Posted On
Written By GingersnapComments Off on Why the Creators of Billions See the Show as a “Rorschach Test” for the Trump Era – March 16, 2019
“It’s hard to find the people in positions of power who don’t at least dance with hypocrisy”
by Tonya Riley | Mother Jones | March 16, 2019
Billionaires, Saudi investors, political favor-trading —it sounds a lot like the basis of a Mother Jones article on any given day under the Trump administration. But in fact, it’s the logline for the season premiere of Showtime’s Billions, a surprise hit that is as comfortable being part of the Golden Age of television as it is commenting on a politically turbulent time.
The show stars Paul Giamatti as Chuck Rhoades, former US Attorney for Southern District of New York, and Damien Lewis as Bobby Axelrod, an unorthodox, up-from-his-bootstraps-sort-of hedge fund manager at Axe Capital. They’re joined by Maggie Siff as Wendy Rhoades, wife to Chuck and psychoanalyst at Axelrod’s company; she further complicates their relationship (and often calls the shots for them both). The drama, which was loosely based on the legal battle between Preet Bharara, a former US attorney for the same district Rhoades serves in Billions, and billionaire Steve Cohen, a hedge fund manager who escaped indictment despite being at the heart of a massive insider trading scandals, has evolved over four seasons into must-watch television that evokes the politics of today without the didactic morality of, say, an Aaron Sorkin venture. The show is smart, sexy, and dark, and vest-wearing finance bros and media hipsters alike count themselves among its fans.
Mother Jones called up co-creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien in advance of season four to discuss America’s fascination with the rich and powerful and how they keep their show fresh in the mercurial age of Trump.
Posted On
Written By GingersnapComments Off on Smart Watch: Billions Makes Organized Crime on Wall Street and in Politics Fun to Watch – March 16, 2019
Hard Power, Soft Power, Strategic Smart Power
by Melanie McFarland | Salon | March 16, 2019
Last week, Francesco “Franky Boy” Cali, reputed boss of New York’s Gambino crime family, was shot to death in front of his Staten Island home. News outlets treated his killing as a reminder that the Mafia still exists, although in a greatly diminished form. The Chicago Sun-Times’ headline characterizes the slaying as “a throwback to [a] bygone era.” It’s not wrong.
Last week, Francesco “Franky Boy” Cali, reputed boss of New York’s Gambino crime family, was shot to death in front of his Staten Island home. News outlets treated his killing as a reminder that the Mafia still exists, although in a greatly diminished form. The Chicago Sun-Times’ headline characterizes the slaying as “a throwback to [a] bygone era.” It’s not wrong.
“I kinda feel bad for the old guy, scumbag that he was,” Rhoades sighs. “Blindsided like that. But I guess that’s New York for you, right? Boss one minute, in the gutter the next. Best you can hope for is one last look at the stars before you go.”
Posted On
Written By GingersnapComments Off on Damian Lewis on Brian Koppelman’s Podcast – March 16, 2019
The Most Requested Guest Who Hasn’t Appeared…Until Now
by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | March 16, 2019
Exclusive! Our team and other Billions fans have been asking show-runner and co-creator Brian Koppelman when he was was going to have Damian guest appear on his podcast, The Moment with Brian Koppelman. I know our team has asked Brian when Damian would guest appear on a consistent basis. We got a hint this morning when Brian tweeted:
I am en route to record a podcast that folks on here have been asking for since 2015. Can’t wait to do it. And to post it Tuesday. Pics to come later today. This is the most requested guest who hasn’t yet appeared for sure.
Posted On
Written By GingersnapComments Off on Billions Shakes Up Alliances with Phenomenal Fourth Season – March 16 2019
“Billions just keeps getting better and better, with surprises and luminously crafted scenes waiting in each episode”
by Mark Dawidziak | Cleveland | March 16, 2019
Every few years, there seems to be a drama generally regarded as an excellent show yet consistently given the back of the hand when it comes time to hand out awards or compile top-10 lists. From 2010 to 2015, that series was called “Justified.”
“Billions” is the series with the dubious honor of filling that bill today. The best show on television? A wonderfully compelling case is made for this claim in the Showtime drama’s high-stakes, high-caliber fourth season, which begins at 9 p.m. Sunday, March 17.
It’s almost as if “Justified,” which ended in April 2015, passed the creative baton to “Billions,” which premiered in January 2017. Although “Justified” was set in the coal fields of Kentucky and “Billions” is set in Manhattan, the two dramas have a great deal of great stuff in common.
Both are almost Shakespearean in how they slyly weave intriguing character exploration into intricate plot structure. Both can swerve cleverly and unexpectedly from the incredibly suspenseful to the outrageously funny. Both recognize that some of the most gripping dramatic moments are achieved by putting two characters in a room and letting top-flight actors make the most of superbly written dialogue.
