History Characters / HouseOfCardsUS

Characters from the {{Creator/Netflix}} original series ''House of Cards''. Here be spoilers.

[[/index]]

* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSPoliticians Other Politicians]]

* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSCapitol Capitol Hill]]

----

* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSUnderwoods The Underwood Administration]][[note]]Frank Underwood, Claire Underwood, Donald Blythe, Doug Stamper, Seth Grayson, Edward Meechum, Nancy Kaufberger, Connor Ellis[[/note]]

* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSUnderwoods The Underwoods]][[note]]Frank Underwood, Claire Underwood, Doug Stamper, Edward Meechum, Nancy Kaufberger, Seth Grayson, Connor Ellis[[/note]]
* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSWhiteHouse The White House]]

* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSMedia The Media]]

[[/index]]

Characters from the NetFlix original series ''House of Cards''. Here be spoilers.

* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSUnderwoods The Underwoods]][[note]]Frank Underwood, Claire Underwood[[/note]]

* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSMain Main]][[note]]Frank Underwood, Claire Underwood, Zoe Barnes, Doug Stamper, Linda Vasquez, Lucas Goodwin, Janine Skorsky, Remy Danton, Garrett Walker, Gillian Cole, Tom Hammerschimdt, Jim Matthews, Peter Russo, Christina Gallagher, Rachel Posner, Raymond Tusk[[/note]]
* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSRecurring Recurring]][[note]]Freddy Armstrong, Catherine Durant, Edward Meechum, Michael Kern, Xander Feng[[/note]]

* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSSanCorp [=SanCorp=]]]
* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSCapitol Capitol Hill]]

* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSRecurring Recurring]][[note]]Freddy Armstrong, Catherine Durant, Edward Meechum, Michael Kern, Gene Clancy[[/note]]

* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSMain Main]][[note]]Frank Underwood, Claire Underwood, Zoe Barnes, Doug Stamper, Linda Vasquez, Linda Vasquez, Lucas Goodwin, Janine Skorsky, Remy Danton, Garrett Walker, Adam Galloway, Gillian Cole, Tom Hammerschimdt, Jim Matthews, Peter Russo, Christina Gallagher[[/note]]
* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSRecurring Recurring]][[note]]Freddy Armstrong, Rachel Posner, Raymond Tusk, Catherine Durant, Edward Meechum, Michael Kern, Gene Clancy[[/note]]

[[/index]]

* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSRecurring Recurring]]

* [[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSMain Main]]

[[folder: Recurring]]

!Gillian Cole
->'''Played By''': Sandrine Holt

An idealistic woman who runs a non-profit dedicated to providing clean water to communities in developing countries. Later goes to work for Claire's organization.

!!Tropes
* GoodIsNotNice: [[spoiler:As Claire discovers.]]
* TheIdealist
* PrinciplesZealot: Regarding fossil fuel corporations. Or possibly corporations in general.
* ThisIsUnforgivable: [[spoiler:After Claire betrays her trust, she goes on a personal vendetta to ruin Claire's life using a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit.]]

!Garrett Walker
->'''Played By''': Michael Gill

The President and former Senator from California. He increasingly relies on and trusts Underwood.

!!Tropes
* TheManBehindTheMan
* [[spoiler:ObfuscatingStupidity: He seems to be easily manipulated by Underwood...but he's the one who's pulling the strings.]]
* [[spoiler:PresidentEvil]]

!Jim Matthews
->'''Played By''': Dan Ziskie

The Vice President and former Governor of Pennsylvania.

!!Tropes
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Probably the most direct and blatant example in the series, of current US Vice President Joe Biden. Both are from Pennsylvania(though Biden grew to political prominence in Delaware), have the same speech and mannerisms, adopt a folksy demeanor, seem to shoot for centrist, blue-collar voters, and are viewed by many as burdensome to the administration they serve.
* JadedWashout

!Adam Galloway
->'''Played By''': Ben Daniels

A photographer who is living in New York City, Claire's lover.

