Everything you need to know about Billions
Billions follows the story of hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod, whose aggressive tactics have made him massively wealthy and powerful, not just in New York, but across the entire finance industry.
So powerful in fact, he’s caught the attention of Chuck Rhoades Jr., the US Attorney for the South District of New York, determined to bring him down.
Soon, the pair are locked in a battle of wits, using their smarts and influence to try and stay one step ahead of the other.
Rhoades is very loosely based on the story of Preet Bharara, a former US Attorney, with the story initially taking influence from real federal financial crime prosecutions.
The series launched in January 2016 and ran through to October 2023.
Watch the Series 5 trailer
Who stars in Billions and where have we seen them before?
The top-billed cast of Billions throughout the season run was:
- Damian Lewis (Band Of Brothers, Homeland) as Robert "Bobby" Axelrod
- Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers, American Splendor) as Chuck Rhoades, Jr.
- Maggie Siff (Sons of Anarchy, Mad Men) as Wendy Rhoades
- Toby Leonard Moore as Bryan Connerty
- David Costabile (Suits, Little Birds) as Mike "Wags" Wagner
- Condola Rashad (Master Of None, Good Posture) as Kate Sacker
- Jeffrey DeMunn (The Green Mile, Divorce) as Charles Rhoades, Sr.
- Kelly AuCoin (Clipped, The Americans) as "Dollar" Bill Stearn
- Malin Åkerman (Dollface, Watchmen) as Lara Axelrod (from seasons 1 to 4)
- Asia Kate Dillon (John Wick 3, Orange Is The New Black) as Taylor Amber Mason (joining season 2)
- Corey Stoll (House Of Cards, Transatlantic) as Michael Thomas Aquinas Prince (joining show in season 5)
- Daniel Breaker (Girls5Eva, The Good Fight) as Scooter Dunbar (joining show in season 5)
- Sakina Jaffrey (Snowpiercer, Defending Jacob) as Daevisha "Dave" Mahar (joining show from season 6)
- Toney Goins (Cherry, For Life) as Phillip Charyn (joining show from season 6)
What is the age rating of Billions?
The official rating of Billions in the UK, as certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), is 18 for the overall series.
This means the show has been deemed suitable for mature audiences only, although some episodes have been acknowledged as 15 certified.
Reasons for this rating include:
- Full frontal male and female nudity
- Scenes of sadomasochist sexual acts
- Some use of profanity
- Scenes of aggressive arguments
- Frequent depictions of illegal drug use (including cocaine and ecstasy)
- Scenes of prescription drug misuse (including Xanax, oxycodone, and vicodin)
Are there any Billions spin-offs?
Currently, there are no spin-offs of Billions on the air – although there are plans for them.
In fact, according to industry news site Deadline, there are currently FOUR spin-offs in the works for future release:
- Billions: Miami will be set in the world of private aviation and cryptocurrency.
- Billions: London will be set in the world of UK finance.
- Millions will focus on up-and-coming financiers in Manhattan.
- Trillions will focus on a group of the richest people in the world and their conflicts.
How many episodes of Billions are there?
Billions ran for seven seasons, with 84 episodes in total.
Each season ran for 12 episodes apiece, although season five, which aired in 2020, was split into two halves due to the pandemic, with filming put on hold further following the death of Damian Lewis’s wife, Helen McCrory, in April 2021.
As a result, seven episodes aired from May to June 2020, with the final five in September to October 2021.
The final season aired from August to October 2023.
How to watch Billions in the UK
Billions is available in full to watch on Sky Atlantic now.
It’s also available to stream on Sky Go and NOW.