks and Deep Cuts, Every Marvel Movie and TV Show Coming in 2023, House of Cards: Why Robin Wrights Claire Underwood Is the True Leader. At the same time, journalist Tom Hammerschmidt (Boris McGiver) publishes an investigative news story detailing Frank's crimes. Through an interview in Season 2, it was revealed that Claire's rapist is now a General in the military, and Claire falsely claimed she had an abortion afterwards in order not to reveal to the public that she aborted Frank's child during his first campaign. Claire earned her bachelor's degree in environmental health and chemistry at Radcliffe College and her master's degree in public health at Harvard University. Frank is now President of the United States, with Claire as the First Lady. Children: Its women like these that lead cultural critic Camille Paglia to claim that high heels dont cripple women, but serve as weapons. [10] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post describes her as an "ice-queen wife". Adam Smith. October 31, 2018, 4:30 PM. "Chapter 1" During Season 4, Claire develops a close relationship with novelist Thomas Yates upon his return to the White House. The House of Representatives did not choose a president but the Senate chose Claire Underwood as the 51st Vice President of the United States, which resulted in her being sworn in as the Acting President of the United States, until the House chooses a President. Claire Underwood was portrayed by Robin Wright in Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of House of Cards. First episode: LOS ANGELES (AP) The spirit of Francis Underwood and misdeeds past haunt the sixth season of "House of Cards" and its new U.S. president, the widowed Claire . When Gillian Cole (Sandrine Holt), a pregnant former employee, returns to demand health care as part of her severance, Claire says, "I am willing to let your child wither and die inside you, if that's what's required, Am I really the sort of enemy you want to make? Date of birth: You don't get to become the most powerful couple in the world by playing nice. This is admiration equally applicable to Claire and Francis. It starred Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood, a scheming politician who manipulates and murders his way into the White House. Despite media suggestions, Claire refers to her childhood as a happy one. But how did she get there? Because Claire Underwood and Leann Harvey were behind the KKK billboard, and their tactics might just be enough to break the President. She herself has an affair with an old boyfriend, Adam Galloway (Ben Daniels). Christopher Udry Yale University; Daniel A. Underwood Peninsula College; Lynn Unruh University of Central Florida; Leanne Ussher Queens . Aidan, the data scientist who Claire's adviser LeAnn brought on board to help rig the election, was kidnapped and interrogated by the Russians. The character is based on Elizabeth Urquhart, a character from the eponymous British miniseries from which the current series is derived. Posted by: Chi-town Jerry at November 17, 2021 05:08 PM (CjFDo) Absolutely. LeAnn convinces the Underwoods to help rescue Aidan; but they really just wanted him back to they could kill him before he could reveal any more of their secrets. Yep, President Claire Underwood is preggers. why is claire underwood acting president Home; Events; Register Now; About Having masterminded a sartorially inspired, even iconic, wardrobe for the changing ambitions of Mrs. Underwood from First Lady to UN ambassador to acting president to the president proper, in . [2] Wright won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress Television Series Drama for this role at the 71st Golden Globe Awards, becoming the first actress to win a Golden Globe Award for a streaming television online-only role in a series. Benjamin Harrison 24. He is based on Francis Urquhart, the protagonist of the . Before becoming Second Lady, she was the Chief Executive Officer of Clean Water Initiative until she handed it over to her Office Manager Gillian Cole. Instead, he hangs himself in his cell. With that, the election moved from the polls to the Capitol, with the House deciding the next President and the Senate deciding the next VP. The Underwoods then convinced the entire Texas delegation to vote for Claire, which put her into serious consideration for Vice President. Claire also faces a threat in Stamper, who recants his confession and makes a deal with federal prosecutors to give them Claire as revenge for her turning her back on him and Frank. "[15] This gives a credibility to their symbiosis. House of Cards (2013-18) is a Netflix original series based on the British miniseries of the same name detailing the rise of a scheming American politician, Congressman Frank Underwood, a Democrat from South Carolina's 5th congressional district and House Majority Whip.He is passed over for appointment as Secretary of State, so he initiates an elaborate plan to attain power, aided by his wife . She explained: "It was quite an honor to close out the show [as director]. 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