!Edward Meechum
->'''Played By''': Nathan Darrow

The Underwood family's second bodyguard. A former U.S Marine and now Capitol Policeman.

!!Tropes
* TheCorruptible: Although a Policeman. Meechum seems to be aware of just how much power Frank wields and seems to give his loyalty to him. Especially after [[spoiler:Frank says he will get him into the Secret Service.]]
* SemperFi: Former Marine, he served in Afghanistan.

!Remy Danton
->'''Played By''': Mahershala Ali

A lobbyist who formerly worked for Frank before taking a higher paying job at a multi-billion dollar corporation. He serves as the middleman who speaks on the corporation's behalf. Still uses Frank as a contact when there's a deal to be made that profits his bosses.

!!Tropes
* AffablyEvil: Unfailingly soft-spoken and polite. It doesn't matter if he's making friendly small-talk or intimidating a congressman, Remy is always gentle and charming.
* AmbitionIsEvil
* BaldOfAwesome
* BaldBlackLeaderGuy: Aspires to be this one day. However, Frank points out that he made a mistake by choosing money over power.
* {{Greed}}
* MouthOfSauron: Serves as this for SanCorp.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: And he has no problem letting people know it, especially when talking to Frank.

!Freddy
->'''Played By''': Reg E. Cathey

The owner of Freddy's BBQ, an eatery frequented by Underwood.

!!Tropes
* BlackBestFriend: Of sorts to Frank
* LocalHangout: Frank has been a regular for about 20 years and always overtips. Whenever they need food delivered it's usually from Freddy's.
!Catherine Durant
->'''Played By''': Jayne Atkinson

The Secretary of State and former Senator from Missouri.

!Michael Kern
->'''Played By''': Kevin Kilner

The President's original choice for the position of Secretary of State.

!Tom Hammerschimdt
->'''Played By''': Boris [=McGiver=]

Editor-in-chief for The Washington Herald.

!!Tropes
* BeingGoodSucks
* CountryMatters: [[spoiler:What gets him fired.]]
* DaChief
* GoodIsNotNice
* GracefulLoser
* OldMediaPlayingCatchUp
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight

!Gene Clancy
->'''Played By''': Lance E. Nichols

The mayor of Gaffney, South Carolina.

!!Tropes
* UnknownRival: Played with. He was once Frank's rival in his hometown, and still considers themselves to be on equal footing, but he's little more than an ant beneath Frank's boot.

!Rachel Posner
->'''Played By''': Rachel Brosnahan

A [[HighClassCallGirl high-class prostitute]] with whom Russo is caught by the police early in the first season. She continues to reappear throughout in connection with his plot lines.

!!Tropes
* BrokenBird: She has quite a messy history, involving dropping out of school, running away from home, and some form of abuse on the part of her father that precipitated both.
* TheDanza: Played by Rachel Brosnahan.
* HighClassCallGirl
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Deconstructed. She is an essentially decent person whom teachers describe as highly intelligent, comes from a broken home, and desperately wants to leave prostitution behind. The show illustrates just how little control she has and how desperate her situation is and just how resigned to it all she has become.
* MoralityPet: For Doug Stamper, who treats her with some kindness [[spoiler:although he does use her to get to Russo.]]

!Raymond Tusk
->'''Played By''': Gerald [=McRaney=]

A St. Louis-area billionaire and private investor who is also [[spoiler:a close confidant of the President]]. He enters the plot toward the end of the first season in a big way.

!!Tropes
* [[spoiler:BiggerBad: Convinced the President to screw over Underwood to begin with and later blackmails him to get the VP slot in exchange for a favor to be named later.]]
* CorruptCorporateExecutive
* EvilOldFolks
* GoodCounterpart: He's a cunning powerbroker with a sense of history who values power over money, but unlike Frank whose ambitions center entirely on his own political advancement, Tusk plans for the long-term advancement of the US.
* [[spoiler: FinalBoss]]: Of the first season. He's the first opponent Frank faces who is as cunning and cynical, and who thinks as big as Frank does and is the last remaining obstacle to Frank [[spoiler: joining the ticket as VP.]]
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: As a self-made billionaire from the Midwest who still lives in his first house, he has a few traits in common with Warren Buffett.
* SelfMadeMan: Like Frank, though he has attained money rather than power.
* WickedCultured: He recites a Walt Whitman poem.

