And there is a part of me thats like, Gosh, I wish I know its historically significant and extraordinarily important, and Im really proud of it, and there is something about it that feels a little bit tainted by the fact that GLAAD doesnt qualify it as trans representation. There was no pathway; it was more or less trying to figure it out. I have gender fluid friends who say that theyre gender fluid, but also because some people arent really familiar with that very specific term, theyll just choose non-binary. Some friends are like, Nope, its not the same. But its always safest to use it as an umbrella term, and then very specifically ask somebody, What is your gender? Oh, this person is starring in this thing. White: There are two characters who I think are very good, so Ill mention both of them and then mention a storyline. Its a challenge and I love a challenge. Sun: Yeah, in other words, I think that theres a detector for whats a bad faith versus a good faith question. Cardigan by Maison Kitsun / Shirt and pants by Agns B / Beanie by American Apparel. In 2017, when Showtime asked me how I want to be submitted for an Emmy, actor or actress, I thought, Well, I know that I use the word actor and always have, because actor is a gender-neutral word that has existed for at least a century before the word actress came into being. I think, Actually, I do need to take this opportunity to engage in this conversation, because there is perhaps a bridge to understanding here that will benefit people who dont have a voice, who cant walk down the street without being told to kill themselves.. For the first time, my body fully reflected my soul how I felt on the inside. White: And in that you get to explore other peoples relationship to their gender too. Ceed_Lab. And doing it purposefully to try and disrespect Taylor, which is so clear because the writing is brilliant in it and the actors who do that are brilliant. ", "There was a physical identity of what people perceived as 'boy,' but that's not how I was feeling inside. I think thats an archaic alignment, and Im excited for a future in which we dont do that. White: Its definitely interesting when you start to think about how aggressively gendered our culture is. And the pussy hats not all pussies are pink, but that association is totally exclusive, and not just of nonbinary people, but of trans women and people of color. Theres a tiny little calculator known as BMO who is genderless, because why wouldnt a tiny little calculator be genderless?, But White notes that representation of gender fluid characters in more grounded, realistic stories is necessary for affording gender non-comforming people their full humanity. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. 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. But theyre also the first person to be in the room. Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga in 'Macbeth': Theater Review Its not that we werent having conversations about gender. Theres a sweet, beautiful song. Oct 14, 2020. And the categories existing within the context of the awards show are exclusionary and it is erasure of anyone who exists outside of the gender binary. Pats gender was literally the running joke. White: Oh, absolutely. Dillon: When Im engaging in a conversation with someone who is really wanting to expand their own sense of what gender is and can be, and someone who is approaching that conversation with love and an open heart and with vulnerability, then I am totally happy to engage in a conversation with that person about my personal experience of my gender identity. (Laughs.) Steven is a gender nonconforming boy, and his family are basically these feminine non-binary, non-gendered aliens who are super warriors. This was such a pleasure. 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. Demi Lovato I think was the most recent really big announcement. And its whats at the base levelideologies of racism and patriarchy, etc.thats the conversation I want to be having. But I also think that sci-fi and fantasy are about places of imagination and exploration, and in the same way that animation is this place where we do not have to exist within the limits of humanness, its an incredible place to explore lots of things, things that we want to see, things that we want to be. Dillon: I encounter this and it doesnt matter what room I was in specifically but where were going around and saying our names, and I am the only person that will offer my pronouns. Im very curious to see what, for example, Joey Solloway, who I think is probably the most prominent non-binary creator in Hollywood they made Transparent and were a very respected indie film director prior what they will do now that they have come out specifically as non-binary and how to advocate for more voices in that space. And so I identify as neither a man or a woman or male or female, because those binaries arent real. Asia Kate Dillon: I agree. They are known for playing Brandy Epps in Orange Is the New Black (2013) and Taylor Mason in Billions (2016). Its also very much about who is writing, who is in the room. Sun: Thats great. 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. What does that look like? Not only do I think that's so boring and so predictable, it's, like, such a fraction [of my life]. Why they say getting the diagnosis later in life was a 'relief. A lot of eating disorder stuff, self-confidence issues. Theyre also the most down to fashion-clown on a rainy day in New York City. Thats a conversation about racism, and it feels weird, right? No, I just had a lot of demons back then. Find Asia kate dillon stock photos in HD and millions of other editorial images in the Shutterstock collection. Its really nice to talk to you. Thats a tricky thing. What is it like playing a nonbinary character in the hypermasculine world of Billions? So why would anyone know that person is non-binary? 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. But I watched SNL religiously. And sex is not a binary either. If there had been someone like Taylor on TV when I was young, it wouldve meant a great deal, Dillon says. 