Asia Kate Dillon is an American performer, writer and director residing in New York City. They currently portray Brandy Epps on Orange Is the New Black.

Early Life Edit

Born and raised in Ithaca, New York, USA, Dillon studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City, graduating from the Studio Program. They then returned to Ithaca to complete the Meisner training program at The Actor's Workshop of Ithaca (Dillon began during their junior year of high school at age sixteen, the youngest student ever admitted to the class). As an active alumni, Dillon not only acted with the theatre company, but also served as a teaching assistant and stage manager. 

Career Edit

In 2007 Dillon took the titular role of Rachel Corrie in My Name is Rachel Corrie. This role required Dillon to memorize over thirty monologues and play over seven alternate characters over the course of the one person show, which received rave reviews calling Dillon "absolutely magnetic."

Dillon returned to New York City and was chosen from nearly one thousand actors to participate in a Workshop at The Flea Theatre in Manhattan of fifty new plays by Tony and Academy award nominated and winning playwrights and directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar. This was followed by a featured lead role as Lucifer in The Mysteries, also directed by Iskandar. Following, The Mysteries, Dillon traveled to Washington, D.C. to perform in The Tempest at The Shakespeare Theatre Company.

After a memorable role as racist skinhead Brandy on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black, Dillon joined the world of high finance and politics on Showtime’s Billions, as Taylor, a non-binary gender identifying character in Showtime's Billions. Dillon is the first non-binary gender identifying actor to ever be cast in a major television series.

These strong performances led to television roles in Orange Is the New BlackMaster of NoneYounger, and Billions. Dillon played the role of Albert Cashier in Good Men Wanted at Dixon Place, which would later host US- an evening of storytelling followed by a talkback of which Dillon is the creator, curator, and director.  

In 2019 Dillion starred as the main antagonist in the movie John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum which also starred Keanu Reeves.

Personal Life Edit

Dillon is gender nonconforming and uses the singular they pronoun for non-binary gender identification. Growing up in Ithaca, NY, a "sort of populated and diverse area", Dillon already was gender-nonconforming in high school in terms of the way they dressed, the way they styled their hair, and looking back they think that they probably had an easier time than living at another place.[1] Dillon also identifies as pansexual, stating they have been attracted to multiple genders. [2]

In terms of dating, Dillon says, "Dating has never been something I’ve done. It’s never been a part of my life."

The founder and producing director of MIRROR/FIRE Productions, Dillon is part of the artistic resistance. They are creator, curator, and director of US, a storytelling and talkback series at New York’s Dixon Place, which “puts a magnifying glass to racism in the United States using original and found text, audio, and video footage to drive the #BlackLivesMatter conversation forward.”[3] Dillon's collaborative project features fellow Orange Is the New Black cast members Amanda Stephen and Miriam Morales.

"MIRROR/FIRE productions’ goal in everything it produces is to subvert the white, gender normative, heteronormative narratives currently and continuously dominating the live theater experience. MIRROR/FIRE productions eagerly answers the call of creating work that challenges performers and audiences alike to be inquisitive and passionate in their pursuit of truth."[4]

Social Media Edit

Trivia Edit

  • Dillon has the German word "einfühlung" tattooed on their neck, which means empathy.

Interviews Edit

References Edit
