BILLIONS S5
Billions is making two big investments in Season 5. Since the launch of their hit series, creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien have tried to cast Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) and Corey Stoll (House of Cards), only for the timing never to be right, or, as Stoll admits with a laugh, “Frankly, I was holding out for something a bit more exciting in terms of the role”. But persistence paid off, with both actors set to appear in the upcoming season.
“Julianna is one of the smartest actresses working,” declares Koppelman. “The way in which she can make any kind of dialogue sound like her own seamlessly fits into our world.” And when it comes to Stoll, Levien says they’ve been hell-bent on working with him since he filled in at a table read on one of their films. “We were able to write a character for him that is smart, aggressive and charismatic, all the things that he’s built to play.”
That super-rich role for Stoll is business titan Michael Prince, who comes into Axe’s (Damian Lewis) orbit, causing sparks to fly. “He has that same competitive streak as Axe, but it’s tempered with this drive to do good,” says Stoll. “There’s a lot of conflict between Prince and other characters, but stronger than that is the fight within himself to reconcile being a capitalist and a good person.”
Unfortunately, the Billions team doesn’t want to reveal too much about Margulies’ Catherine Brant, an Ivy League sociology professor and bestselling author. “She’s a conduit for Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) finding another side of himself,” teases Margulies. “She comes from a place of non-judgement and isn’t deterred by his behaviour, which he finds quite enlightening.”
Chuck will find peace there, but Koppelman warns that he and Axe “are at the brink. They have to find a way to recapture ground lost, and gain high ground for the battles they’re about to face.”
Derek Lawrence