[[/folder]]

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Main]]
!Francis J. Underwood
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/underwood_francis_j_8839.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Of all the things I hold in high regard, rules are not among them."'']]
->'''Played By''': Creator/KevinSpacey

The main character of the series, Underwood is a Democratic majority whip from Gaffney, South Carolina. In the first episode, he is passed over for the position of Secretary of State, which kicks off the plot by spurring him to exact his revenge on his political enemies.

* BatmanGambit: He pulls many of these throughout the show. And he often [[BreakingTheFourthWall breaks the fourth wall]] to let the audience know when he's about to use one, and when the gambit succeeded.
* [[spoiler: BiTheWay: Revealed when he meets an old college boyfriend.]]
* TheChessmaster: {{Lampshaded}} by scenes of him toying with pieces on a chessboard and offering to teach the game to his assistant Stamper.
* ChildHater: At least according to him.
* DevilInPlainSight: Especially at first. Later on some of the characters begin to catch on to how Underwood's machinations always seem to end up advancing his own interests even when he claims otherwise.
* FauxAffablyEvil
* FourthWallObserver: He repeatedly addresses the camera to let the viewer know his thoughts about events, especially his machinations, or other characters; he's the only character who does it.
* {{Hypocrite}}: When Frank is passed over for Secretary of State, he says that promises "remain immune to changing circumstances"; three episodes later, he Handwaves a betrayal as "revising the parameters of my promise".
** Also while BreakingTheFourthWall when talking about Russo, he says men who talk about family values while sleeping with hookers will be made to pay the price for their hypocrisy. Not long afterwards,[[spoiler: he begins an affair with Zoe]].
* ManipulativeBastard: Oh, yes.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: He bears not a few resemblances to Tom [=DeLay=], the infamously corrupt former Republican Whip whose ambitions were hampered by his scheming and the fact that he was too damn good in his position as House Whip to be allowed to climb up the ladder. Also like Underwood, [=DeLay=] was a southerner from humble roots (he worked as an exterminator at one point before entering Congress).
* OneOfUs: An avid fan of video games, specifically first person shooters, that he plays at night to help relax. He also has a collection of GearsOfWar action figures that he keeps in his office desk, which he uses as props to intimidate a pair of junior congressmen to supporting the Watershed bill.
** Following up, the first thing he notices when he visits Peter Russo's condo is his son's [=PSVita=] lying on the coffee table. Frank picks it up like a kid on Christmas morning and even asks Peter what games he has for it before finally setting it down.
* SelfMadeMan: He takes a great deal of pride in his rise from what he considers to be ignorant hillbilly origins.
* SociopathicHero: Everything he does comes for a cold, calculated place, and is not afraid to do anything achieve his means. He does on occasion have a problem with impulse control, also a Sociopathic tendency.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Loves to have ribs, even for breakfast.
* UnreliableNarrator: Occasionally.
* VillainProtagonist
* XanatosGambit[=/=]XanatosSpeedChess: It's unclear how much of his scheme Frank planned in advance, or if he simply set pieces in motion and knew how to think on his feet fast enough to capitalize.

!Claire Underwood
[[quoteright:255:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/claire_underwood_4717.jpg]]
->'''Played By''': Robin Wright

Frank's wife, who runs a Washington-based non-profit organization called the Clean Water Initiative.

