14 celebrities who don't identify as either male or female

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c8bd0b0e0575a53d6443912-1050/10billions-recap-facebookjumbo.jpg" border="0" alt="showtime billions asia kate dillon" data-mce-source="Showtime" />ShowtimeAsia Kate Dillon as Taylor Mason in "Billions"</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Showtime's hit show "Billions," which explores finance, power, and morality, returns for season 4 Sunday at 9 p.m.</li><li>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.</li></ul>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/billions-creators-on-what-surprised-them-most-about-hedge-funds-2018-3">world</a> of Showtime's "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/billions">Billions</a>" - which returns for its season 4 on Sunday at 9 p.m. - is filled with charmingly devious characters.You can't help but smile at them even when they are being wicked. It's one reason why, though the show's critique of Wall Street lives at its very core, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/showtime-billions-creators-talk-wall-streets-response-to-the-series-2018-3">co-creator David Levien said</a> that by the second season, everyone on the Street was saying, "You know that was based on me, right?"It feels like every character on "Billions" has become a cult favorite, from hedge-fund titan Bobby "Axe" Axelrod, to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/billions-star-maggie-siff-says-tony-robbins-helped-craft-character-of-wendy-rhoades-2018-6">performance coach Wendy Rhoades</a>, to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/billions-star-david-costabile-on-how-he-takes-care-of-wags-mustache-2018-8">roguish and twirly-mustached Wags</a>.But perhaps the biggest fan favorite of them all is Taylor Mason, the gender non-binary whiz kid played by Asia Kate Dillon - and the Brutus to Axe's Caesar.Season 4 sees Mason taking an even bigger role in driving the plot, as they go head-to-head with Axe with the newly formed Taylor Mason Capital. Ahead of the season premiere, Business Insider caught up with Dillon, who spoke about how the initial casting of "Billions" helped the actor crystallize their own non-binary gender identity, what fans stop them on the street to say, and their artistic ambitions (including a music EP that's still in the early stages).The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.McAlone: The character of Taylor was specifically written as gender non-binary. Is that an unusual thing to come across in the industry? I'm guessing it's pretty rare to have the role written that way.Dillon: I can tell you it's the first time I'd ever seen it come my way: A non-binary identity with the they/them pronouns. My team knew I wanted to be sent out for roles they thought I'd be the best actor for, whether that person identified as a man, or a woman, or non-binary, or whatever. It wasn't strange that they sent that to me.But I will say that prior to encountering the breakdown for Taylor, which had this word "non-binary," I knew that word, I knew the words "gender fluid," "gender nonconforming" - I considered myself gender fluid and gender nonconforming certainly, non-binary certainly. But I had not yet understood.Let me back up and clarify.All the people that I knew prior to encountering the character of Taylor who were non-binary, trans, gender nonconforming, had taken some sort of steps to medically transition their body, whether it was taking hormones or having some kind of elective surgery. So I just didn't have any representation - of either a real person or a fictional character - who was non-binary, but hadn't changed their body in some way. So I didn't fully have an understanding of how I could have my identity, my journey, which doesn't include any kind of physical or medical transition, and still have a non-binary trans identity.So when I got the character breakdown for Taylor and looked up "female" and "non-binary," [I thought], "Oh, female is an assigned sex, non-binary is a gender identity. I don't have to transition my body in order to be valid as a non-binary transperson." That was how I came to fully understand how I could be me. Does that make sense?McAlone: Yeah, that totally makes sense. It's really interesting that the actual phrasing of the casting helped crystallize that for you. And then how did you prep for the role? Did you dig into the world of hedge funds?Dillon: I don't have a financial background so I definitely had to do a lot of research. The first scene I auditioned with, Taylor has one, if not two, paragraphs of heavy financial jargon. "Sell this," "calls" and "puts" and all that. I initially attempted to memorize it without looking anything up and I couldn't. Then I looked up whatever the words were, and learned what I needed to do the scene. And that's what I've done for every episode subsequently. Then the minute it's over it leaves my brain. People are like, "Can you give me financial advice?" I'm like, "No."McAlone: Is there anything that you'll particularly miss about Taylor, the character, any piece of the character you'll miss being able to inhabit?Dillon: I'll miss knowing how Taylor would respond in a certain situation. I think one of the things I really admire about Taylor is their decisiveness. Like a chess player, they've already thought 14, 28 moves ahead. Their ability to make lightning-quick decisions and/or say exactly what's on their mind the moment they want to say it, the way they want to say it, is something I admire and will certainly miss - among everything else about them.