Kevin Spacey Smartly Defends 'House Of Cards' on 'Colbert' Before Stealing His Emmy

Stephen Colbert called out Kevin Spacey on Wednesday for receiving nine Emmy nominations despite "House of Cards" not being a real "TV show."

"I've got a beef about this," Colbert said. "It's an Internet show. ... Why should you get an award for TV when you're not on TV? Defend yourself."

Spacey aced his rebuttal, arguing that the "House of Cards" model complements the changing way people consume television.

"I think that what's been remarkable about how the audience has responded to "House of Cards" — all 13 [episodes] of the first season coming out all at once — is that they are in control," Spacey said. "They can watch it how they want to watch it. They want to binge on all 13? They can."

Colbert then challenged Spacey on the believability of the show's main character: a white Democrat from South Carolina, Colbert's homestate.

Spacey replied, "It's obviously a fictional show, because it's also [about] a Congress that gets s--- done."

The conversation got heated when Spacey compared "House of Cards" and "Colbert Report" viewerships, prompting Colbert to brag that he already won his Emmy.

Naturally, Spacey leapt from his chair, stole Colbert's Emmy from the mantle, and made Colbert chase him around stage for it.

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