Its quite possible you had never seen Cody Fern before.
The young Australian actor has only a few credits to his name.
So I was in London because I went to work on the script with my writing partner.
Credit: Ray Mickshaw/FX
I was in a little bit of a rut in terms of where I was as an actor.
I was always up for big roles, and it was always between me and one other.
I was really selective about the work I wanted to do.
I was frustrated because I wasnt getting the gig.
It always came down to star name, this that and the other.
So its funny now.
You grew up in Australia.
I knew there was Gianni Versace, but I didnt even know Versace had been murdered.
So I was new to the story as a whole.
Before I started filming, I readVulgar Favors.
So I came to know everything as I was actually in the story, and that was phenomenal.
Was there any thought to reaching out to Davids family?I considered reaching out to the Madson family.
First and foremost, we have Maureen Orths book.
Second, you have Tom Rob Smith, whos phenomenal as a writer.
I think everyone had a sense of wanting to protect the families from that kind of exposure.
I didnt approach the Madson family out of respect.
But when you have Tom Rob Smiths writing and Maureens research, youre in a good place.
Tell me about episode 4, which was the most intense for your role.
The entire hour is a building sense of dread, ending with Davids death.
How was that shoot?Emotionally, it was incredibly fraught.
It was a huge upheaval.
It was something I couldnt separate being on set and taking the work home.
It really affected me psychologically.
It was so dark.
Being on set, it runs like a family so you feel very protected and very safe and nurtured.
So that was the hardest thing to deal with.
Hes so unhinged and so brilliant.
I never knew what he was going to do or what choice he was going to make.
It was a wonderful experience, but it was also incredibly difficult.
The way the show is structured, you basically have to create your character backward.
It was easier to find the crystal of who David was and what he was willing to fight for.
At the very core, David is fighting for what is right and what is good.
It meant that working backwards, I knew the very essence of who David was as a person.
Then you get to form chemistry as actors, between Darren and myself.
We became such good friends.
We went through such extreme things together.
It was just announced youre joiningHouse of Cards.Im over the moon.
Im thrilled.House of CardsIve watched since the first day.
Can you tease anything about your character?There have been rumors about who my character was.
Thats not the case.
But I can also tell you Im NOT a good guy.
