Asia made their television show debut as the bald girl on the comedy-drama series Younger in 2015. Which show has better food? That was a real pleasure. Watching a lot of kids cartoons, where theres increasing conversation about the impact of gender stereotypes and what that reinforces in cisgender and non-binary and trans kids and maybe how damaging that can be when you watch some of these cartoons, its not even just blue is for boy and pink is for girl. Its like, a car has to have eyelashes, which is a weird thing because its assuming, one, that men and boys dont have eyelashes. There are certainly a lot of errors. What we need to do is get rid of mens and womens sections and make sections that are like dresses for tall people, pants for short people, jeans for people with hips, you know what I mean? Asia Kate Dillon is an American actress, producer, and director known for portraying various important roles in popular TV shows like Taylor Mason in Billions and Brandy Epps in Orange Is the New Black. The male/female categories uphold the gender binary, which is ultimately extraordinarily dangerous for anyone who identifies outside of it. Taylor is one of my all-time favorite TV characters brilliant, complex, surprising and about as moral as you can get on a drama about the cat and mouse game between billionaire financiers and the megalomaniacal government lawyers who love to hate them. And so those are the opportunities that are available to them, so thats what they can go out for. White: Yes, exactly. That also means that we can put you in dramas and comedies. Asia Kate Dillon: 'This Is Who I Am' - New York Times I never want to get too optimistic on this show, but things look like they suck a little less than they used to. Sun: Thats so moving to me to hear, that is extraordinary. Thats how the majority of Americans learn about the queer community. I think that non-binary identity is still sort of fresh for much of the industry. I dont think of Taylor as a hidden gem, but maybe they are. Sun: Im glad you mentioned Rutherford Falls, because that brings in something you talked about earlier about genre. Matt Dillon ( Full name: Matthew Raymond Dillon) is a 57-year-old American actor and film director who was born on February 18, 1964, in White: Okay. They dont ascribe to human gender identity. And in that same space of the bearded woman, there is a gender nonconformity there, right? Last season, we got to learn a little bit more about Taylors past when Kevin Pollak recurred as your father. They are known for playing Brandy Epps in Orange Is the New Black (2013) and Taylor Mason in Billions (2016). And so it makes a lot of logical sense to me that that would be a genre that people leaned into. Taylor has moved around a lot across the seasons, but for the purposes of this general podcast I will have to restrain myself. The creators, David and Bryan, both have children of various ages, and their kids would come home and be talking to them and say like, Yeah my friend is coming over, theyll be here at 6:00. And Brian or David would say Wait, how many people are coming? Or, They? It began as an organic conversation about their kids worlds and their kids friends, so when they were developing a character that was younger, who was an intern, it just sort of made sense to them to have that character be in this world. I have always felt non-binary, before I had the language to conceive or communicate what that was to other people. Asia Kate Dillon is making history as the first gender non-binary character on a mainstream television show, Showtime's " Billions .". At . (Laughs.). Its so fun to play a character that doesnt use any machismo or bravado. Im adapting from that. I would say there are certainly more non-binary characters being written, and there are more non-binary actors being cast in those roles. The 'Billions' actor, Asia Kate Dillon, talks about their character's climb to the billion-dollar club, losing Axe, and taking on a new mentorship role. And because gender is a spectrum. You can have non-binary people in comedy. And so the future, to me, is inclusive, and its intersectional, certainly. Its really nice to talk to you. There was no pathway; it was more or less trying to figure it out. Dillons Billions character of Taylor identifies as nonbinary as well a point that caused Dillon to weep with joy upon first reading the script. And its a little remarkable given that the characters are otherwise all kinds of assholes. Or Im getting a coffee and I get called Miss, and I dont have the time or the energy. (Laughs.) I mean, because the trick of Pat was Pat just was clueless. Sun: These arent, like, Adult Swim cartoons that come on at 3 a.m. for grownups to watch, but this is childrens programming and is age-appropriate in terms of all the aspects in which that matters. Sweater by Maison Kitsun / Pants by Issey Miyake / Shoes by Dr. Martens / Beanie by Noah / Sunglasses by Mykita. Is it hard and challenging to play a character like that? How did the costuming go?The designer and the producers had a vision and they asked me if I was comfortable. But the whole show is kind of morally gray, which is what I like about it. So thats GLAADs poll, and also people saw the movie and tweeted at me or messaged me and said, like, I cant believe theres a non-binary character in this movie. I mean, every press release that came out about the movie where I was talking about it, I was very upfront: This character is non-binary, it wasnt written that way, the studio and Chad Stahelski and Keanu, they loved it. Even if nothing in the script or the filming changes, whats the significance of a move like that? And I know that just from Instagram or reading something on Variety or Deadline or The Hollywood Reporter, thats the way that I learn about that. "I also ask for patience. And sex is not a binary either. They can be in literally anything. Were all ignorant of what were ignorant of until were not. Its Pat. I dont know. But theres also something freeing about seeing a character who walks around and is comfortable with who they are. Read on for our chat about everything from whether Alec Baldwin does a good Trump impression to what kind of person even drinks Red Bull to the backstory on that game-changing role as Taylor. Because