Noting that they’d supported themself in food service and other service jobs since a teenager while pursuing acting roles, Dillon stated, “I continued working in food and general customer service, alongside any acting gigs I could rustle up, until the fall of 2015 when I was finally able to make the transition to a full time income stemming from just my acting work. I have worked exclusively in theater, film and TV for the last eleven years. 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, who received widespread acclaim as ice-veined financial analyst Taylor Mason on 71 episodes of Billions, became the first gender nonbinary performer to play a nonbinary character on a major TV show before the show ended in 2023. They also portrayed white supremacist prisoner Brandy Epps on Orange Is The New Black and The Adjudicator in John Wick 3: Parabellum. Since Billions wrapped, Dillon has done voice work for Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (which had its own issues regarding trans representation) and scored a lead role in the 2025 indie drama Outerlands.
But for a character actor, especially one whose gender identity Hollywood often relegates to the fringes if not outright unemployment, old residuals aren’t enough. As Dillon concludes their message, “I love customer service. I love creating welcoming environments for people to relax in and connect with each other. I love food and drink. I am passionate and curious, and a great teammate. I imagine the hurdle to reentry will be learning the new POS systems, but I’m a quick study. I’m available for part time, night and weekend work.”
Dillon is hardly the only trans or non-binary actor who’s seen their impressive former body of work unable to translate into ongoing employment in the entertainment industry. Elliot Page (formerly the star of mega hit Juno and other blockbusters), stated recently that he’s received no offers since Christopher Nolan cast him as Sinon in this year’s The Odyssey.
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