Billions Star Asia Kate Dillon Seeks Food Service Work Amid Acting Drought
The non-binary performer is among several LGBTQIA+ actors publicly seeking employment due to a lack of available acting roles.
Asia Kate Dillon, known for their roles in Showtime's "Billions" and Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black," has publicly shared a resume and a plea for employment in the food service industry, citing a significant decrease in acting opportunities. Dillon, 41, took to Instagram to announce their need for work, drawing on past experience in restaurant roles.
Dillon stated that acting work has "all but diminished," particularly for transgender and non-binary performers, leading them to seek service industry jobs once more. They began their career in the service industry as a teenager, eventually becoming a floor manager in Brooklyn before transitioning to a full-time acting career in 2015.
In "Billions," Dillon portrayed Taylor Mason from the second season through the show's conclusion in 2023. Their other notable roles include Brandy Epps in "Orange Is the New Black" and The Adjudicator in "John Wick: Chapter 3." Their most recent acting credit was in the independent film "Outerlands," which coincidentally features a non-binary gig economy worker.
Dillon's situation echoes that of other LGBTQIA+ actors struggling to find work. Last month, transgender actor Jack Haven also made a public appeal for acting roles, emphasizing the urgency of securing work to maintain health insurance through the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA). Haven needed to earn $4,000 by the end of the month to qualify for coverage in 2027.
Haven, who uses they/them pronouns, shared their situation in a YouTube video titled "Are You Casting?" They explained they had only two weeks to find employment before their insurance would be terminated. They offered to take on various roles, stating, "I will do, pretty much, any job." Haven, known for roles in "I Saw the TV Glow" and Netflix's "Atypical," later posted a follow-up video thanking people for job offers and addressing criticism regarding their plea for work.
Haven's recent credits include the film "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma." Their plea highlighted the financial precarity faced by some performers in the entertainment industry, particularly concerning health insurance eligibility requirements.