“It feels like we’re at the end.”
Sadly, Ben Kim, we are at the end of Bobby Axelrod… at least for now.
“I got rid of the guy in the chair… Not for f–ing long.”
Damian Lewis on ‘Billions’.Jojo Whilden/SHOWTIME
BRIAN KOPPELMAN:The goodbyes onBillionsand the hellos onBillionsare never permanent; nothing is etched in stone.
But that said, Damian’s time as a regular onBillionshas come to an end.
The guy delivered for us in such an incredible way.
Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti on ‘Billions’.Laurence Cendrowicz/SHOWTIME
What he did in making Bobby Axelrod an icon is really remarkable.
But, again, not saying it’s goodbye forever.
How did we arrive at this point?
Maggie Siff and Asia Kate Dillon on ‘Billions’.Jeff Neumann/SHOWTIME
Has this long been the plan, or is it a more recent call?
Obviously, we know Damian and his family suffered a painful lossearlier this year.
KOPPELMAN:We started talking to Damian about it three years ago.
And we’re incredibly sensitive to talking about…
I mean, he lost his wife, who was a wonderful person and a great artist.
Whether it’s the privilege, the power, the frustrations.
And language it in terms of being a force for good.
It was a new narrative, so we were able to jump on that and the show evolved.
It felt like the old days!
He definitely got that with Prince!
Did Corey know coming in that this was the plan for him and the character?
KOPPELMAN:He knew.
Even when he had that convo with you, he knew.
LEVIEN:We wanted to work with Corey for years and years.
And then, like you said, we talked to him about various opportunities to be on the show.
He was hard to book because he was busy all the time.
But those aren’t the characters that get to do the really meaty stuff.
It is aBillionsseason, but it is structured differently; it’s the next evolution of the show.
But the characters are still set.
You’ve long avoided “going there” with Wendy and Axe.
Especially knowing that Axe was about to be coming off the board.
KOPPELMAN:That’s something really important there, Derek, which is they never really do start it.
That just felt like where the characters needed to go, which is to say everything.
Departures are an incredible opportunity to say what’s unsaid.
And it happened really organically.
Wendy tells Taylor that they’ve basically become Axe on his worst day.
What did you want to send Taylor through here in these last few episodes?
LEVIEN:Taylor is another one of the characters who’s evolving.
They’re very much in it.
Why were those the two that you decided to remove from the office?
For comedy purposes alone, it seems like a winning move.
It’s, oh my God, of course.
Like Brian said, it just felt like the right thing that they should get in that elevator together.
KOPPELMAN:And then there are some great things that came out of that, right?
And obviously, that creates lots of opportunities potentially for story.
Or will it be more based on instinct in the moment?
KOPPELMAN:We do understand the way in which we will eventually end the show.
But we’re not there yet.
We’re still completely engaged with these characters and this story and this world.
LEVIEN:Oh, a hundred percent.
It’s all new opportunities.
We have all these really amazing opportunities that keep us totally here and focused.