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: It's revealed during one episode that she accepted Frank's hand in marriage because he didn't try to pamper her like her other suitors, or promise her children and a white picket fence. He promised her she'd never get bored. According to her, he was the only man who actually understood her.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: Comes out whenever she has to do something unpleasant, in which situations she is even icier than her husband.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive
* DevilInPlainSight: A particularly notable case since she runs a major environmentalist organization dedicated to helping the less fortunate.
* IceQueen
* LadyMacbeth: "My husband doesn't apologize to anyone. Not even me."
* TheDogBitesBack
* VillainProtagonist

!Zoe Barnes
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barnes_zoe_1665.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"We're in a very gray area. Ethically, legally. Which I'm okay with..."'']]
->'''Played By''': Kate Mara

An ambitious young reporter for the fictional Washington Herald.

* [[{{Character Tic}} Character Tic]]: Tends to bite her nails one at a time when anxious.
* FemmeFatale: Tries playing one to get stories, though how good at it she is is a matter of debate.
* HotScoop: Zoe is telegenic on TV, and discovers she likes doing that ([[spoiler: and screwing her source]]) better than being a newspaper reporter.
* IntrepidReporter: Zig-zagged and inverted before ultimately being played straight.
* [[spoiler:SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: She starts a relationship with Lucas - whom she had twice rejected earlier - after the fling with Frank ends. Possibly a subversion, however, because Lucas wonders if he's just being used once he finds out that Zoe is not above sleeping with someone to advance her career.]]
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!Peter Russo
->'''Played By''': Corey Stoll

A Congressman from Philadelphia's 1st Congressional District who gets drawn into Underwood's plans.

* TheAlcoholic: Frank talks him into going to [=AA=] meetings at one point, then makes sure it [[OffTheWagon doesn't take]].

* ButtMonkey
* TheCorruptible
* DeadpanSnarker
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Has a long history of drug abuse and questionable sexual liaisons which dog his political career. It's also stated that he didn't have a happy childhood; from what we see of his interactions with his mother, this is entirely believable.
* DespairEventHorizon
* FatalFlaw: His weaknesses for booze and women. They've dogged him as long as he's been in politics, and are responsible for [[spoiler:the mistake that ends his career and ultimately his life]].
* [[spoiler:ForcedIntoEvil]]
* InformedAttractiveness: Several people mention that he is handsome.
* TragicHero[=/=]TragicVillain
* [[spoiler:UnwittingPawn: Frank seemingly set Peter up to fail so he could convince the Vice President to take Peter's place in the governor's race and allow Frank to take over the now vacant Vice Presidency.]]

!Douglas 'Doug' Stamper
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stamper_douglas_5398.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I have to be ruthless with myself. I have to use my fear. It makes me stronger."'']]
->'''Played By''': Michael Kelly

Frank's Chief of Staff, abettor, and confidant, and right-hand man in the former's schemes.

* {{Badass}}
** BadassBoast: His speech at Alcoholics Anonymous.
* [[BaldOfEvil Balding of Evil]]
* TheDragon: To Frank.
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Doug is visibly shaken when Frank halfway admits to him that [[spoiler:he killed Russo]]. He does, however, obey Frank's order to never bring it up again without any protests.
* PetTheDog: Giving Rachel money, then telling her she doesn't have to sell herself anymore when she begins to take off her clothes in response. He's actually pretty nice to Rachel in general.
** KickTheDog: [[spoiler: Given how many XanatosGambits and long game these guys play, it's possible his displays of sympathy were a means of buying her off to be a HoneyTrap for Russo down the line.]]
* UndyingLoyalty: To Frank.
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!Linda Vasquez
->'''Played By''': Sakina Jaffrey

The President's newly appointed Chief of Staff at the beginning of season 1. She aids Frank's schemes at some points and obstructs them at others, and at first seemingly does so solely at the behest of the President, but it is later revealed that she has her own agenda.

