Bryan, Rudy, Rebecca, Lara, Bruno…Oh My!
by Staff | Fan Fun With Damian Lewis | August 24, 2023
Over the coarse of 7 seasons, Billions has had many memorable characters that have made a distinct impression on the show, and the viewers.
With Billions coming to its end and Axe making a comeback, we thought we would list the Top Three characters we would also like to see return in Season 7.
Gingersnap
Number 1 – Rebecca Cantu (played by Nina Arianda) was a really cool character on the show. She was a self-made billionaire financier and businesswoman from a small town in Iowa who rose to prominence after picking big winners on the Home Shopping Network.
It’s implied her net worth was somewhere around Bobby’s…remember Wags saying to Axe “Money just walked in†while they were at a tech company’s robotics demo/dog and pony show? Eventually she starts dating Bobby and I appreciated their dynamic because it felt like they were both on the same level playing field. Her quick wit and intelligence could match Bobby’s, but all good things must come to an end in the Billions world. Ken leveraged her Barbie Dream House and Rebecca only thought of Axe as a “snake motherfucker†from then on.
I would kill for just a sneak peek into the Cantu world. What is she up to? Did she rebuild something like Saler’s [Sears] department store chain anyway? In our Expectations, Wishes and Fantasies post for season 7, I fantasized the camera would pan in on Rebecca Cantu’s office and working there are familiar faces Sara and Lauren. Girl power! Those of you who have not seen Nina in the Amazon Prime series Goliath, I highly recommend it. She’s a great actor. In the meantime, enjoy these two compilation videos of Axe and Rebecca.
Number 2 – I miss Bryan James Flynn Connerty (played by Toby Leonard Moore)! He was a tough, yet idealistic lawyer and pointed his moral compass directly at righting wrongs, making sure bad people were brought to justice. In my opinion, he was the most loyal in the Billions world. Even Axe tried to make him a lion to no avail. Bryan was Chuck Rhoades’ protege and Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney for the southern district of New York. Bryan came from a modest background, was a Fordham Law grad, and I miss his moral fiber, dandan noodles, and his kikashi moves in the oldest board game ever created, Go.
I recently watched Toby play the role of Congressman Arthur Hudson on another show The Blacklist and was reminded of just how much I missed him on Billions. Bryan’s demise came at the hands of Chuck when Chuck set a trap, warranting Bryan to engage in illegal activities while conducting an investigation. Bryan used his criminally-educated brother to break into Chuck’s safe to get a hold of a pre-corded tape, walking right into Chuck’s trap and ultimately Bryan’s tragic downfall when he was charged with witness tampering and sent to prison. Bryan had a brief cameo in season 5, episode 5 ‘Contract’ when Chuck visited him in prison, only to be punched in the face by Bryan. 😊
My point is, Bryan started off good and then succumbed to temptations of evil and became what he hated the most. But that’s the underlying theme of Billions isn’t it? That sometimes even the best characters get their hands dirty at some point. I would love to see Bryan released from prison on good behavior, giving us a snapshot of where his story ends.
Number 3 – Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! Show me some Rudy!
Rudy’s real name is Peter and was played by Chris Carfizzi. We follow each other on Twitter, or whatever the kids are calling it these days. He tells Taylor that he loves being called Rudy because Axe Capital was his Notre Dame. He was a high school fuck-up, but impressed a teacher and got into Hofstra where he saw Axe speak, and from that moment on it was all he dreamt about.
What I loved about this character is that Rudy was consistently the worst-performing trader at Axe Capital and got into some shenanigans. He stole Dollar Bill’s lucky dollar and when Dollar Bill rounded up the potential culprits in search of it, he grabbed Rudy’s bag and dumped out the contents only to discover Rudy owns a flesh light! LOL But the biggest surprise about Rudy was his hidden talent – he is a magnificent opera singer! A big shoutout to Chris Carfizzi who shared this video with me so I could share it with you all! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
BILLIONS S 4 Ep 12 – EXTREME SANDBOX from Chris Carfizzi on Vimeo.
Ultimately Rudy was fired for attending a Mase Capital party without Bobby’s knowledge and we never saw Rudy again. Billions season 7 seems to be building back Axe Capital right under our noses at MPC and we just need the whole gang back together for the finale when (and I fantasize this) Axe walks back in to what is now Axe Global US in the final episode, final scene of the entire series and smiles that unforgettable Damian Lewis smirk when he sees all his employees back together in one place – Rudy, Dollar Bill, Mafee, Bonnie, Ben, Victor, Pouch, Dan M, Taylor, Winston, Wendy, Wags, Spyros, along with Rian, Everett, Tuk and other newcomers. END SCENE!
Honorable Mentions: Lonnie Watley with his fabulous hair and Axe’s Mom, played by the fantastic Patti D’Arbanville.
Damianista
Number 1 – Bruno Capparello (Arthur Nascarella)
Bruno is the only father figure in Bobby Axelrod’s life. He always gave him a free pie when young Bobby was broke and when we first met Bobby Axelrod in Billions he was returning the favor by partnering with Bruno who had financial problems. And once they partnered, the pizza place became Bobby’s favorite late night meeting place where a lot of interesting conversations took place!
Read the rest of the original article at Fan Fun With Damian Lewis here.