And one thing that I found really, really interesting about animation is that some folks would sort of skirt these rules, because these rules were very human-based. Not to redirect to the trans conversation, but I think Pose as a show actually did a really incredible thing by centering trans people, making them leads, showing that they could be like Girlfriends, Friends, Sex and the City. When its used well, when its telling a story well, or creating representation or visibility for something thats really lacking it can really save lives. But I certainly know that my gender is not something, and thats what makes it clear for me. White: Yeah, I had. The balance is too far on one side for now. So I wanted to start by asking you, where are you currently at in terms of how you decide to spend your time or energy educating people? If youre new to the show, here at Hollywood Remixed each episode is dedicated to a single theme a type of character, storyline or identity that has traditionally been underrepresented or misrepresented in mainstream culture. 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. These are excerpts from the conversation. It was surprising to me that nobody in the Billions universe has really struggled with or had trouble respecting Taylors gender identity. Dillon, who uses the singular pronoun "they" for identification, spoke . It was created by colonists and imposed on the indigenous peoples of the so-called United States of America. I could use a little help and understanding: Is that the same as or different from or similar to gender nonconforming or genderqueer or gender fluid? I love that you work with a non-binary person. I want to make sure that I get that right.. Ive seen that discourse, that conversation starting to happen online and in the real world, but to see that actually written into a show is cool. And I would say, youve encountered them in your real life, you just dont know it. Its very difficult for me to dismantle it, Ill be honest. And I think these are rooms with people who are somewhat familiar with gender identity or the concept of pronouns, or certainly when I use mine could be like, What did that mean? So yes, Im just relating to the fact that, as you said, the burden is always on or predominantly on non-binary or trans people, gender nonconforming people, to say, like, Heres how Im different instead of the burden or the joy actually on all of us getting to self-determine, be autonomous and have that respected. The gender binary does not exist. March 31 is Trans Day of Visibility. Apply Bed Bath and Beyond Coupon and save 25% Off your entire purchase, Target Circle: up to 50% Off with Target promo code, Shop the new Polo Ralph Lauren x ASOS Exclusive Collection from $99, Michael Kors Promo Code: sign up for KORSVIP + Get 10% Off on first order, 2023 Cond Nast. Search instead in Creative? Hes an asshole, hes vindictive, hes also a human being. And when it comes to non-binary identities, I think that also just holds true: White non-binary actors white characters, really, and thats really what this is. But Taylor is not drinking Red Bull. 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. Im incredibly proud of Taylor as a character. Weve always been having conversations about gender. Asia Kate Dillion talks about acting alongside Dan Soder in 'Billions.'Hear more from Faction Talk on our app! And that creates a ripple effect for other gender identities. In the 1950s, Christine Jorgensen was the first known person to undergo sex reassignment surgery, identifying as a woman some years after her service in World War II. Billions happened to come out after I had just finished filming season 4 of Orange and I just missed the moment. They titrate their emotions in a very conscious, calculated way. Next week, well explore narratives about undocumented immigrants with Blue Bayou filmmaker and star Justin Chon. When I encountered the character breakdown for Taylor, and it did say female non-binary something happened where everything aligned for me, says the actor, who plays the genius hedge fund executive Taylor Mason on the Showtime drama, whose fifth season resumed on Sept. 5. Asia Kate Dillon on Being Non-Binary Slaven Vlasic/Getty "Non-binary is a term used by some people, myself included, who experience their gender identity as falling somewhere outside the. Theres also the sci-fi of gender nonconforming, non-binary people arent human. I mean, obviously sci-fi is the place where you can explore, but when its the only place that you explore gender outside of cisgender identity, you literally dehumanize it. Oh, gosh, fun. And so I think one of the incredible complexities that the show holds about this character of Bobby Axelrod is that, as you said, hes all the things. Trans people have always existed, so these conversations have happened. 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. I think that Taylors wardrobe is actually just very human and very neutral. I can enter the actor category because the word actor is non-gendered and that works for me. And then I dont know exactly when it happened, but I think probably last year, I cant pinpoint it exactly, I really came to an understanding that the choice between actor and actress in the context of award shows where those words only mean man/woman, male/female gender or assigned sex, asking non-binary or intersex or gender nonconforming people to choose between those categories is a false choice. Thats awesome. And its been awesome to see that so far, peripherally, they are integral characters to the storyline, the story isnt about their gender identity necessarily. 13 celebrities who don't identify as either male or female - Insider But do you think it was significant that Taylor hasnt had a major plot line thats been centered around trauma or bigotry or that type of experience? One show that I got hooked on during the pandemic was Good Trouble, which is a follow-up to Freeforms The Fosters. We have one character that I really, really love, Bobbie Yang from Rutherford Falls. For playing the character Brandy Epps in the Netflix series. And its really this fluid space for this character. Thats not a part that Im going to play. Taylors gender identity doesnt get in the way of his ultimate goal. I think a lot of times the awards nowadays are about acknowledging some superlative performances and craft, but theyre also like a litmus test to see how have we been doing in terms of having enough substantive parts for people who dont fit into that dominant identity. Asia Kate Dillon appeared on the silver screen alongside Keanu Reeves in "John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum." In an interview with Insider, the actor revealed how they advocated to bring a bit of their own identity to their role as the Adjudicator in "John Wick." I am obsessed with Billions. It isnt just about abolishing the categories. Back in 2016, fans of the critically acclaimed Netflix dramedy "Orange Is the New Black" were introduced to the character Brandy Epps, a member of the prison's white supremacy gang. We're human beings, and this is a human life. immyukily. Speaking to The New York Times, Dillon revealed that they said to the film's director, Chad Stahelski, "we have a real opportunity here. So I dont have the honest answers. 