'House of Cards' season 5 news: Michael Kelly says Beau Willimon is missed; show gets 13 Emmy nominations

"House of Cards" has a lot of thrilling things going for it in the upcoming season, not to mention the whopping 13 Emmy 2016 nominations it has received. However, actor Michael Kelly shared that something (or someone) was missing. On his first day back to work on the "House of Cards" set, he and the other cast members missed the last showrunner, Beau Willimon, who left after doing the first four seasons of "House of Cards."

Willimon had been there from the start, but he had been ready to go when the time came, saying that he was moving on to "new endeavors," according to Variety.

Kelly, who plays the role of Doug Stamper, Frank Underwood's (Kevin Spacey) inscrutable personal body guard, admitted that Willimon is sorely missed in the show. But he also shared that the future of "House of Cards" is in good hands with Melissa James Gibson and Frank Pugliese, the new showrunners.

Quite recently, the actor was surprised to have received an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He confessed that it was something unexpected, even though it is a second nomination for him. He said that while his wife shared his skepticism, his young children were very excited when they learned the news, although they hardly knew what it meant.

Kelly's nomination is only one of the 13 Emmy nominations that "House of Cards" has received this year. Spacey, the series' lead star, was also nominated in the category for Best Lead Actor in a drama series, while Robin Wright got a nod as Best Lead Actress. Three of guesting cast members were also nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in the drama category: Reg E. Cathey, Mahershala Ali, and Paul Sparks.

In an interview with The Wrap, Kelly said, "They do such an amazing job casting that show. I'm so appreciative that the show is so widely regarded and to be a part of that group. It's really, really special."

The show also went on to receive a nomination for Best Drama, and the actor said that it is how the show is being penned that makes the characters really engrossing.

Meanwhile, the upcoming season 5 of "House of Cards" is said to feature the death of its major character, Underwood. It will premiere sometime in early 2017.