They are known for playing Brandy Epps in Orange Is the New Black (2013) and Taylor Mason in Billions (2016). White: Yes, exactly. But clothing is gender neutral. If you have a kid who comes out as non-binary, you get to watch this father actively work from a place of love to learn to love his child again, or in a new way, or something. Shes fluffy and puffy, but shes sturdy. How was that? Thank you again. So one, theres a shortage of roles and thats something that cant be ignored in the conversation about who gets to play who. I think that theres been a lot of conversations that specifically talk about transgender representation in Hollywood, and this is going to be everything else, not that. the government, the planet, the race forces her to undergo a conversion therapy of sorts to go back to a they, which is really interesting. And Ive said this before there, there were a handful of times, particularly season two, season three, and there will occasionally still happen where theres some phraseology that comes out in a script or a certain word. Talking about gender and gender representation is seen as a joke, and its not always treated with sensitivity. I wonder if it is an inevitable circumstance of evolving understanding. People are going to listen to me more often, receive my message more often than they would from a gender nonconforming person of color. Top editors. We talked a little bit about Star Trek, and feel free to bring in other examples if they exist, but tell me a little bit about how they have treated this subject of gender expression. Demi Lovato I think was the most recent really big announcement. And I feel really grateful that its always felt like a very safe space to do that. Twenty years from now, will acting be more gender fluid? Like, what if I had to be in a place where my gender didnt align with something that somebody could immediately clock? Theres still not enough, so lets keep going. Its a really interesting representation. Im a marginalized person because Im nonbinary, but I carry white body privilege. Whats going on? And so it is both a means to identify how I feel, how I experience my gender, and also a way of illustrating that the sex and gender binaries are not real. 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 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? But one of the reasons the show is resonating with people right now is because the show examines why we find the characteristics of charm, and flawed people, appealing. Sun: The invisibility of being part of the majority. 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 it is important to have those stories, but growing up, and up until honestly a few years ago, those were the only stories that existed. Min. My pronouns are they/them. Female is a sex, and sex is between our legs, and gender identity is between our ears.. They just know that this person appears in makeup and feminine attire, and a pronoun is never used. Since then, Ive had all different kinds of styles and colors, and for Orange Is the New Black I played a skinhead, so it worked for that. Do we as a parent tell our children who they are? Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. And it can be really reinforced by our media. When did you start to get recognized as an actor?I started to get recognized when my season of Orange came out. White: Yeah, I had. I very much do think they are. And thank you so much for having me, Rebecca. Actor Asia Kate Dillon predicts that widespread scrapping of gendered entertainment categories is just a matter of time. And you cant really ascribe their race to them. Its about changing and evolving the material that is created within quote-unquote Hollywood.. We had Dillon in Issey Miyake in the middle of a busy street; Dillon in Maison Kitsun hanging off a rickety fire-escape. While there are characters and storylines in Star Trek that have always been about this exploration of gender non-conformity, I would say that it isnt really until more recently also as language has evolved and weve really solidified our concept of non-binary as a word to describe people it really isnt until the later works, Discovery, that weve had explicitly crafted non-binary characters. They essentially do the thing that we often see men, male heroes, in cartoons do. John Wick 4's Missing Adjudicator Is A Bigger Franchise Problem But Taylor is not drinking Red Bull. 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. Theyre little, theyre super cute and their storyline is basically about how one helps the other feel better but in the process sort of confesses their love for the other one. My job was to show up on set, put on the costume, play the character, and then take off the costume, and leave the character at work. Im gonna wade into this. White: Star Trek has always been about exploration and asking questions about identity and community and where we belong and how we belong. 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. March 31 is Trans Day of Visibility. Last season, we got to learn a little bit more about Taylors past when Kevin Pollak recurred as your father. I think about the concept of the bearded lady, which has been around forever. Its so fun to play a character that doesnt use any machismo or bravado. Its Pat. I dont know, Abbey, if that is way too old of a reference for you, but I was reading back through the commentary at the time Roddenberry meant it as a LGBT allegory to criticize conversion therapy and forcing somebody to be something that they dont naturally feel. We have one character that I really, really love, Bobbie Yang from Rutherford Falls. 