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ab534d428928aa4078b46ab-1296/billions2021616r-h2017.jpg" border="0" alt="billions_202_1616.r h_2017" data-mce-source="Showtime" />ShowtimeTaylor Mason (L) and Mafee (R)</div></div></div>McAlone: You're a big fan-favorite character, at least among people I know who watch the show. Do you get stopped on the street now, and if so, what types of things do people say?Dillon: I do get recognized on the street, which I love. I come from the theater and unless you scurry out the back, generally you are walking through the lobby meeting people. For me, that's as much a part of being an artist as the art itself: Connecting with other people. Film and television, you don't have that same experience. So getting approached on the street, it is the way in which that manifests. And it's great. The show covers every demographic, every age, every skin color, every shape of person is watching this show, which I find incredible and really gratifying.And the feedback is everything from a group of people in business attire walking by and yelling, "We love Taylor at the office," to someone coming up to me and immediately taking my hands and peering up and saying, "My kid is non-binary and I can't tell you how much your representation has meant to them and to our family." I'm actually tearing up right now telling you that story because that happened to me on the street, and we're standing together crying and hugging. People are very gracious to tell me that I have helped them and/or their child, or parent, feel less alone, and I always remind them that they have made me feel less alone in that moment also. They're not just getting something from me, I'm also getting something from them, too. In that sense, I'm really grateful.And then occasionally there are people who will say, "I love you on 'Orange Is the New Black,'" and I'm wary of taking those conversations further because I don't know if they are complimenting my acting, or identifying with my character, who is a Nazi white supremacist.McAlone: Do you think there are people who are saying they love your character because of that?Dillon: I have no idea, but I don't want to inquire. You know what I mean? I've definitely gotten messages on social <keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Media">media</keyword> that are like, "I love your character on Orange..."McAlone: And you're like, "Oh…"Dillon: I don't know what they mean!<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c8bd274124d0455d92a2493-1499/mv5bmji0nzgzmdc4mf5bml5banbnxkftztgwndewnzyymjiv1sy1000cr0014991000al.jpg" border="0" alt="orange asia kate dillon" data-mce-source="Netflix" />NetflixDillon (L) in "Orange Is the New Black"</div></div></div>McAlone: This "Billions" role is a step forward in terms of representation on TV, but I'd be curious to get your thoughts on which areas you think are moving in the right direction in the entertainment industry, and which areas are lagging behind in terms of various types of representation?Dillon: Asia Kate Dillon and Taylor Mason, this character on "Billions," we are both one example - and we are two different examples, actually - of a non-binary identity. We need more representation of all types of gender nonconforming, trans, non-binary identities, particularly people of color who have been leading the movement since long before I was born. They are the leaders of the movement and the last to be represented, always. So that's an area we need to continue to improve upon.And I would say a show like "Billions" is doing as much as it can and is doing it right - having a non-binary character where their identity is not the focus of their storyline. They are a multidimensional person who is fully integrated into the plot, if not helping drive the plot of this show. That's extremely important.McAlone: In terms of your own career, what types of projects are you interested in moving forward? How do you see the path of your career in your ideal world?Dillon: I consider myself a performer. If you need me to act, I can act. If you need me to sing, I can sing. If you need me to dance, I can dance. I want to learn new skills. I want to do a project where I need to learn to ride horses. I want to learn jiu-jitsu. I always want a project to be challenging