I feel like its also extraordinary to have a character whos never referred to by a pronoun. ", "[As a model], I definitely don't want to tell trans people that they need to buy things in order to fully come into themselves as a trans person. Its about changing and evolving the material that is created within quote-unquote Hollywood.. Its about making space for everyone. One is unintentional. This is generally a setup to be like, is there something problematic you want to call out, but we dont have to put it that way. Thats a really powerful part of non-binary representation in media. An example of that is when I am misgendered. In 2017, "Billions" star Asia Kate Dillon, the. The actor who plays Taylor from Billions wears a seamless mix of clothes (labels like menswear and womenswear need not apply) and talks Axe Capital, Trump, and playing a white supremacist. And so Im wondering if you wouldnt mind I know youve told this story before talking a little bit about what was your framework for understanding yourself prior, and then also, how do you currently identify? I interviewed a voice actor for a piece. Dillon is non-binary and uses singular they pronouns. Thats really all that they have. Thank you again. I remember Danny Strongs character, Todd Krakow, making some snide remarks while he lost to you at the poker tournament. People keep talking about the niceness of Ted Lasso, but thats because were seeing men be nice, and thats considered radical. But Taylor is not drinking Red Bull. Its also about how a cisgender character responds to the partner. Anyone can enter either category for any reason. So I dont have the honest answers. I can enter the actor category because the word actor is non-gendered and that works for me. It's just a feeling. Top editors. In this weeks episode of Hollywood Remixed, The Hollywood Reporters podcast about inclusion and representation in entertainment, Billions Asia Kate Dillon joins the show to talk about how non-binary representation changes lives starting with their own. White: Oh, absolutely. And it can be really reinforced by our media. And even if Im not the last person in the proverbial circle to go, very rarely do other people follow suit. And because it is not the focal point of Taylors storyline on the show, the things that I talk with Brian and David about are financial stuff, stuff that has to do with the financial world, or what Taylor knows or doesnt know about certain things with regard to the job. Everybody else around Pat was obsessed with Pats gender, which if you talk to trans people, non-binary people, thats kind of what the world is like now. Maybe the food is trying to keep within the vibe of the world. You can watch Asia on Billions, whose fifth season is airing now Sundays at 9 p.m. on Showtime. Sun: Im glad you mentioned that. Sun: No, I appreciate that. This applies also to disability representation and also religious representation. Im really grateful for that, Dillon tells Yahoo Lifestyle at New York Citys Build Studio (part of Yahoos parent company, Oath), where they had dropped by for a live studio interview. White: There are two characters who I think are very good, so Ill mention both of them and then mention a storyline. I mean, publicly step into that identity, knowing that my body is just my body, and it doesnt signify anything other than its my body. But there are a lot of people on that set. So in that sense, I think expanding the definition of what a woman is is great for people who identify as women and want to work at expanding that definition for themselves and the world at large. And so to me, actor historically is a non-gendered word and thats the word Ive always used, but I needed to pose the question to the Emmy board, what actor and actress meant to them. I also understand the need for dialogue on it. What kinds of conversations have you had with the showrunners, Brian Koppelman and David Levien, about how they even came to creating Taylor, who quickly became a major character in the universe? Asia Kate Dillon attends the Season 5 celebration of "Orange is the New Black" at Catch, June 9, 2017, in N.Y. Taylor Hill/FilmMagic via Getty Images, FILE Asia Kate Dillon is a fierce actor with arresting eyes and a buzzcut, known for breakout roles including a Nazi skinhead inmate in Orange Is the New Black and, currently, a calculating. I remember in middle school they were going to do Oliver! I was so excited to audition to play Oliver and then realized I couldnt, because I hadnt been assigned male at birth. For Asia Kate Dillon, 'Billions' Is a Numbers Game - Thrillist So thats what I did. Im curious, though, whether or not we will see a trickle-down effect to non-binary performers getting to play non-binary characters or whether their roles will be along binary lines. And I realized that once I tried to start learning more about non-binary, its like, Wow, we are so firmly, fundamentally wedded to this idea of this or that, male or female. Thats why today I really wanted to focus on when you are neither this nor that. Lets show some skin. We need to see roles written for them that are Emmy-, Tony- and Oscar-worthy. And then we take that with us as we get older. One of my favorites is Summer Camp Island. Dillon, 34, identifies as nonbinary, too, with the same preferred pronouns, a gender identity the Billions role helped them clarify. Weve had Axe very matter-of-factly correct peoples pronouns and things like that. I would like to be, though. Asia Kate Dillon is a fierce actor with arresting eyes and a buzzcut, known for breakout roles including a Nazi skinhead inmate in Orange Is the New Black and, currently, a calculating hedge-fund intern on Showtimes Billions. And they are a musician; many of the most famous non-binary celebrities coincidentally happen to be more musicians rather than actors, like Sam Smith, and I think Janelle Mone has identified as non-binary or gender nonconforming. But I think about this conversation because this is a conversation that I think people are beginning to have. In one of their interviews, they revealed that they were currently dating a man, however, chose to not divulge any further details such as his name or the duration of their relationship. Sun: Yes, thank you. And I think that were kind of hitting