Julianna Margulies Previews Her ‘Brilliant’ New ‘Billions’ Character Cat
Q&A
The age-old feud between New York Attorney General Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) and finance mogul Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis) has reignited in Season 5 of the Showtime drama Billions, but it’s Chuck’s personal life that piques our interest: While a guest lecturer at Yale, he crosses paths with sociology professor Catherine “Cat” Brant, played by recurring guest Julianna Margulies.
She fills us in.
How do the pair meet?
Julianna Margulies: She wrote a bestseller called The O Gap, about women’s orgasms. She’s lecturing on the speech Chuck gave [last season] when he was blackmailed about his S&M dalliances, and asks if he’ll come to her class and let her and her students ask him questions.
Does Cat have a hidden dark side?
No. Chuck is attracted to her not just because she’s brilliant, but because she says it like it is and nothing fazes her. His past sexual forays don’t ruffle her feathers in the slightest. In fact, she looks at it almost like a science project. For her, it’s, “Wow, interesting. Never met someone like you who’s actually honest about who they are.”
(Jeff Neumann/SHOWTIME)
Will she don dominatrix leather?
I hate to disappoint, but that’s not Cat’s jam.
What else can you tease?
She meets Chuck’s dad. I made a fool of myself the first time I met Jeffrey DeMunn because I’m obsessed with his character. It’s like watching a train wreck!
Billions, Season 5 Premiere, Sunday, May 3, 9/8c, Showtime
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services