The backbone of powerful political series House of Cards has unravelled the mysteries of the show while in Sydney for the Vivid festival.

Creator Beau Willimon took part in an open floor discussion on Saturday evening as part of the Vivid Ideas program.

During the Q&A he unveiled the recipe to the show's success, the riddle behind Frank Underwood's sexuality and the process of birthing new characters.

Missed opportunity: Robin Wright as Claire Underwood in House of Cards.

Willimon answered a bevy of questions from eager fans who had binge-watched season four, the most recent season released earlier this year.


Here is a list of some of Willimon's most fascinating insights.

FRANK UNDERWOOD'S NAME:

It turns out that Frank Underwood is an F-U to Margaret Thatcher.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was the inspiration behind the name of the original fictional character Francis Urquhart. Michael Dobbs the author of the 1989 novel House of Cards, worked for Thatcher and turned to writing the novel after he was sacked as her Chief of Staff. "He had worked for Maggie Thatcher and they had had a falling out and he was fuming from that and all he could think over and over and over again was F-U, F-U, F-U," Willimon explained. "So he began writing that first novel purely out of vengeance, which explains a lot."

DONALD TRUMP:

The show doesn't "rip from the headlines" because it is created months ahead of its release. "Unfortunately, I think real life may be drawing too much inspiration from us. It is stale old news by the time it hits the screen." As for Trump himself, Willimon blamed the media for paying too much attention to the candidate. "It is probably why he is where he is and if we talk about him it just adds to the noise."

FRANK'S AMBIGUOUS SEXUALITY:

When asked by a member from the audience whether or not the character was gay, bi or pansexual, Willimon replied: "I don't think Frank would buy into any of those labels". He described the character as a man with a "large appetite" adding while his first love is power, "he doesn't limit himself anymore than he limits himself when it comes to idea on how to dominate the world."

MOST ENJOYABLE CHARACTER:

Willimon enjoyed crafting the personality of Freddy Hayes, the former owner of Frank's secret hideaway BBQ joint. "Freddy was a creation an entirety of our own - you won't see that in the books or in the BBC version," he explained. The creator said it was important to show more than just the "polished marble halls of the capital".

MISSED OPPORTUNITY:

According to Willimon the BBC's House of Cards series missed out on the opportunity to delve deeper into female characters, specifically Frank's wife Claire. "Half the population is not male. I wanted to see the world we were exploring as much through her eyes as through his. Without her he is nothing and you can make the argument vice versa."

CHARACTER LIKEABILITY:

Often the least likeable characters are the most interesting, said Willimon. "They give us access to the most mysterious and difficult to grapple portions of ourselves - and that makes them attractive."

ATTENTION TO DETAIL:

The perfect recipe for a successful show like House of Cards is a set of "self-imposed rules" and attention to detail. Willimon said symmetry, the colour palette, sleek lines, lighting and movements all played a crucial role in the series' success. "That doesn't mean you don't break those rules from time to time," Willimon said using Shakespeare as a triumphant example. "Rules give you the opportunity to break them and when you break them you should know why you are breaking them."

AAP