'Billions' Star Asia Kate Dilllon - YouTube Although it has been said that Taylors wardrobe is stereotypically masculine, I dont feel that way, I think its actually neutral. The Carson Kolker Organization manages Asia Kate Dillon. And frankly, that is one of the reasons that I really wanted to play the part, not only as an actor getting to play a character who is integral to the storyline, but a non-binary character who is integral to the storyline is extraordinarily important because then that characters story isnt just maybe a one- or two-episode arc. "I love that I am trans. In season two, we have Axe in that scene where Taylor introduces themself and says, These are my pronouns, and Axe just says, Okay. And Mafee is the other person in that scene, who we already know is sort of Taylors BFF, very quick BFF, so we see Axe accepting Taylor in that moment and just moving on and being like, Okay, on to business. And then there is Axe I think correcting Dollar Bill in a subsequent episode. Not to hark on animation, but you mentioned adult animation. Sun: I cribbed that from ah, which scholar coined the invisibility of whiteness? How did the costuming go?The designer and the producers had a vision and they asked me if I was comfortable. Thats how the majority of Americans learn about the queer community. And I said, We have a real opportunity here, Im a nonbinary actor, theres no reason that this character has to be a non-trans person, lets make them nonbinary. All pronouns were taken out of the script to add a little more mystery. And I was able to step into an identity, my non-binary identity, fully. Keanu Reeves had the idea for a character who wasnt going to take up physical arms in this movie, who had a different kind of power, a quiet power. I know it saved my life years ago.". It's a good start. Why are men not allowed to access this characteristic just because its coded as feminine? What is shown in the story is you dont know that persons gender, and hopefully the lesson is, Dont assume. Dont assume someones gender just because someone is wearing makeup or dressed in historically feminine attire, whatever that means. Asia Kate Dillon - Net Worth, Salary. The last question is the Hidden Gem, which is: In the however plentiful this cabinet is of non-binary representations that weve had in culture and it doesnt have to be fictional because sometimes its too sparse but is there something you can recommend to people who would like to enrich themselves with this theme, a hidden gem that you can recommend them to read, to watch, to check out? What does that look like? "Loving myself is a practice. I say that with a lot of affection, theyre like sociopaths. 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. Our producer, Matt, is going to kill me if I do a three-hour conversation about metaphysics, but what I love is that Taylor now that Taylor has been on the show for four seasons the representation of Taylor is awakening that kind of consciousness to an untold, an innumerable number of people who get to watch Billions. What is that line? The Masons Doug and Taylor are somewhat estranged, but its primarily because of the clashing ambitions between these two incredibly brilliant people, but still there were moments throughout that arc where I feel like viewers got a little sense of what Taylors coming out was like for both father and child. At the beginning of this season, Taylor shows up in female drag. And also it has probably just seldom been attempted, to be honest. (Laughs.) With her . Most of the time when we think about gender, we think about it as a binary. His sister is trans and this season Gael finds out that hes a dad. Asia Kate Dillon wandered into a coffee shop near Brooklyn's Prospect Park looking like a fallen angel taking a personal day: Black shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, black liner circling. Thats a really powerful part of non-binary representation in media. And its not about their gender identity. And perhaps in that instance, for whatever reason, that actor didnt have the agency to influence ultimately what the story was. The surgery didn't solve all of my issues, but it did offer a sense of peace and comfort that wasn't otherwise there. Im preaching to the choir, obviously, but the more diverse your writers room is, your production team is, the more diverse your whole project is, the more accurate your representation will be. And so you see a character like Bugs Bunny who dresses in drag. But there are a lot of people on that set. And it is incredibly unfair and kind of limiting because it means that our stories are limited in and of themselves, but I do think that people of color are increasingly being represented. Sun: Thats a such a universal maxim. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. So I do feel left out of conversations that continue to align femininity and womanhood with uteruses and vaginas. One of the reasons why those of us who work in this whole inclusion entertainment space, why we care about this, is because there is a validation and an acknowledgement that such a thing exists and deserves to be talked about or heard when its represented in entertainment and media. I also think this conversation isnt just about who were seeing onscreen or larger cultural narratives changing. 'Billions' actor Asia Kate Dillon explains what it means to be non I've been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Weve had Axe very matter-of-factly correct peoples pronouns and things like that. Asia Kate Dillon - Wikipedia You kind of feel like you're chasing something you can never attain. It is aligned with masculinity. Elliot Page, Laverne Cox, Josie Totah and more actors and influencers share important reflections and lessons from their experiences as transgender people. So yes, its going to happen soon. I've dealt with this feeling my entire life, and I know that I'm a woman deep down. Because whats happening is so ridiculous that you have to be able to laugh at it but in a way that makes you think, not in a way that makes you dismiss whats happening. 