A 'House of Cards' actor lied to keep one of the biggest secrets of season 3
"House of Cards" returned to Netflix Friday.
Those who tuned in to episode one of the new season quickly learned the answer to one of the biggest cliffhangers of season 2.
Last chance to head back before spoilers.
At the end of season 2, Frank Underwood's chief of staff Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly) was brutally attacked by a woman, Rachel Posner (Rachel Brosnahan).
Though his death was never confirmed, it seemed pretty obvious that Stamper would not return for another season. After having his head beat multiple times with a rock, he was abandoned in the woods to bleed out.
So, it was a big surprise when it was revealed that Stamper actually survived.
The entire first episode revolves heavily around Stamper and his lengthy recovery process after sustaining an injury to the left frontal cortex.
The news was also a big surprise since it didn't get out that actor Michael Kelly was returning to reprise his character or that he was filming on set.
The actor told the Associated Press he went to great lengths to keep the news from leaking.
"For a year, I've had to keep everything so secret," Kelly told AP. "I feel awful for having to lie, but what else could I do?"
According to Kelly, he wore a hat and contact lenses in public to keep fans from noticing him on and around the "House of Cards" set.
It didn't always work.
When someone would notice him on set, he came up with a few clever lies of his own to throw people off like "I'm a producer" and "These are my friends I'm coming back to visit."
The lies worked, up until a few weeks ago when the first 10 episodes of season 3 leaked onto Netflix briefly after a technical glitch. Fans who were able to stream the first few episodes learned early that Stamper's character was alive and well.
"House of Cards" season 3 is streaming now on Netflix.