When Billions returns in February, fans will finally get to know what kind of scheming Axelrods and Rhoades couples have been up to. Filming for season two is almost done and Malin Akerman, Lara Axelrod on the show, promises “really great twists and turns.”
“There’s not much I can say without giving away plotlines!” she said. “But I can tell you … it’s really juicy.”
We caught up with the actress on season two of the hit Showtime series and got some details on her partnership with Walmart’s new Hotel Style bed and bath linens collection.
Fans loved the first season of Billions, have you started filming season 2?
Yeah, we’re almost done! We’re on episode 10 right now.
What, if anything, can you tell us about the new season?
I think now that audiences know our characters really well, you can really delve into it a bit more. I always feel like the second and third seasons of shows are exciting just because it’s like coming back to your friends, to your acquaintances and you can really enjoy these amazing heightened moments that happen in the show.
You’ve said in previous interviews that you’re not much like your character on Billions, but as a mother, do you identify with any of her more protective parenting instincts?
Oh yeah, I would kill for my son [laughs], plain and simple. I think Lara is pretty cut-throat in that sense with her kids. I think the one place where we do agree is, my son is definitely growing up in a more privileged setting than I ever did… so I’m making it a point to make sure that he has chores to do and to understand that some kids in this world don’t have food, so we don’t waste our food. I think giving him a moral compass is really important to me to make sure he doesn’t grow up a spoiled brat.
I personally love how the two women [you and Maggie Siff] on the show are just as strong, complex and independently minded as the two main men [Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti]. Can we expect more of that in season two?
I mean, they stand their own ground. They really do. They’re not pushovers and they don’t need their men, at all. They’ll both be fine without their men and that’s a really beautiful thing. For Lara and Bobby [Lewis] we have this mutual respect and a real equality within our marriage that is really lovely to see in a couple. It’s relatable for a lot of women and it’s fun to play. I appreciate the writers for making the women really strong.
You only had a few short scenes with Maggie Siff last year, and on message boards your characters are fan favorites. Do you have the chance to act with Siff in season two?
That they do! I won’t tell you the context, but they do. They have more interactions.
I’d love to see the two of you team up somehow. I know in season one though you were definitely on opposite sides.
Yep, you’ll have to keep watching to see what happens.
What kinds of storylines would you like to see for Lara in season two and beyond?
Moving forward into season three, because I already know what season two holds, I would love to see her delve into her background a little bit more, into her family and issues perhaps with family members and people surrounding her. I’d love to see a little bit more of that, I think it’d be interesting for viewers to see more of where she came from and how she deals with that. There are a lot of crooks around where she group, it’s a whole other level that we’re living in—you know, white collar versus a mobster mentality. I think it would be fascinating to see.
You’re part of a cast that is all so accomplished before coming together on Billions. Is there anyone in particular that you were really excited to work with?
Funnily enough, I had worked with Paul Giamatti before on Rock of Ages and I absolutely adore him, but we of course have no scenes together! We’re enemies, basically! I was excited to be reunited with Paul and luckily we do have all of our table reads together so it’s fun to kind of reconvene and see each other. But every person is so well cast on this and just to be a part of a show that has fabulous theater-trained actors that inspire me, that make me want to do better. And that’s really exciting, to walk out of there and go, “jeeze, they’re really pushing me to be my best.” That’s always a good place to be.
Can you tell us a little about your partnership with Walmart’s new Hotel Style bedding and bath collection?
As you may have guessed, in my line of work I stay in a lot of hotels and there’s something about climbing into a hotel bed with their linens that feels a little more exquisite than your own at home. So when Walmart came to me with their Hotel Style linen that goes up to 1,000 thread count, which is really wonderful, it was a no brainer for me. To get that level of luxury at home, to get that luxury at an affordable price… I’m a mother of a three-and-a-half-year-old, so I look forward to going to bed every night. I can’t wait to get into bed with a cup of tea and a book.
What are your favorite ways to make your home a nice retreat?
Surrounding yourself with things that you love. I’m lucky enough to get to travel a lot, so I like to collect things from around the world and that creates memories and a coziness about it. I’ve become a collector of drums, djembe drums, that I just think are beautiful. When they’re handcrafted, they’re beautiful and just so much fun for my son, at this point, to play with. Anything that becomes sort of personalized in that sense and is a reminder of my life and the beautiful, wonderful places that I’ve been.