the tip of the iceberg of what was almost verging on a very metaphysical discussion about the separation between body and soul and things like that. In 2020 alone it has been reported that at least 40 transgender people have been murdered, the majority of which were Black and Latinx trans women. His sister is trans and this season Gael finds out that hes a dad. I think about Billions, I think about Vida. How did you find your way to The Adjudicator? Asia Kate Dillon (born November 15, 1984) [1] is an American actor, best known for their roles as Brandy Epps in Orange Is the New Black and Taylor Mason in Billions. And so now, having the opportunity to talk about it and have it printed is extraordinary for me, and it doesnt get tiring., One particularly notable moment of explanation was when Dillon was a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. To have arrived at this place in my life. One show that I got hooked on during the pandemic was Good Trouble, which is a follow-up to Freeforms The Fosters. My joy is real, but it is also fragile. Dillon: Totally. Asia always wanted to play the role of a boy, which came true when they were cast as a boy at the age of 11 in their school play. Its not that we werent having conversations about gender. This site uses cookies to serve you better. Its definitely happening and happening more and more often, and I think thats a really big win. What is that scary space? Its a jean jacket. Like, why are you all so obsessed with Pats gender? With warmth and openness and far more hand gestures than youll see from the actors taciturn characters, Dillon discussed soft power, killer costumes and how to show skin and emotion on camera. Its not even about non-binary white actors. So how would you find a trans actor when your entire government is like, you shouldnt exist? Dillon: Yes, certainly. Ive spoken to child development experts about childrens media and gender, and that binary in kids isnt inherent. And I think our media is really representative of how that conversation has changed. But food tastes better out of a jar. What we need are visions of trans, non-binary, gender nonconforming people not only surviving but thriving and being loved and having loved and being fully formed characters and human beings, so that when viewers are watching, they can relate to us as full human beings and hopefully learn to love and care about those characters, which I know translates to love and care for trans, non-binary, gender nonconforming, intersex people in real life. And so and this is a statistic that Laverne Cox said in an interview a little while ago I think 85 percent of Americans say theyve only encountered a trans, non-binary, gender nonconforming person through the media. Dillon: I identify as non-binary. He is a gay man of color, and one of the things that he said really stuck out to me, and that was that queer white people get to be queer, and queer people of color are people of color first, which means that society looks at our race before it looks at our sexuality. To your knowledge, have people told you whether or not thats actually true to life of the real-life hedge fund world? In terms of the ongoing conversation around Taylors gender identity over the past four seasons, I would say there has been very little, because that is just one part of what makes up who Taylor is. Min. Asia Kate Dillon - IMDb LGBTQ activists and allies have advocated for gender-neutral acting categories at major awards ceremonies like the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Sun: Asia Kate Dillon plays the genius hedge fund executive Taylor Mason on Billions, whose fifth season returned on Showtime Sept. 5. And thats what the term non-binary is about: Its more like a sphere that you can walk into, and it exists fluidly. But how about this: Because I know that your position has modified or evolved somewhat from 2017 and 2018, when you received back-to-back nominations for best supporting actor at Critics Choice Awards, and the Emmys allowed you to submit in the supporting actor category, and that was something that you did at the time where are you right now in terms of how you feel about this whole situation, this whole issue? White: In animation, because it is such a fluid medium, because it doesnt have to ascribe to the physical realism that exists in live-action film and TV, you can be super expressive, and I think theres a long history of people exploring gender intentionally and unintentionally through animation. Stillness is really important in terms of Taylor. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Its also been really incredible to see trans and non-binary people, particularly people of color, Black and indigenous people, having control of their own stories and being the ones who are writing them, directing them, producing them. What is it like playing a nonbinary character in the hypermasculine world of Billions? I've been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. In As You Like It, I played the 90-year-old man. And I say, Well, Taylor wouldnt say policemen, they would say cop' or some gender neutral version of whatever the word is. And I think thats part of the key to LGBTQ representation, the storied history of LGBTQ representation and definitely non-binary representation. As an actor, as a performer, do you have any preference towards playing characters whose gender identity matches your own? But what the 33-year-old gets asked about perhaps most frequently is gender identity: Dillons is nonbinary, with the preferred pronoun of they.. Someone can have a beard and be trans. Asia Kate Dillon Pictures, Photos & Images - Zimbio And so that really, depending on who youre talking to, will influence how they define non-binary and also how they describe their own gender. They have accumulated good wealth from their acting career. Not everyone identifies within the binary, they say. Non-binary actor Asia Kate Dillon talks about their role in John Wick 3, their on-screen style, and their swimwear struggle. Dillon: There have been cases on the show where Taylor has been purposefully misgendered, and its been done to reveal something about the character who is misgendering Taylor. Sun: Another recurring theme in the larger conversation about inclusion.