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. 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. (Laughs.) 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. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. I love that character so, so much because one of the things that I really struggle with in terms of the way that non-binary is allowed to exist on screen is that most people chalk non-binary up to androgynous. You know its interesting that people think that pants are masculine. I was really grateful to be playing a white antagonist in a Black Lives Matter storyline, because you need white antagonists to tell those stories. Thats a message of self-care, is what youre saying: Dont expose yourself to problematic portrayals. Asia Kate Dillon: I agree. I got a casting breakdown from my agent. The thing about being non-binary is, you can be hairy and wear lipstick, and that is non-binary. ", "I'm not [transitioning] to be interesting. I mean, there are always meals on set. My first day on set there was a Red Bull on Taylors desk, and we were like, Taylor wouldnt drink red bull. 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. What does it mean for you to fall in love with someone, and they fall in love with you, under the assumption that you are one thing and youre actually the other? Sun: Thanks again to Asia Kate Dillon and THR associate editor Abbey White for joining us on Hollywood Remixed today. Theyre not gendered, and the pronouns are very purposeful, and thats based off, [according to] the experts that Ive talked to, a really age-appropriate way to reach kids that they can understand. Dillon: Frankly, if Im allowed to promote myself and the show, I would say, if you havent watched Billions, watch Billions. Particularly as someone who might not necessarily align with who their child is. ", "[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. 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. I just had literally no example, but I also knew that she/her didnt feel right to me, but I also didnt know how to claim another set of pronouns if I wasnt changing my body, because I had a sense of what they call imposter syndrome. And what does that mean? I think the interesting thing about trans versus non-binary representation is that trans representation has arguably existed more specifically and intentionally than non-binary representation. White: Oh my God, this is incredible. People keep talking about the niceness of Ted Lasso, but thats because were seeing men be nice, and thats considered radical. I have always experienced myself that way. So yes, its going to happen soon. Rebecca Sun: Welcome to Hollywood Remixed, a topical podcast about inclusion and representation in culture and entertainment. How does that change your dynamic? Taylor Mason (Asia Kate Dillon) has come a long way from first joining Axe Capital as an intern, working for Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis). And I do have plastic tupperware in my bag that I take home and wash. "Billions" star Asia Kate Dillon, the first gender nonbinary performer to play a nonbinary character on a major TV show, made headlines in 2017 when they asked the TV Academy to clarify its . 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? And I think particularly on a show like Billions which as I shared before we started recording, I came to with a lot of preconceived notions and prejudices about what a universe that is constructed of hedge fund traders and wheeling and dealing politicians would be like its kind of refreshing and Ill admit a little bit surprising. I use non-binary to describe my gender identity because my gender identity falls outside the boxes of man or woman. Dillon is non-binary and uses singular they pronouns. Hes an asshole, hes vindictive, hes also a human being. By continuing to use this website, you agree to our cookie and, Asia Kate Dillon Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics, Lily Sullivan Height, Weight, Age, Boyfriend, Family, Biography, Clare McConnell Height, Weight, Age, Boyfriend, Family, Aksel Hennie Height, Weight, Age, Wife, Net Worth, Family, Paddy Kelly Height, Weight, Age, Spouse, Family, Biography, Estephania Ha Height, Weight, Age, Spouse, Children, Family, Faith Lianne Height, Weight, Age, Boyfriend, Family, Biography, Lucia Lachkovi Javorekov Height, Weight, Age, Boyfriend, Bio, Bringing about a wave of change and for making history by playing Taylor Mason on. has quite a lot of. Asia Kate Dillon was born on November 15, 1984 in Ithaca, New York, USA. Taylor also is non-binary, and in a few minutes youll hear about how that character description helped Asia understand and articulate their own gender identity. White: Yes, exactly. I obviously would not say to the same degree that white characters are. Weve always been having conversations about gender. Dillon, 34, identifies as nonbinary, too, with the same preferred pronouns, a gender identity the Billions role helped them clarify. All of it to me is a great example of how it could go. Whats interesting following that and the gates that have opened for trans actors is that trans actors were still kind of operating in that binary of what Hollywood thought a man and a woman really was. Its this adventurey place. Not everyone identifies within the binary. ", "Finally undergoing bottom surgery has allowed me to confidently flourish in my new body and dismantle any remaining gender dysphoria. 