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. 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? Weve long had queer villains, but were getting queer heroes, queer love interests, smart queer people and strong queer people. '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". Hes an asshole, hes vindictive, hes also a human being. And what kinds of ongoing collaborations do you have with discussing this aspect of Taylors character and their storylines? What is my frame of reference? It is something that I must cultivate and it is something that I must consciously do or it will go away. My relationship as a non-binary person to my gender which I dont even have a very specific label for, I dont consider myself gender fluid. 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. Im so glad we finally got to talk. "I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. 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. Its amazing how much, while prepping for this episode, I was like, Wow, its really hard to decolonize your brain from the gender binary. Dillon: I will play whatever part I am the right actor for. 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. 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. ", "Part of my public work is talking about my life experiences and what I've gone through. White: Thats the weight of the first, right? Are these more current animated series more intentional on the parts of their creators? The male/female categories uphold the gender binary, which is ultimately extraordinarily dangerous for anyone who identifies outside of it. And so its really interesting to see some cool stuff thats happening in animation, very specifically in childrens animation, thats breaking that down and arguably at the forefront of our conversations about non-binary identity and gender non-conforming identities. So yeah, I think that would be a fun exploration, a modern exploration. There are two non-binary characters on that show ones named Joey, the other is Lindsay. Dillon: Yes, certainly. Most casting breakdowns specify male and female roles. Gender nonconformity has traditionally been a means of exploring horror narratives, they explain. And we really havent really had much of that. Do you ever have days where you dont feel like having the conversation? Hes a bisexual Latino man, a cisgender man. Sun: Another recurring theme in the larger conversation about inclusion. My first day on set there was a Red Bull on Taylors desk, and we were like, Taylor wouldnt drink red bull. White: Yes, exactly. Business Insider spoke to Asia Kate Dillon, who plays fan-favorite Taylor Mason, about gender identity, fan reactions, and the star's artistic ambitions including a music EP. I dont know. And thats not to say, like, all white men are the same, but because non-binary is this massive umbrella, what that looks like, what that sounds like, how you write that is so distinctively different and specific that I think that there may be, when more roles become available, more opportunities for non-binary actors to get roles and obviously clearly benefiting from all of the work that every other marginalized group has put forth to get these conversations in the rooms that matter. So thank you. They can be in literally anything. I will not play a character where its essential that you have to see that persons body, and that person was assigned male at birth, and that person has not medically transitioned in any way. "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 . Its about making space for everyone. That sounds juicy, tell me more about that.Theres a lot of healthy food on both sets, which is really nice. Sun: Its an incredible example of life imitating art. I like sphere Ive been using the word spectrum, but I think sphere is even more encompassing of all the different identities that can fall within it. 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. Oh, please do!No I mean I dont even know what to say. Im remembering one of the earliest interviews you gave, I think it was on the Ellen show where you delineated the difference between the physiology of our bodies and I think what you called gender identity being what is between the ears. Something that is more about I dont want to put words in your mouth but I think more about a consciousness, it seems, rather than a biological expression? Im just here to dole out punishment and go on with my day.. Has the German word 'einfhlung' tattooed on the left side of their neck, which translates to 'empathy'. Its important to me because it is me. 'Billions' Star Asia Kate Dillon Proves There's No Such - GQ They changed it, because why not? Now, non-binary actor Asia Kate Dillon is up against Keanu Reeves's title character in John Wick 3, but not to worry despite the movie trailers, they don't actually play the bad person. 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. Like, why am I a man? It needs to happen because there is a non-binary writer whos been brought in, a consultant, a producer. To be clear, I am not trying to dampen a moment that is joyous and one that I celebrate, but I want to address the full picture. As an actor, as a performer, do you have any preference towards playing characters whose gender identity matches your own? Transition music: A short segment from the intro theme. And, mind you, that is not always how trans people describe being trans or encapsulating the trans identity. Dillon identifies as non-binary and uses singular they pronouns. Asia Kate Dillon's Role on Billions Helped Inform Their Own Gender Identity. Im incredibly proud of Taylor as a character. Top editors. Theres a tiny little calculator known as BMO who is genderless, because why wouldnt a tiny little calculator be genderless? 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.

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