And both make sublime use of guests. With “Billions,” that includes the contributions of everyone from David Strathairn and Mary-Louise Parker to Clancy Brown and John Malkovich.
Posted On
Written By GingersnapComments Off on Billions Reddit AMA This Sunday – March 15, 2019
Billions on Reddit
Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | March 15, 2019
This Sunday, March 17, 2019, Billions co-creators and show runners @briankoppelman and @DavidLevien are doing their first Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA). Beginning at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time, the AMA will launch on r/Billions. At 7:00 p.m. Brian and David will start answering your questions! Then catch the season four premiere Sunday, March 17 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Posted On
Written By GingersnapComments Off on Kelly AuCoin Almost Passed Up the Opportunity to Play Dollar Bill on Billions – March 15, 2019
Kelly AuCoin On Billions and Playing Dollar Bill
by DJ Sixthsmith | CBS Local/CBS Sacramento | March 15, 2019
Aucoin, who plays Axe Capital’s Dollar Bill Stern, had to be convinced by his friend and actor Michael Kelly to take the part. Let’s just say the decision ended up working out for him.
“I auditioned for one role initially and didn’t get that, but they called me back for this character called Dollar Bill,” said AuCoin in an interview with CBS Local.
“This would’ve been such a huge mistake, but I initially said I don’t want to do that. It didn’t even say it was a potential recur, it was a one-off.”
“Over the weekend I thought about it and I was like his name is Dollar Bill and he’s the cheapest millionaire in America, there’s something to this guy.”
AuCoin says it would’ve been the worst decision of his career if he passed up this past.
Season four of “Billions” returns Sunday and Dollar Bill will be a series regular for the first time. His character has come a long way since the first season.
“I didn’t do a ton early on, but even in those small little sections it was a blast,” said AuCoin. “It was very fun to play and the group gets along so well. We started building this family from day one.”
Posted On
Written By GingersnapComments Off on The Rundown: Oh Heck Yeah, It’s ‘Billions’ Time, Baby – March 15, 2019
Billions of Thrones
by Brian Grubb | Uproxx | March 15, 2019
The Rundown is a weekly column that highlights some of the biggest, weirdest, and most notable events of the week in entertainment. The number of items will vary, as will the subject matter. It will not always make a ton of sense. Some items might not even be about entertainment, to be honest, or from this week. The important thing is that it’s Friday and we are here to have some fun.
ITEM NUMBER ONE — The boys are back in town
Oh heck yeah, it is Billions time again, baby. The Showtime series about despicable hedge fund boys and the morally bankrupt government officials who are chasing them is back for a fourth season this weekend. I’m so amped up about it. I love this show so much. It’s a little messy and very fast and I hate every character on the show and you can put it all straight into my veins. You know how you feel about Game of Thrones? That’s how I feel about Billions. Billions of Thrones. I don’t know how I should feel about that but I stand by it.
I’m not joking about hating every character on the show. Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis) is a sociopath who will trample anyone or anything if it means making a single extra dollar. Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) is a goon who will do the same for a conviction. They’re flip sides of the same coin, really, one a broken wealthy man who came from nothing and fills the hole in his soul with money, the other a broken public servant who came from wealth and fills the hole in his soul with influence. I’d happily spit on both of them if I saw them on the street.
Posted On
Written By GingersnapComments Off on Billions is ‘Prestige Trash’ TV and That’s Why We Love It – March 15, 2019
The Showtime Series Returns For Its Fourth Season Sunday, With More Greed, Lust and Paul Giamatti
by Allie Pape | San Francisco Chronicle | March 15, 2019
Prestige TV is the defining art form of America right now, as the streaming wars offer up a endless array of shows that probe the intricacies of gender, sexuality, race, class and identity. But for all it’s gained in thoughtful new voices and delicately drawn artistic masterworks, TV has lost one of its best categories, which I can only describe as “Prestige Trash.”
These are shows that sit at the center of the Venn diagram of Important and Addictive. They are widely popular with big and broad elements such as lots of sex, violence money or glamour. They’re not the brainiest, but have enough insight to be thought-provoking while containing enough candy to keep you hopelessly hooked. These days, their ranks are almost entirely populated by comedies or reality shows, though shows like “Stranger Things” or “Mr. Robot” help broaden the field.
Given that, I’m a bit befuddled as to why Showtime’s “Billions,” the rare drama that’s equal parts prestige and popcorn, isn’t a megahit. Perhaps it’s because in an age of clearly drawn comic-book heroes and evildoers, it’s the rare show with the audacity to make nearly every one of its characters a villain. A “Dynasty” for the decade-long bull market, it’s lurid and pulpy, covering serious topics but disinclined to take itself too seriously — a combination that’s accidentally made it one of the more relevant depictions of our greed-fueled society.
