Asia Kate Dillon dishes on taking the lead in Outerlands, cinema’s hottest sex scene & their most challenging role
The actor opens up about their personal connection to their role in 'Outerlands' & why the sex scene in kinky thriller 'Bound' still has them in a chokehold.
Mark
Tattooed on Asia Kate Dillon’s neck is “einfühlung,” the German word for empathy.
Not only is it a pretty bad*ss tattoo, it’s also a guiding principal for an actor who strives to be a conduit for empathy in all their work, whether they’re playing an inmate on Orange Is The New Black, a high-powered enforcer in John Wick: Chapter 3, or a financial analyst in the Showtime drama Billions, where they made history as the first non-binary main character an a mainstream American TV show.
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And for their latest project, Dillon’s steps into the lead role of the indie drama Outerlands, playing a character who could stand to learn to have some empathy for themself. They star as Cass, a gig economy worker doing whatever they can to make ends meet so they can afford tiny apartment in modern-day San Francisco.
After a one-night-stand with their co-worker Kalli (Superman‘s Louisa Krause), Cass agrees to watch her 11-year-old daughter Ari (newcomer Ridley Asha Bateman) while she heads out of town for a quick trip. But when days go by with no word from Kalli, Cass suddenly finds themself looking after a kid they barely know how to take care of—one who happens to remind them of their own younger self.
A powerful & personal story of perseverance from writer-director Elena Oxman, Outerlands is a fantastic showcase for Dillon’s talent and raw vulnerability. After premiering at last year’s SXSW, it racked up accolades while screening at film fests all over the globe, and is now among the nominees for Best First Screenplay at the 2026 Independent Spirit Awards.
With Outlerands (also starring Lea DeLaria & Daniel K. ISaac) now available online and the Spirit Awards just around the corner (on Feb. 15), we thought it was the perfect time to invite Dillon into the hot seat for our long-running Q&A series, Dishin’ It. In our conversation, the star opens up about their personal connection to Cass that they found “extremely gratifying,” their favorite thing about filming in San Francisco, and why they’ll never forget the sex scene in The Wachowskis’ kinky debut film Bound.
Is there a piece of media—whether a movie, TV series, book, album, theater, video game, etc…—that has played an important role in your understanding of queerness and the queer community, or your own identity? Why does it stand out to you?
Bound. The sex scene is so hot, and was one of the first to be choreographed with an intimacy coordinator—though they were not called that at that time. You can feel the agency that both women have in the scene, and it serves to tell the audience something about the relationship between the two characters” who has the power and when. It’s extremely hot, and served as an inspiration for the sex scene in Outerlands.
You’ve been a part of a lot of amazing ensembles, but it’s great to see you take the lead in Outerlands with a stunning performance. What does it mean for you to have your first proper leading role in a feature with this film, and what’s something the experience of being at the top of the call sheet, so to speak, has taught you?
The experience of making this film holds many milestones for me. Being on testosterone myself and playing a character who is also on testosterone was extremely gratifying. Being a producer on the film allowed me access to shared oversight of the project itself. Helping Elena set the tone and energy for the day was fun and exciting.
In the film, you have a phenomenal young co-star in Ridley Asha Bateman; what are some things you two bonded over on set, and how did she push you to bring your A-game?
Ridley was so present and a joy to work with. She was able to be silly and grounded as she brought nuances to her character that lit up our scenes.
Outerlands also doubles as this portrait of modern-day San Francisco, which is quite different from the city even a decade or two ago. What did you like most about working there, and what were some of the challenges the city presented?
I love the food. Great gluten free options there, as I’m celiac. I’d heard that fog would likely be problematic, but apparently it was the most sunny days anyone had seen in years – or so every local kept telling me the whole time we were filming. Gorgeous weather. Windy, sometimes. But gorgeous.
Where’s one of the first spaces you can remember that made you feel a part of a queer community?
The Gay Straight Alliance club at my high school, which was run by a few out queer teachers. At that age, as a young queer person, having adults who I knew would protect me was huge in creating a feeling of safety at school.
Also among your impressive list of credits is the John Wick series, voice work The Simpsons, the Broadway revival of Macbeth, and of course your trailblazing work on Billions, to name a few. Of your past roles, what’s one you’d say pushed & challenged you most as an actor & person & why?
This 5 ½ hour play I did back in 2014, which ran five nights a week for several months. It challenged me in every way—emotionally, physically, spiritually. The stamina required to perform that way for such an extended period of time taught me what I’m capable of.
Thinking ahead to the future after what’s been a very challenging year for many, what’s one resolution you’d like to give the LGBTQ+ community for 2026?
Drink more water. Stay hydrated.
And, in closing: Who is an LGBTQ+ artist/performer/creator that you think is doing really cool work right now? Why are they someone we should all be paying attention to?
Janaya Future Khan! @janayathefuture on IG.
Outerlands is available for digital rental or purchase via Amazon Prime Video & Apple TV.
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