Spacey plays US politician, Francis Underwood in the new political drama. A man so determined to become Secretary of State, he'll do just about anything to get what he wants...

Underwood's vengeful quest for power sees him blackmailing not only his rivals, but also his colleagues.

With his history of political involvement, it is not hard to see how Spacey was the ideal candidate to play the part.

“I’ve been around figures who were important, powerful figures in the political scene…you can’t help but soak up a certain amount of the physicality of that.”

A feature of the series is Underwood's asides to the camera. Spacey says he drew on his recent performance in Richard III for these.

"You were specifically looking in people's eyes and making them your co-conspirator...you could see them leaning on the edge of their seat...they felt like they were involved in something that no-one else was involved in..."

To read the full interview, check out the new issue of Hot Press, out tomorrow...