Asia Kate Dillon, widely recognized for prominent roles in television and cinema including Showtime's drama series "Billions" and the blockbuster film "John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum," has publicly announced a search for employment in the customer service sector. In an open statement published on social media, the performer disclosed that acting engagements have largely dried up after more than a decade of working strictly within the entertainment industry.
A Return to Hospitality Roots
Reflecting on their journey into the workforce, Dillon explained that their professional background initially took root in food service long before landing major acting opportunities. Dillon's first job began in 2000 at age 15, working weekend morning shifts at Ithaca Bakery. During that time, responsibilities included organizing bins of fresh bagels, restocking beverage refrigerators, cleaning spills, maintaining coffee stations, bussing dish bins, and greeting patrons.
Selected Screen Credits of Asia Kate Dillon
| Project | Role | Episode Count / Format |
|---|---|---|
| Orange Is the New Black | Brandy Epps | 19 episodes |
| Billions | Taylor Mason | 71 episodes (6 seasons) |
| John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum | The Adjudicator | Feature film |
| The Outside Story | Featured Role | Feature film |
| Gen: Lock | Voice Role | Animated series |
| Outerlands | Featured Role | 2025 feature film |
Over the years, Dillon worked in positions ranging from dishwasher and food runner to floor manager. Dillon maintained those customer-facing positions alongside auditioning and booking small performance jobs until the autumn of 2015. At that juncture, acting generated enough steady income to allow a full-time commitment exclusively to stage, film, and television projects, an arrangement that lasted for eleven years.
Industry Headwinds and Advocacy
In the statement addressing the need to reenter the hospitality workforce, Dillon pointed out systemic difficulties currently impacting performers, noting that the decline in available roles has heavily affected trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming artists.
"Now, like for many, many performer colleagues of mine — particularly those of us who are trans/nonbinary/gender nonconforming — acting work has all but diminished, and I’m in need of service work once more," Dillon wrote. Expressing enthusiasm for working with the public again, Dillon described a love for food and drink spaces, team collaboration, and creating hospitable environments, noting availability for part-time, evening, and weekend hours while adapting to modern point-of-sale systems.
Dillon holds a notable place in recent television history as the first gender-nonbinary actor to portray a nonbinary character on a major television production. Beyond on-screen representation, Dillon has actively pushed for systemic industry changes. In 2020, Dillon publicly petitioned the Screen Actors Guild Awards—now titled the Actor Awards—to eliminate gender-segregated voting categories, arguing that separating performers by assigned sex or gender identity constitutes a form of discrimination that remains irrelevant to evaluating acting craft.
Screen Career Across Film and Television
Before securing high-profile regular roles, Dillon began building an on-screen resume with guest appearances on series such as "Younger," "Master of None," and "Opus for All." Dillon achieved broader recognition playing Brandy Epps across 19 episodes of Netflix’s hit prison drama "Orange Is the New Black."
A career milestone arrived in 2017 with the role of financial prodigy Taylor Mason on "Billions." Dillon remained a core presence on the drama across six seasons, appearing in 71 episodes. Feature film credits followed, including portraying the Adjudicator in the 2019 action release "John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum," voice work on the animated series "Gen: Lock," and roles in independent projects like "The Outside Story" and the 2025 release "Outerlands."
As Dillon now explores open positions outside entertainment, their public statement highlights the ongoing economic realities and employment instability faced by working screen performers today.
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Source: Variety
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