ASIA KATE DILLON

I would love to do things that teach me new skills. Like, I don't know how to ride a horse. And not that I need a film or television project to teach me that, but it's one of the perks of being an actor, inhabiting a character who has experiences and a knowledge that I don't.

What we need to do is get rid of 'men's' and 'women's' sections and make sections that are, like, 'dresses for tall people,' 'pants for short people,' 'jeans for people with hips,' you know what I mean?

I think that it's important to say that trans people exist, and we are valid, whether we choose to transition or not. It's really up to anyone to decide what is going to make them feel the most like themselves.

I love my ability to generate empathy and compassion within myself and others.

Creating more characters that represent historically marginalized and historically disenfranchised people in television and film is certainly important.

Given the choice between 'actor' and 'actress,' 'actor' is a non-gendered word that I use.

Sometimes you have to see the thing to know that it exists. Maybe there's a queer person in a town, but they don't feel comfortable or safe coming out, frankly, and the only representation they feel that they have or connection they have is on television or in a movie, and that's really powerful.

Art is so valuable that I think its misuse is really dangerous. When it's used well, when it's telling a story well or creating representation or visibility for something that's really lacking, it can really save lives.

I do say gender fluid, because I experience my gender identity as being fluid because it's on a spectrum.

One of the best side effects about working on 'Billions' that I did not anticipate were the number of conversations I had about gender identity with my fellow actors and also members of the crew. From the person holding the boom to the person wiring my microphone, just how many conversations I had with so many open minds and hearts.

I can remember, actually, seeing the film 'Oliver!' and understanding so badly that I wanted to play that part, but that I would never be able to because I was a 'girl' and Oliver was a 'boy.'

I'm really interested in going back in to the history of non-binary people and seeing how many people in history were non-binary but that didn't know it themselves or because we didn't have the language, couldn't talk about it. I know how that felt being a young person not having that language.

I see reflections of what I love about myself in the love and care I receive from my friends, family, and co-workers who, in turn, allow me to love and care about them.

What 'Billions' does so brilliantly is they just make it a non-issue. Damien Lewis' character says, 'Those are the pronouns you use? Great, let's get down to business. How can you make me money?'

'Actor' and 'actress' don't have to be gendered or sexed.

I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that only gender non-conforming, non-binary, or trans people have a gender identity. But the truth is, everyone has a gender identity.

I spent so many years not understanding my own gender identity and not having the language for it, and not having those conversations, that now I'm so eager to talk about it. Then I learn more about myself and other people.

I first started removing the 'she,' 'her,' and 'hers' pronouns from my online material. I was just using my name in place of a pronoun, and that felt really good. Then I read the script for 'Billions' and did a little more research into non-binary, and it just really clicked for me.

Ithaca is sort of a populated and diverse area. There's a wide spectrum of people living there. In that sense, it was a wonderful place to grow up because it was a microcosm - ultimately, I would learn - of New York City.

'Laramie' is a way in to replacing any hate in your heart with understanding, compassion, and acceptance.

I grew up poor, financially lower class. Worked in restaurants for 17 years while going to acting school and trying to become a working actor. Because I know what it's like to not have money, I turn down roles if I don't want to play them.

What I learned through my research is that the word 'actor,' specifically in reference to those who performed in plays, came about in the late 1500s as a non-gendered word. It applied to all people, regardless of anatomical sex or gender identity.

Honestly, from a very young age, before I had the language, really - anywhere that I encountered binary, whether it was in clothing or in toys or in media, it always made me uncomfortable.

The work that I engage with, whether it's self-generated or collaborative, is uplifting and supporting historically marginalized and disenfranchised people, because when I uplift up those groups, I'm uplifting myself and supporting myself - it works out in that way.

Nonbinary, gender-nonconforming, and trans people have always been around, just as long as any other type of person.