Asia Kate Dillon Seeks Service Work as Acting Jobs Decline

Actor Asia Kate Dillon is seeking employment in the food service industry after a sharp decline in acting opportunities for transgender and nonbinary performers. In an Instagram post published Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Dillon shared their résumé and explained their decision to return to an industry where they previously worked for years.

Dillon, best known for playing Taylor Mason on Showtime's drama Billions, said acting opportunities have largely dried up for performers who are transgender, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming. They began working in food service at age 15 before transitioning to full-time acting about a decade ago.

In their October 20 post, Dillon described the employment challenges facing performers in their community.

"Like 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.

Dillon also highlighted their enthusiasm for customer service, teamwork, and creating welcoming spaces. They acknowledged that returning to restaurant work could require learning updated point-of-sale systems but expressed confidence in their ability to adapt.

"I love customer service. I love creating welcoming environments for people to relax in and connect with each other. I love food and drinks.

I am passionate and curious, and a great teammate. I imagine the hurdle to reentry will be learning the new POS [point of sale] systems, but I'm a quick study," Dillon wrote.

Dillon's career reflects a period when transgender and nonbinary performers gained greater visibility in mainstream television. In 2017, they became the first nonbinary main character in a North American television series through their role as Taylor Mason on Billions.

During the 2010s, transgender actors secured prominent roles in productions including Orange Is the New Black, Shameless, and Transparent. Laverne Cox appeared in Orange Is the New Black, where Dillon also had a small recurring role, while Elliot Fletcher appeared in Shameless and Trace Lysette featured in Transparent.

The FX series Pose further expanded opportunities for transgender performers, helping advance the careers of Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Indya Moore, and Dominique Jackson. Dillon's character also gave many nonbinary viewers an opportunity to see a character using they/them pronouns on a major television network.

Despite those advances, transgender and nonbinary actors have reported fewer professional opportunities in recent years. Dillon is among established performers who have spoken publicly about the contraction, alongside Cox and Lysette, while newer performers have described similar financial pressures.

In September, actor Jack Haven, who starred in Camp Miasma, appealed for $4,000 in acting work to maintain access to Screen Actors Guild health insurance. The request highlighted the connection between employment opportunities and access to industry benefits for working performers.

Elliot Page also said in September that he had not received calls offering him new roles despite starring in Christopher Nolan's summer blockbuster The Odyssey. The reported decline in opportunities for transgender and nonbinary actors has coincided with increased anti-transgender rhetoric from government officials and a wave of laws targeting the community.