and fun, and teach me something new, and stretch my own expectations of what I'm capable of.And then on top of that, I want to play the parts for which I'm the best actor for the role, and so to me it just feels like the world is my oyster. I'm excited for the things that come my way or the things that I manifest in my life because I don't feel like it can be defined and I love that.As I said, I sing, I'm working on an EP right now. And maybe some time I'd love to be in a movie musical.McAlone: What type of music is the EP?Dillon: It may be too early to define. I'm definitely heavily influenced by pop and rock and roll, but also blues and r&amp;b. I think it's probably an amalgamation of all the things that have influenced me throughout my life.McAlone: Do you have a performing name? Is it a band or solo project or what?Dillon: Oh, I can't reveal that.McAlone: I didn't know how far along it was.Dillon: No, I appreciate you asking. Some of that stuff I'll keep close to the chest for now."Billions" airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on Showtime. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-savior-films-green-book-hollywood-racism-people-of-color-film-2019-3">How 'white savior' films like 'Green Book' hurt Hollywood</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/7RDdylQQ-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

'Billions' star Asia Kate Dillon on how the show led to a revelation about the actor's own gender identity, and an emotional moment with a fan

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"Inventing Anna" casting director Allison Estrin said Anna Sorokin's reaction to the show is "so Anna."</li><li>Estrin told Insider that when Sorokin comments on the show it "adds to the lore" surrounding her.</li></ul>Casting director Allison Estrin recently told Insider she's not surprised by Anna Sorokin's apparent change of heart about <a href="https://www.insider.com/inventing-anna-details-you-missed-easter-eggs-netflix-2022-2">"Inventing Anna" since the Netflix series</a> has been nominated for several Emmys and that the fake heiress' shifting opinion is "so Anna."The casting director said she'd been following Sorokin (who also goes by the name Anna Delvey) since before she became a member of the team that cast the hit Netflix series based on <a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/how-anna-delvey-tricked-new-york.html">Jessica Pressler's 2018 story about Sorokin for The Cut</a>. As Insider's Jacob Shamsian previously reported, Sorokin was charged, in a pair of indictments in 2017 and 2018, with <a href="https://www.insider.com/anna-delvey-sorokin-trial-story-fake-heiress-2019-4">a scheme where she pretended to be a European heiress</a> with a $60 million fortune. She bilked money and services from financial institutions, hotels, and other companies to fuel a lavish lifestyle.Sorokin wrote an <a href="https://www.insider.com/anna-delvey-writes-about-inventing-anna-and-life-in-jail-2022-2">essay for Insider published on February 2</a> and said she wouldn't watch "Inventing Anna," even though she was reportedly paid $320,000 for her life rights and served as a consultant, according to a piece in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/14/style/anna-delvey-sorokin-interview.html">New York Times by Emily Palmer.</a><div type="image" title="Allison Estrin" height="1996" width="2662" msid="93740495" hostid="261" sizebytes="141566"></div>She wrote the essay from an ICE detention center, <a href="https://www.insider.com/anna-sorokin-delvey-ice-custody-germany-deportation-2021-4">where she's been detained since 2021</a>, but said that even if she were able to "pull some strings" and watch the show, "nothing about seeing a fictionalized version of myself in this criminal-insane-asylum setting sounds appealing to me." But soon after <a href="https://www.insider.com/where-cast-of-inventing-anna-is-from-netflix-photos-2022-2">"Inventing Anna" premiered</a>, <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/a39406873/anna-delvey-reacts-inventing-anna/">Cosmopolitan published a story detailing</a> Sorokin's reaction to some scenes from the show after she and Palmer screened it together."I don't think I ordered people around as much. I think I'm more self-aware of the way I come across. Not all the time, but I just don't think I'm so brazen and shameless," Sorokin told Palmer. And in July, Sorokin praised the actor who portrays her, Julia Garner, on <a href="https://www.insider.com/emmys-nominees-winners-list-2022-7">her Emmy nomination</a>. "Exactly no one is surprised ~ congrats on the Emmy nomination Julia," Sorokin wrote in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf9x-ZJpZyK/?hl=en">an Instagram caption of a video</a> featuring an interview Garner did with Jimmy Fallon.Sorokin has had consistently nice things to say about Garner, <a href="https://www.insider.com/inventing-anna-sorokin-delvey-julia-garner-meeting-sweet-girl-2022-3">calling