Claire Underwood (Illustration by Brian Smith)
Sure, she is a fictional character, but Claire Underwood’s rich backstory includes a little piece of Preston Hollow. Played by Emmy-nominee Robin Wright, in season four of Netflix’s “House of Cards” it is revealed that Underwood is a “Dallas debutante” who attended Preston Hollow’s prestigious Hockaday School. Based on fan pages concurring she was born in 1965, she perhaps was a fictional member of the class of 1983.
What she’s up to now:
This season, Underwood serves as 47th president of the United States.
Three things to know:
1. Prior to embarking on her political quest, Claire was CEO of an environmental nonprofit. She was ousted after a nasty court battle; fans of the show suspect she held the position merely to make herself seem less … awful, anyway.
2. Claire met husband, Francis Underwood at Radcliffe College. Wed in 1987, they chose world domination over child rearing. A poignant episode reveals Claire’s miniscule vulnerable side, as she speaks publicly of the abortion she had years ago. To beef-up the plotline: 50-year-old Claire, at that point, wanted a baby.
3. Claire hails from a family of wealthy ranchers. She had a close relationship with her father but a strained one with Mom, Elizabeth Hale, who always told her daughter to “frown less, smile more.”