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. What I remember is receiving that script and reading those scenes and crying and thinking, This is exactly right on for Taylor, for Taylors father. This is who I am.. Sun: Its a great answer. Do you have somewhere to be? Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. 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Rowling's Controversial Transgender Comments, Iowa News Reporter Comes Out as Transgender Woman on Live TV: 'There's Beauty in This Process'. I would say there are certainly more non-binary characters being written, and there are more non-binary actors being cast in those roles. Ad Choices, Billions Star Asia Kate Dillon Proves Theres No Such Thing as Menswear. I really like a structure. And so that is very special, but yeah, we talk about mostly where Taylor is coming from emotionally and why they are the way they are and why they are behaving the way theyre behaving and doing what theyre doing. These are characters that come with very, very specific personality traits, physical traits. Why they say getting the diagnosis later in life was a 'relief. Its a big part of what Dillon brought to the second season of Billionsthe rare show that actually got better in the second installment, thanks in large part to Dillons expectation-shattering turn as Taylor, the hotshot hedge fund star who bears little surface resemblance to any hedge fund hotshot whos come before. I have three shows that I keep on rotation and Im very careful about what kind of media I intake, and how much I intake at once. Its a masterful way of showing a multidimensional, incredibly complex, awesome character that I think many performers would kill to play. One show that I got hooked on during the pandemic was Good Trouble, which is a follow-up to Freeforms The Fosters. I've dealt with this feeling my entire life, and I know that I'm a woman deep down. They are not trying to incorporate a character who still ascribes to a gender that people want to force on them. Weve long had queer villains, but were getting queer heroes, queer love interests, smart queer people and strong queer people. And I say, Well, Taylor wouldnt say policemen, they would say cop' or some gender neutral version of whatever the word is. Suit by Homme Plisse Issey Miyake / Boots by Dr. Martens / Beanie by Obey / Hoodie, Dillon's own. Thank you again. Still, recurrent explaining is not something they mind one bit. Theres a sweet, beautiful song. And I remember taking the clippers that my roommate had at the time and just going for it. Check out the latest pictures, photos and images of Asia Kate Dillon. Before we get to our final two questions, I definitely wanted to make sure that we get to talking a little bit about your advocacy in the campaign to eliminate gendered award categories. You can have non-binary people in comedy. The actor has an estimated net worth of $1,276,947. Sun: Yeah, it does. I am actually glad that people try. How much educating around gender identity do you have to do? The male/female categories uphold the gender binary, which is ultimately extraordinarily dangerous for anyone who identifies outside of it. So have you felt excluded, then, by the womens movement, and specifically the Womens March? Click here for your trial subscription: https:. So I do feel left out of conversations that continue to align femininity and womanhood with uteruses and vaginas. Dillon, who uses the singular pronoun "they" for identification, spoke . I feel lucky to be writing this. It mostly feels like a conversation, a dialogue about what pronouns are, what gender identity is, the fact that were all assigned a sex, but that everyone actually has the autonomy to decide how they identify. immyukily. Asia Kate Dillon talks about how landing a non-binary role on "Billions" has changed their career. All Rights Reserved. And the fact of the matter is whether youre talking about Star Trek or anything else, sensitivity has changed over time. I love wearing wigs. What I can think of as problematic is when non-binary characters are written and Im not saying Ive seen evidence of this but when non-binary characters are written without anyone consulting a non-binary person, whether it be actors they are considering for the role, but frankly it needs to happen before then. I think Pat was a joke. As an actor, as a performer, do you have any preference towards playing characters whose gender identity matches your own? In As You Like It, I played the 90-year-old man. Dillon: Yes, certainly. Sun: Im glad you mentioned Rutherford Falls, because that brings in something you talked about earlier about genre. In person, Dillon also exhibits an extraordinary amount of empathy: In conversation they (more on that pronoun in a bit) graciously express empathy for Donald and Melania Trump, and they show it whenas we grab a quick lunch for this interviewthey are approached by a rather bold young gentleman (who could have walked straight off the Billions set) for an all-too-presumptuously familiar chat. Sun: Thats a such a universal maxim. Ive spoken to child development experts about childrens media and gender, and that binary in kids isnt inherent. It wasn't the time for me to come out back then. And you see Mafee defending Taylor, which is important for people to watch. 