her a "very sweet girl"</a> on Julia Fox's "Forbidden Fruits" podcast and admitting that Garner got her accent "right" because "it's really hard to tell where she would be from" in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/12/arts/television/inventing-anna-true-story.html">New York Times</a>. But her seemingly shifting feelings <a href="https://www.insider.com/inventing-anna-sorokin-julia-garner-katie-lowes-forget-lines-2022-2">about "Inventing Anna"</a> are more difficult to keep up with. <div type="image" title="Anna Sorokin Delvey Julia Garner Inventing Anna Netflix" height="3000" width="4000" msid="93740496" hostid="261" sizebytes="1277592"></div>This is no surprise to Estrin. "I mean, it all feels so Anna to me," she told Insider. "It all definitely tracks in the most wonderful of ways." She said Sorokin is known to take "any opportunity to really keep herself in the spotlight there, which is something that I think we all love about her, in all honesty." "So I love every time she comments about any of it, because it just adds to the lore that is Anna Delvey," Estrin continued. Estrin, who is known within her field for having a part in casting Asia Kate Dillon as the first non-binary actor playing a non-binary lead role on television on the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-billions-show-about-2017-3">Showtime series "Billions</a>," said <a href="https://www.insider.com/inventing-anna-casting-director-julia-garner-chills-first-table-read-2022-8">the "Inventing Anna" casting team had a very clear idea</a> of who could play Sorokin from the start. <div type="image" title="julia garner anna sorokin delvey inventing anna" height="1665" width="2221" msid="93740510" hostid="261" sizebytes="180432"></div>Her colleague on the project, Linda Lowy, has been a longtime member of series creator Shonda Rhimes' team, beginning with her work on <a href="https://www.insider.com/greys-anatomy-ellen-pompeo-show-could-continue-without-her-2022-5">"Grey's Anatomy."</a> Estrin said Lowy had <a href="https://www.insider.com/julia-garner-ozark-ruth-accent-inventing-anna-netflix-2022-2">Garner in mind to play Sorokin.</a> "I think Julia is who captured every bit of it between the strong boss bitch that is Anna Delvey and then also the really deep vulnerability that is why everyone actually ends up really caring about her," Estrin said."It really does take an actress like Julia Garner to really inhabit this. It's an extremely, extremely difficult role," she added.

'Inventing Anna' casting director reacts to Anna Sorokin seemingly changing her opinion about the Netflix series: 'It all feels so Anna to me'

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c9169466123ca3ed52679e7-2400/gettyimages-1055498558.jpg" border="0" alt="Tim Cook" data-mce-source="Getty" />Getty</div></div></div>Hello!Thanks for subscribing. If you got this newsletter forwarded, sign up for your own <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/advertising-media-weekly&amp;hash=f4e91136c13f3c40c496d77bc7347502">here</a>.In less than a week, Apple is set to announce a range of services including an all-you-can-read subscription news bundle, and it's causing a lot of angst for publishers already worried about big tech eating <keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Media">media</keyword>. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-is-pitching-its-new-subscription-news-service-as-a-savior-to-the-news-business-2019-3">I talked to publishers</a> who were pitched by Apple, and they say the phone maker is basing the business model on a flawed comparison between news and music.To date, The New York Times and The Washington Post have not joined, but The Wall Street Journal is having productive talks with Apple and is expected to join, people familiar with its thinking say.To read most of the articles here, subscribe to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/prime-vip">BI Prime</a> and use promo code AD2PRIME2018 for a free month. Already a Prime subscriber? Tell us what you think by taking our quick survey <a href="https://bievents.typeform.com/to/thLadq">here</a>:Here are other good stories we've been reporting:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-is-testing-in-app-checkout-but-experts-see-a-bigger-agenda-2019-3">'It helps Facebook further fortify its walled garden': Instagram is testing in-app checkout to make shopping more seamless, but experts say it has a bigger agenda</a> Instagram is rolling out a checkout button to make it easier for people to shop from the platform. It shows how Instagram has been making shopping a bigger priority in recent months and is also an attempt by the company to gather more data, experts say. The move could threaten companies like Curalate that have built businesses on bridging the gap between browsing and purchasing on Instagram.