"Billions" Star Damian Lewis Will Not Return for Season Six

Bobby “Axe” Axelrod is on the run from the law, and portrayer Damian Lewis will not be returning to “Billions” next season.

Lewis has appeared in all five seasons of Showtime’s popular drama as a cunning billionaire hedge fund manager trying to steer clear of the law while growing his firm, Axe Capital. Paul Giamatti will return, and his brash, power-hungry New York Attorney General Chuck Rhoades will likely set his sights on Axe’s successor Mike Prince (Corey Stoll). When the show returns January 23 for its sixth season, Stoll will be a fulltime cast member.

In the spring of 2020, Showtime aired the first seven episodes of the fifth season, which were filmed before the pandemic halted production. Earlier this year, the cast and crew returned to Broadway Stages to finish filming the season, and the show finally returned in September 2021. Tragically, during the long hiatus Lewis’s wife, Helen McCrory, passed away of cancer. She was known for playing Polly Gray on the popular British drama series “Peaky Blinders” and Narcissa Malfoy in several Harry Potter films.

On October 4, Lewis took to Twitter to thank Showtime and creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien following the season five finale.

Broadway Stages has been the production partner-of-choice for all five seasons of “Billions.” We are sad to see Lewis depart the show and wish him well, but we are also excited to see what is in store next season. Check back for more information on the new season and take a look at the trailer for season six.