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. I would like to be, though. Sun: Im glad you mentioned that. Gender nonconformity has traditionally been a means of exploring horror narratives. And I thought, Great. Im not an actor, I think asking a non-binary actor about this and about their own experience is very interesting, but Ive talked to some voice actors, some actors, and theyre still existing in the binary. Is Asia Kate Dillon Related To Matt Dillon. When you watch the show and look at the things that the people who work at Axe Capital have on their desks, they have old soy sauce packets or take out containers. The whole idea behind Steven Universe is an upending of gender expectation. And so some folks have gotten the door to be able to play themselves opened sooner. Most casting breakdowns specify male and female roles. Its called Mirror Fire productions. Its a jean jacket. Sun: Im glad you mentioned Rutherford Falls, because that brings in something you talked about earlier about genre. What is my frame of reference? I think about the concept of the bearded lady, which has been around forever. Dillon identifies as non-binary and uses singular they pronouns. The first question is the Hollywood Remixed, which is: Is there a depiction of a non-binary character in pop culture that you would order a do-over for, and how? 2.1 0. Ellen Meets Trailblazing Actor Asia Kate Dillon - YouTube I remember Danny Strongs character, Todd Krakow, making some snide remarks while he lost to you at the poker tournament. Were you comfortable with that? This episode is about non-binary identity. And I do have plastic tupperware in my bag that I take home and wash. "I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. The thing that I really love about these representations is that they come at the non-binary identity from two different angles. Asia Kate Dillon On Season 5 Of 'Billions': 'Taylor Mason & Wendy They providevery different things. And that applies to representation on television and film. Twenty years from now, will acting be more gender fluid? Cardigan by Maison Kitsun / Shirt by Agns B / Beanie by American Apparel / Necklaces, Dillon's own. And the problem up until now has been that there has been the majority of one kind of representation. Sun: Its a great answer. To see a trans body in this ideal spaceon a cover, in an adthese are spaces that have immense cultural power to dictate what is beautiful, what is glamorous, what is aspirational, what is sexy, what is clean. Actors need to act, actors need money. So thank you so much. So thats what I did. And also that a car, which is an inanimate object, would need to have a gender explicitly. Asia Kate Dillon__bilibili And my heart and mind have been opened. I know that sounds like its made up, it sounds too good to be true, but I have the screenshots. And I say, Well, Taylor wouldnt say policemen, they would say cop' or some gender neutral version of whatever the word is. 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. I'd done research into the term genderqueer and I'm still in the processes of trying . Representation has always had this weight of the first. 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. When my contract was negotiated, I knew that there was a possibility for nudity. Sun: It unfortunately is. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. You know. Asia Kate Dillon talks about how landing a non-binary role on "Billions" has changed their career. Its nice to actually meet a colleague face-to-face over the internet, finally. Non-Binary Actor Asia Kate Dillon Opens Up About Their Swimwear - Yahoo And if we are trying to award art that is representational of everyone, then we need to be representing everyone, and abolishing gendered awards is one part of the change that needs to happen., Elsewhere in the show, THR associate editor Abbey White discusses the genres where gender exploration has taken place the most: science fiction and, perhaps surprisingly, animation. We know that there is a reality in which trans, non-binary, intersex, gender nonconforming people are the targets of hate, bigotry, violence, discrimination, whether its job discrimination, housing discrimination, they have higher rates of bullying and suicide than any other marginalized group. Dillon: I will play whatever part I am the right actor for. I can release she/her pronouns, I can use they/them. And I was able to step into an identity, my non-binary identity, fully. Dillon: I identify as non-binary. Particularly living in a patriarchy where its really useful to decouple, like why does this trait get to be assigned as masculine? Asia Kate Dillon Imdb, Bio, Age, Gender, Partner, And Net Worth Of the rest, only Amber. 55 Non-Binary People Explain What "Non-Binary" Means To Them. Lindsay very firmly knows who they are. Theyre also the most down to fashion-clown on a rainy day in New York City. I think were at a place in the general understanding in Hollywood where your actors should come from a background that matches the character, especially when youre talking about portraying a character that comes from a marginalized background, but what is the line of appropriateness when it comes to gender nonconforming performers? 'Billions' Star Tells Ellen What It Means To Identify As - HuffPost What does that look like? I am actually glad that people try. I mean, because the trick of Pat was Pat just was clueless. Thats a really powerful part of non-binary representation in media. How did you navigate that when you were younger? Sun: Another recurring theme in the larger conversation about inclusion. Its incredibly significant and the significance of it sits alongside something that is a bit difficult for me, which is the fact that according to GLAAD they have this poll about whether or not there have been any trans or non-binary people in a major Hollywood film because The Adjudicator, the character that I play, is never referred to as they/them, which are the pronouns The Adjudicator uses, thats what the script was changed to reflect that, it doesnt count as representation because nobody watching the movie knows that.