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comcasts-mobile-service-hasnt-turned-out-as-big-as-expected-2019-3">A product Comcast launched 2 years ago was supposed to disrupt AT&amp;T and Verizon's business - now experts see it as something totally different</a> When Comcast launched its Xfinity Mobile cellular service in 2017, Wall Street analysts predicted it would skyrocket, adding more than 2 million customers a year. Two years later, that prediction hasn't materialized, despite a strong launch, according to analysts at Cowen. They examined how Comcast has used Xfinity as a retention strategy rather than a way to grab share from other wireless providers.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/only-a-few-publishers-will-be-able-to-sell-subscriptions-at-scale-2019-3">New research shows how The New York Times, Economist, New Yorker and other top online subscription publishers stack up</a> As publishers jump on the subscription bandwagon, a new survey by Dynata, formerly Critical Mix, for Business Insider found that three publications hog most of the online news subscriptions: The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal. Most of the respondents who have subscriptions reported they subscribe to just one or two publications. They're pretty happy with their subscriptions, making it unlikely they'll drop them. Our survey shows how 12 publications stack up to each other.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alamo-drafthouse-movie-ticket-subscription-plan-will-launch-this-year-2019-3">Alamo Drafthouse's movie-ticket subscription plan will launch in all its theaters by the end of the year</a> Movie-ticket subscription services have seen a surge in popularity, and now Alamo Drafthouse is getting ready to join other theater chains in launching its own service, Alamo Season Pass, nationwide at all Drafthouse theaters by the end of the year. The unlimited plan will cost $20 a month in most regions of the country, and you'll also be able to reserve seats.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/messaging-company-conversocial-is-acquiring-assist-2019-3">A tech firm that builds chatbots for big brands like Macy's and Alaska Airlines is acquiring a bot startup to corner the messaging market</a> As more marketers experiment with messaging and chatbots, 10-year-old firm Conversocial is acquiring bot startup Assist. Chatbots have lost some steam as brands have struggled to promote them on the social platforms. But with Facebook putting more emphasis on messaging, Conversocial sees a big opportunity with the acquisition. Feel free to send tips or thoughts to me at lmoses@businessinsider.com.Here are other good stories from tech, media, and entertainment:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-gdc-keynote-live-blog-announcements-2019-3">Google just unveiled its vision for 'the future of gaming' - here's everything it announced</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/theranos-founder-ceo-elizabeth-holmes-life-story-bio-2018-4">The rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, who started Theranos when she was 19 and became the world's youngest female billionaire before it all came crashing down</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/director-alex-gibney-has-profiled-notorious-people-from-elizabeth-holmes-to-lance-armstrong-2019-3">Director Alex Gibney looks back on a career of profiling liars and shady characters, from Elizabeth Holmes to Lance Armstrong, and crowns the most despicable</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-nine-big-media-agencies-are-innovating-forrester-report-2019-3">Media agencies are under massive pressure to reinvent themselves. Here's how the biggest ones, including Horizon Media and PHD, are evolving to meet clients' demands.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/billions-star-asia-kate-dillon-on-gender-identity-and-fan-reactions-2019-3">'Billions' star Asia Kate Dillon on how the show led to a revelation about the actor's own gender identity, and an emotional moment with a fan</a> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-9-things-to-do-in-puerto-rico-2019-1">Puerto Rico was named the No. 1 place to travel this year. Here are 9 of the best ways to see the island</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/9zN0u2Zy-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

Apple News jitters, Instagram goes shopping, and chatbots rise again

