Damian Lewis Likely Won’t Return to ‘Billions’
Damian Lewis is one of those English actors who has become instantly recognizable to millions of fans around the world. Lewis, who is known for his tendency to choose high-powered, dynamic roles, has been a popular force in the entertainment business since the early 2000s.
In 2016, Lewis landed what would ultimately end up being his most popular role to date, Bobby Axelrod in the Showtime series Billions. For five seasons, Lewis has been an indispensable part of the series, earning serious critical acclaim. However, after his recent departure from Billions, many fans are wondering if the actor will ever return to the role that helped to define his career.
Why did Damian Lewis leave his popular role on ‘Billions’?
Ever since the show debuted on Showtime in 2016, Damian Lewis has been a vital part of the Billions cast. The series has featured his character, Bobby Axelrod, as the ambitious hedge fund manager becomes increasingly wealthy and powerful in the often-dangerous world of high finance. However, at the end of the fifth season, Lewis departed the show, with the character of Bobby going on the run to try to escape impending legal troubles.
As reported by Newsweek, there was no animosity behind the scenes that led Lewis to leave the beloved series. Rather, it was simply that his contract was up, with the actor noting of his tenure on the series that “I always just assumed that would be enough.”
Later in the interview, Lewis noted that he might come back to the show someday in the future—but said that fans shouldn’t look for that to happen anytime soon: “There’s an opportunity maybe for me to return. But for now, broadly speaking, Axe has been vanquished.”
Even series co-creator Brian Koppelman spoke of Lewis’s exit, remarking “We feel really honored and lucky to have had five years of being able to know that Damian Lewis was Bobby Axelrod. But, again, not saying it’s goodbye forever.”
What’s next for Damian Lewis?
There will still be plenty of drama on Billions, with longtime supporting star Corey Stoll being upped to series regular in order to replace Axelrod, according to Newsweek. As for Lewis, he’s had his own share of personal struggles over the past year, with his longtime partner, Helen McCrory, died from cancer at the age of 52 in April 2021.
Once he’s been able to take a breather from Billions, it seems likely that Lewis will jump right back into his work. As noted by The New York Times, the actor is currently preparing to film the British Cold War series A Spy Among Friends, in addition to hosting the TV show Spy Wars.
Damian Lewis is well known for his work in intense dramas like ‘Band of Brothers’
Lewis might have earned a whole new audience for his work in Billions, but he’s been a longtime fan favorite, thanks to his work in TV dramas like Band of Brothers and Homeland.
In 2015, his performance as the famed monarch King Henry VIII of England in the series Wolf Hall earned Lewis critical acclaim and several award nominations, including a Primetime Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe nomination. He’s also forged a connection with classic Hollywood films, playing movie star Steve McQueen in the 2019 Quentin Tarantino movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
It seems likely that fans of all ages will be on board to watch the next phase in the career of Damian Lewis, no matter what roles he happens to choose.
