WASHINGTON — If there was anybody who upstaged Kevin Spacey at his foundation’s fundraiser here Monday night, it was another Kevin: Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the man positioned to be the next Speaker of the House.
“I’ve known him since he was Whip,” explained Spacey. “I’m not surprised that everyone is talking about him. I knew four years ago that he would probably be the next speaker. I think he’s done it more rapidly than anyone in the history of Congress.”
Even Frank Underwood, Spacey’s incorrigibly ambitious alter-ego on the Netflix series “House of Cards,” may not have had such a swift ascent.
McCarthy, who helped Spacey research his role, sneaked into the Arena Stage theater, trying to remain incognito. But all eyes were on the Republican Majority Leader, especially when he embraced Spacey warmly. “I have no idea what suit he was wearing tonight,” Spacey joked to WWD.
McCarthy skipped the after party, where guests canoodled with Spacey (beige suit, tie clip, red socks) on an Indian summer evening. Rep. Steny Hoyer, another FOK (Friend of Kevin’s) cut out early too.
The Kevin Spacey Foundation, headquartered in London since its founding in 2010, enables young artists through grants and scholarships. This is the third year Spacey has hosted an event in Washington, capitalizing on the “House of Cards” backyard, teeming with fans from both sides of the aisle.
A long-time Democratic Party supporter, Spacey is a Hillary Clinton fan, but “I haven’t given her any advice,” as he’s busy with Underwood’s 2016 machinations. Season four of “Cards” is deep into production in Maryland. He explained that “humility, compassion and the ability to inspire” remain the qualities he most admires in a candidate.
Asked how his fictional character Underwood would fare in a matchup with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Spacey said: “Frank would kill him.”
“I hope our show doesn’t dissuade people [from entering politics],” he said.
As for his sartorial choices, Spacey favors Savile Row and Hugo Boss, who designed his tuxedo for the Emmy Awards when he lost the best actor prize to Jon Hamm from “Mad Men.” “I was this close to slugging Jon, but I contained myself.”
Spacey, inspired by his mentor Jack Lemmon, to “send the elevator back down” to help the next generation of actors, said that Lemmon taught him that acting “isn’t just about taking on a role. It’s also a leadership role.”