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ab534c33c82581a008b4716-825/billions-season-3.jpg">Showtime <ul><li>The third season of "Billions," the Showtime series that looks at the high-stakes world of hedge funds, is currently airing Sunday nights at 10 p.m.</li><li>The creators talked to Business Insider about how the show has been received by the finance world.</li><li>They also discussed why giving up trading feels like such an existential threat to Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis), and how their characters would metaphorically amputate their arm to make that next billion dollars.</li></ul><hr> "Billions" is back for its third season on Showtime (Sundays at 10 p.m.), and its power-hungry cast of characters is more morally compromised than ever. This season - don't worry, no spoilers - takes the battle between hedge fund titan Bobby "Axe" Axelrod (Damian Lewis) and US Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) in new directions, and sees an expanded role for fan favorite Taylor Mason (Asia Kate Dillon). The series has developed quite a cult following in the finance world, and creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien told Business Insider that Wall Street certainly isn't shying away from the way it's depicted. "Our experience has been, before the show aired, there was lot of trepidation," Levien said in a recent interview. Finance folks were preemptively disavowing the show, saying the creators wouldn't be able to nail the details. But Koppelman and Levien, who co-wrote "Rounders," have a penchant for capturing insular worlds. "By the second season, people were saying, 'You know that was based on me right?'" Levien said. Levien estimated that he'd heard, secondhand, at least 50 guys on Wall Street say that a character on "Billions" was based on them. And if they weren't claiming they were the inspiration for a character, they'd say things like, "I'm the Wags of my office," Levien continued, referencing the character Mike "Wags" Wagner (David Costabile), the incorrigible rogue and COO of Axe Capital in the show. <img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ab5358b3489d61c008b4712-960/58b981fabe96731c008b483e-960-640.jpg">Showtime Mike "Wags" Wagner, played by David Costabile <h2>Why do we let charm and intelligence stand in for quality of character?</h2>Part of the reason people are going up and down Wall Street saying characters are based on them is because "Billions" has an uncanny ability to make its cast likeable even when they are doing bad things - sometimes very bad things. Koppelman credited the actors for much of that, especially in conveying what it is the characters truly want. "If you can understand what the character wants you can empathize," Koppelman said. But Koppleman also explained that the feeling viewers have gotten watching the show - that of being charmed by these flawed characters - was linked to one of the central themes the creators were trying to explore in "Billions." "Why we as a culture will forgive so many wrong actions, and wrong actors, if those people doing those things are smart, charismatic, successful, interesting," Koppelman said. "Why do [those attributes] stand in for true quality of character?" <img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ab5350cbe459b32008b46e6-1000/billionsprart04 2.jpg">Showtime <h2>Would you cut off your arm for an extra billion?</h2>One reason viewers are so quick to forgive is that it's hard not to be impressed by the intensity of will of the characters in "Billions," and people like them in real life. During the last season of "Billions" (and in this one), Axelrod struggles to deal with the possibility that he could be forced to give up trading. For Axelrod, this feels like an existential threat to his being. "Why is that?" I asked the creators. "Controlling their own destiny has a lot to do with it," Koppelman said of people like Axelrod (and Rhoades, for that matter). "Almost like a Greek god, being able to control fate. It makes them feel alive." Koppelman said in this season all the main characters are in a position where they have to fight for that type of self-determination. To keep that status as master of their own destiny, the characters in "Billions" will certainly get in the muck, and push themselves to the limit. Koppelman said that in some ways they remind him of James Franco's character in "127 Hours," who amputates his own arm to escape after getting trapped in a canyon. Doing that because you are fighting for your physical survival is one type of drive, and obviously takes a particular kind of person, Koppelman said. But the characters in "Billions" have a different, particularly American slant. "If you already have a billion dollars, why do you need to do that to get the next billion," Koppelman said. "This is a question we have asked many times of ourselves," Levien added. "Once someone gets past several hundred million, what keeps them going?" There is no one answer for that, he finished. <img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ab535dd3489d65c1a8b4696-960/58b9838dbe96731d008b485e-960-720.jpg">Showtime <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/555-phone-number-tv-movies-telephone-exchange-names-ghostbusters-2018-3">Why 555 is always used for phone numbers on TV and in movies</a></h3> <pre>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</pre> </img></img></img></hr></img>

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