In what is being described as a first
for broadcast television, Showtime's Billions will feature a
non-binary gender identifying character.
Asia Kate Dillon has been cast as
Taylor, an intern at Axe Capital, the hedge fund run by billionaire
Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (played by Damian Lewis).
Dillon uses the singular “they”
pronoun for non-binary gender identification. Prior to Billions,
they appeared on Netflix's dramedies Master of None and Orange
is the New Black, in which Dillon plays Brandy Epps, an inmate at
Litchfield Penitentiary.
In an interview with The Huffington
Post, Dillon said they feel a sense of responsibility as the
first gender non-binary actor on cable television.
“As someone who is non-binary gender
identifying, I feel a particular responsibility to portray members of
my community on stage and on screen, not only as fully fleshed-out
characters who are integral to the plot, but as characters whose
gender identity is just one of many parts that make up the whole
person,” Dillon said. “I also feel I have a responsibility to
portray members of my community as accepted, loved and valued.”
Billions returns for its second
season on February 19.