House of Cards actor Michael Kelly 'still processing' Kevin Spacey departure: 'I haven't spoken to him'

House of Cards is currently filming its sixth and final season with Robin Wright in the lead role following the departure of Kevin Spacey, something which perhaps affected one co-star more than any other.

Michael Kelly, who has played Francis Underwood's loyal aide Doug Stamper since the show began in 2013, has spoken publicly about Spacey for the first time since he was fired after facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.

Describing the situation as “heartbreaking,” Kelly told Variety: “It’s such a mixed bag of emotions because I was with that guy every single day.”

Acknowledging this as the first time he's willingly spoken about Spacey on the record, he added: “To go back to the same stages, to the same sets, slightly altered with a new President obviously, but to go back to those sets and all of a sudden be with completely different people, it was a strange feeling. I don’t even know how to put it into words because you know one thing for so long and then all of a sudden it’s a completely different world you’re living in.

“There’s obviously a million emotions that I went through, that I processed during this whole thing. I don’t want to talk too much about it because it was heartbreaking in so many ways.”

Kelly revealed he hasn't spoken to his former co-star since his firing by Netflix in November, responding when asked: “I haven’t, no. All I know is what I hear, but I don’t know. It’s tough. You go from talking to someone often to not at all, and in any profession, in anything, circumstances removed, what happened removed, it’s strange … and I’m still processing. I haven’t formulated any opinion.

“I think I’m still going through a lot, processing the whole thing. It’s tough.”

There's no word on when fans can expect to see the new season but a recent trailer showed off newly-elected President Claire Underwood in the oval office promising: “We're only just getting started.”

House of Cards season 6 will arrive on Netflix later this year.