Posted On
Written By GingersnapComments Off on Billions EP Previews What’s Next for Axe, Rhoades & the Crew in Season 4 – March 15, 2019
Axe: The smartest Guy in Town was Blindsided
by Ileane Rudolph | TV Insider | March 15, 2019
A thirst for vengeance drives both hedge fund king Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Damian Lewis) and former U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) on Season 4 of the financial thriller Billions.
The longtime antagonists join forces to crush those who betrayed and weakened them at the end of last year. “We explore the lengths that characters will go, and how it makes them feel when they encounter the residue [their actions] leave,” says executive producer David Levien. Here’s a look back at where the main characters left off, and a peek at the wrath they’ll unleash to regain their power.
Bobby “Axe” Axelrod
The smartest guy in town was blindsided by Taylor Mason (Asia Kate Dillon) when his equally brilliant protégé left Axe Capital and started a competing fund, stealing clients along the way. “Axe feels he brought Taylor to prominence, only to be burned,” says Levien. Now he will use his own fortune and that of a new buddy, private equity queen Rebecca Cantu (Nina Arianda), to destroy Taylor. And in return for aiding Chuck, Axe wants his former enemy to help put his ex-colleague in legal trouble. Says Levien, “He’ll do whatever he has to to scorch the earth under Taylor’s feet.”
Posted On
Written By GingersnapComments Off on Brian Koppelman and David Levien Talk More About That Ovi-Backstrom Hockey Reference – March 15, 2019
Pearl and Clyde or Ovi and Backstrom
by Scott Allen | The Washington Post | March 15, 2019
The Capitals are off for a couple of days after Saturday’s showdown with the Eastern Conference-leading Lightning in Tampa, but Washington’s top two scorers scored a mention in the season premiere, set for Sunday, of Showtime’s Wall Street drama “Billions.”
During a Tuesday appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” “Billions” star Damian Lewis, who plays hedge-fund manager Bobby “Axe” Axelrod, introduces a clip from Sunday’s episode in which his character references Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The nod to the Stanley Cup champions comes during an intense conversation between Axelrod and trader Bonnie Barella (Sarah Stiles) about their underperforming colleague, Rudy (Chris Carfizzi).
Axelrod: “Do you know why Ovi scores so much? Because Backstrom shares the puck.” Barella: “Yeah, but when he does, Ovi goes bar down. This lame loses the puck between his legs, or airmails it into the God damn glass.” Axelrod: “So I fire him, and he never f—- up again, right, Rudy?” Rudy: “That’s right, Axe.” Axelrod: “And you signed your non-compete, didn’t you?” Rudy: “Of course.” Axelrod: “Good. Rudy? You’re fired.”
(A “bar-down goal,” for the uninitiated, is the hockey term for a shot that deflects off the crossbar before finding the net.)
Posted On
Written By GingersnapComments Off on Asia Kate Dillon Tells Us What It’s Like To Be In Bobby Axelrod’s Crosshairs On Billions – March 15, 2019
Axe and Taylor are Each Other’s Most Worthy Adversary and They Know It
by Jason Tabrys | Uproxx | March 15, 2019
For three seasons, we’ve watched Bobby Axelrod (the investment Golden God) and Chuck Rhoades (the power-thirsty lawman) posture, snarl, and scheme while locked in a gloriously intense battle of financial sector cops and robbers with ample nuance and viciousness. In a sense, it (in addition to the butter-smooth line readings and distinct phraseology coming out of the mouth of impish Axelrod consigliere Mike “Wags” Wagner) has allowed the show to create rooting interests amidst the backdrop of ridonculous wealth and seedy political machinations. Themes that we’re all getting a triple helping of in the real world. But in season four, everything is changing… for now.
Introduced in season two, Taylor Mason (Asia Kate Dillon) is the embodiment of the term “does not fuck around.” Direct and hyper-analytical, Taylor climbed the ladder at Axelrod’s company (Axe Capital) and became a force of nature and someone for Axelrod (Axe) to groom… and use. An arrangement that worked for all sides until Axe traded on Mason’s personal relationship with a client (Oscar, as played by Mike Birbiglia), causing Mason to find a door and take a whole lot with them at the end of season three. A move that creates a new rival for Axelrod (Rhoades has own betrayals to contend with, allowing for a detente with Axe) as he and Mason fight for clients and supremacy.
We spoke with Dillon about the fight between Mason and Axe, whether Mason can reclaim their soul while building a rival company, and how the non-binary actor navigates moments where their (also non-binary) character is misgendered for story reasons on the show.