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. Asia made their television show debut as the bald girl on the comedy-drama series Younger in 2015. Taylor has moved around a lot across the seasons, but for the purposes of this general podcast I will have to restrain myself. 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. Thousands of new, high-quality pictures added every day. I told you, Im pretty careful about what I watch and what I listen to. 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. Your character has had some nude scenes, including a sex scene opposite Mike Birbiglias venture philanthropist character last season. And I think that holds true for the entire Billions world, which is, if whatevers going on with you doesnt in the way of you making money or you making someone else money, then its not really actually a big deal. Dillon: Unless Im misremembering, I had nothing to do with the writing of that scene. 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. I feel like a lot of art these days is just entertainment for entertainments sake. And if every character I played from now until I die onscreen or on the stage was non-binary, that would be awesome. Non-binary. Thats a really powerful part of non-binary representation in media. I would like [people] to understand that we are people. ", "Part of my public work is talking about my life experiences and what I've gone through. But the thing about non-binary identity is that you know that youre neither of those. 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. Were all ignorant of what were ignorant of until were not. To be here. The Adjudicator allows themselves to have a little more fun. But for my character, its different. Theyre also the most down to fashion-clown on a rainy day in New York City. On a recent afternoon, Dillon ordered a half-mug of coffee, also black, and reclined barefoot in the pillow-dotted loft above the shop. Are you zero waste?Asia Kate Dillon: No! 'Billions' Star Asia Kate Dillon Proves There's No Such Thing as Menswear The actor who plays Taylor from 'Billions' wears a seamless mix of clothes (labels like "menswear" and "womenswear". I think they were intending Pat to be the butt of the joke, but I would love to see a 21st century reinterpretation where I feel like you could keep the premise almost identical and youre just adjusting the frame so that the butt of the joke becomes society and the need to put Pat into a binary framework. And it makes a lot of sense that Star Trek, based off of its founding principles that it has carried through its entire franchise over decades, would be progressive in conversations about gender. And so the first time that I saw my identity reflected was when Taylor came my way. But what the 33-year-old gets asked about perhaps most frequently is gender identity: Dillons is nonbinary, with the preferred pronoun of they.. So INSTEAD I want to be visible to queer folx who don't see people like them on their feed. Asia Kate Dillon Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics - Healthy Celeb Its an umbrella term, and it describes anybody who may have a gender that doesnt really exclusively fall into male or female cisgender very specifically and who may identify somewhere in between that or beyond that. Having a deep voice but also being pink, being feminine and masculine at the same time, having a body shape that sort of defies what women or men are supposed to look like was really, really appealing to me. Sun: Absolutely. But at the same time, its weird to wrap around because the world is exactly the opposite, right? Non-Binary Actor Asia Kate Dillon Opens Up About Their Style A woman can have a beard and be a woman, but someone can have a beard and also be non-binary. It's a basic human right.". Sun: It was really enjoyable. 572 Asia Kate Dillon Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 572 asia kate dillon photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos and images. (Laughs.) Billions season five is currently back and airing on Showtime on Sundays. Its really nice to talk to you. To the political leaders who work to criminalize trans health care and deny our right to exist and to all of those with a massive platform who continue to spew hostility towards the trans community: you have blood on your hands. 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. 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. I would like to be, though. What does that look like? Billions happened to come out after I had just finished filming season 4 of Orange and I just missed the moment. We have a gender binary-enforced society, and conversion therapy is meant to enforce that binary rather than the other way around. All rights reserved. The last two questions we ask every guest, the first one is Hollywood Remixed, which is: Is there a prior attempt since we were talking about attempts attempt at a non-binary representation that you would request a do-over for? We need to see roles written for them that are Emmy-, Tony- and Oscar-worthy. Search instead in Creative? They changed it, because why not? Particularly living in a patriarchy where its really useful to decouple, like why does this trait get to be assigned as masculine?
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