* TheConsigliere: To President Walker.
* InformedAbility: All of the traits Frank ascribes to her in the first episode. She is easily duped for most of the season, doesn't question why Frank is taking such an active role in the Walker presidency, and even when she confronts Frank on his long-term goal to be president, she accepts his admission without conflict.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: Attempts unsuccessfully to use her influence to get her son into Stanford despite the fact that the admissions committee has turned him down.
* WorthyOpponent: Frank views her as one, as she is one of the few people he acknowledges are just as smart, tough-minded, and ruthless as he is.

!Christina Gallagher
->'''Played By''': Kristen Connolly

Peter Russo's staffer and later campaign adviser, as well as mistress.

* TheMistress: For Russo.
* MoralityPet: To Russo.
* NiceGirl: She one of the most morally upright characters and this is reflected in her demeanour.

!Janine Skorsky
->'''Played By''': Constance Zimmer

A veteran reporter who becomes jealous and suspicious of Zoe's sudden success at the Washington Herald. [[spoiler: She later becomes an ally and even mentor to Zoe when Zoe recommends her for a job at Slugline, a popular freelance internet site.]]

* DeadpanSnarker: One of the snarkiest and grumpiest characters in the series.
* GreenEyedMonster: [[spoiler:Subverted by the end of the first season.]]
* IntrepidReporter: Is one, and [[spoiler:encourages Zoe to become one]].
* TheMentor: [[spoiler:Surprisingly, given their [[TheRival initial relationship]], she becomes one to Zoe late in Season 1.]]
* SpotlightStealingSquad:Janine feels Zoe is this, since she was the top woman reporter before Zoe took the spotlight from her.
* NotSoDifferent: [[spoiler:Janine reveals that she also used to sleep with successful men to get inside information for stories, and even had an affair with a Congressman at one point in the past. However, she warns Zoe that a woman can only sleep her way so far up the ladder before she hits a brick wall.]]
* TheRival: To Zoe. [[spoiler:Later Subverted, after they reach an understanding of one another and decide to become allies.]]

!Lucas Goodwin
->'''Played By''': Sebastian Arcelus

Editor of the Washington Herald and friend of Zoe Barnes.

* GuileHero: The way he tracks down Rachel demonstrates impressive intelligence and resourcefulness.
* IntrepidReporter
* NiceGuy
** [[spoiler:NiceGuysFinishLast: Is rejected by Zoe twice. Only after Frank Underwood has had his way with her for months, does she give him a chance. Lucas himself gets suspicious when he discovers that Zoe had a sexual affair with Underwood to advance her career.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Recurring]]

!Gillian Cole
->'''Played By''': Sandrine Holt

An idealistic woman who runs a non-profit dedicated to providing clean water to communities in developing countries. Later goes to work for Claire's organization.

!!Tropes
* GoodIsNotNice: [[spoiler:As Claire discovers.]]
* TheIdealist
* PrinciplesZealot: Regarding fossil fuel corporations. Or possibly corporations in general.
* ThisIsUnforgivable: [[spoiler:After Claire betrays her trust, she goes on a personal vendetta to ruin Claire's life using a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit.]]

!Garrett Walker
->'''Played By''': Michael Gill

The President and former Senator from California. He increasingly relies on and trusts Underwood.

!!Tropes
* TheManBehindTheMan
* [[spoiler:ObfuscatingStupidity: He seems to be easily manipulated by Underwood...but he's the one who's pulling the strings.]]
* [[spoiler:PresidentEvil]]

!Jim Matthews
->'''Played By''': Dan Ziskie

The Vice President and former Governor of Pennsylvania.

!!Tropes
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Probably the most direct and blatant example in the series, of current US Vice President Joe Biden. Both are from Pennsylvania(though Biden grew to political prominence in Delaware), have the same speech and mannerisms, adopt a folksy demeanor, seem to shoot for centrist, blue-collar voters, and are viewed by many as burdensome to the administration they serve.
* JadedWashout

!Adam Galloway
->'''Played By''': Ben Daniels

A photographer who is living in New York City, Claire's lover.

!Edward Meechum
->'''Played By''': Nathan Darrow

The Underwood family's second bodyguard. A former U.S Marine and now Capitol Policeman.

!!Tropes
* TheCorruptible: Although a Policeman. Meechum seems to be aware of just how much power Frank wields and seems to give his loyalty to him. Especially after [[spoiler:Frank says he will get him into the Secret Service.]]
* SemperFi: Former Marine, he served in Afghanistan.

!Remy Danton
->'''Played By''': Mahershala Ali

A lobbyist who formerly worked for Frank before taking a higher paying job at a multi-billion dollar corporation. He serves as the middleman who speaks on the corporation's behalf. Still uses Frank as a contact when there's a deal to be made that profits his bosses.

!!Tropes
* AffablyEvil: Unfailingly soft-spoken and polite. It doesn't matter if he's making friendly small-talk or intimidating a congressman, Remy is always gentle and charming.
* AmbitionIsEvil
* BaldOfAwesome
* BaldBlackLeaderGuy: Aspires to be this one day. However, Frank points out that he made a mistake by choosing money over power.
* {{Greed}}
* MouthOfSauron: Serves as this for SanCorp.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: And he has no problem letting people know it, especially when talking to Frank.

!Freddy
->'''Played By''': Reg E. Cathey

The owner of Freddy's BBQ, an eatery frequented by Underwood.

!!Tropes
* BlackBestFriend: Of sorts to Frank
* LocalHangout: Frank has been a regular for about 20 years and always overtips. Whenever they need food delivered it's usually from Freddy's.
!Catherine Durant
->'''Played By''': Jayne Atkinson

The Secretary of State and former Senator from Missouri.

!Michael Kern
->'''Played By''': Kevin Kilner

The President's original choice for the position of Secretary of State.

!Tom Hammerschimdt
->'''Played By''': Boris [=McGiver=]

Editor-in-chief for The Washington Herald.

!!Tropes
* BeingGoodSucks
* CountryMatters: [[spoiler:What gets him fired.]]
* DaChief
* GoodIsNotNice
* GracefulLoser
* OldMediaPlayingCatchUp
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight

!Gene Clancy
->'''Played By''': Lance E. Nichols

The mayor of Gaffney, South Carolina.

!!Tropes
* UnknownRival: Played with. He was once Frank's rival in his hometown, and still considers themselves to be on equal footing, but he's little more than an ant beneath Frank's boot.

!Rachel Posner
->'''Played By''': Rachel Brosnahan

A [[HighClassCallGirl high-class prostitute]] with whom Russo is caught by the police early in the first season. She continues to reappear throughout in connection with his plot lines.

!!Tropes
* BrokenBird: She has quite a messy history, involving dropping out of school, running away from home, and some form of abuse on the part of her father that precipitated both.
* TheDanza: Played by Rachel Brosnahan.
* HighClassCallGirl
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Deconstructed. She is an essentially decent person whom teachers describe as highly intelligent, comes from a broken home, and desperately wants to leave prostitution behind. The show illustrates just how little control she has and how desperate her situation is and just how resigned to it all she has become.
* MoralityPet: For Doug Stamper, who treats her with some kindness [[spoiler:although he does use her to get to Russo.]]

!Raymond Tusk
->'''Played By''': Gerald [=McRaney=]

A St. Louis-area billionaire and private investor who is also [[spoiler:a close confidant of the President]]. He enters the plot toward the end of the first season in a big way.

!!Tropes

[[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSMain Main]]
[[Characters/HouseOfCardsUSRecurring Recurring]]

[[quoteright:254:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/adam_page_8634.png]]

* OneOfUs: A powerful and influential congressman who spends eighteen hours a day plotting and scheming his way to power and the other six dreaming about it. A ruthless man who won't let friends, family, or morals stand in the way of achieving his goals. And an avid fan of video games, specifically first person shooters, that he plays at night to help relax. He also has a collection of GearsOfWar action figures that he keeps in his office desk, which he uses as props to intimidate a pair of junior congressmen to supporting the Watershed bill.