‘Billions': 5 interesting facts about Maggie Siff who plays Wendy Rhoades on the hit Showtime series
For more than a decade now, Maggie Siff has chosen "just the right" TV scripts. The actress is best known for her role in TV shows like 'Mad Men' and 'Sons of Anarchy'. But her biggest small-screen success is her character Wendy Rhodes on the crime drama 'Billions'. Siff's acting skills have made her one of the most compelling actresses on TV. Her characters in 'Mad Men' and 'Sons' met untimely ends but when it comes to 'Billions', she told showrunners, "I've told the guys, they are not allowed to kill me off."
As Wendy, her role is billed as "a psychiatrist, in-house performance coach at Axe Capital and ex-wife of Chuck Rhoades Jr who is self-possessed, motivated and extremely successful." The actor has become a star favorite over the course of five seasons of 'Billions'. "I play with her stillness because she sits and listens, and she listens in a way that is kind of supposed to make people squirm a bit," the actor said in a The Cut interview for her character.
Born in The Bronx, New York City in 1974, she was raised by her Jewish father and her mother of Irish and Swedish descent. In several interviews, she has said that she feels "culturally Jewish". As fans wait for the rest of the episodes of the fifth season to come back, here are the top five things we think you should know about Maggie Siff.
Theatrical experience
Siff has worked extensively in regional theater in New York. This happened before she entered the TV industry. She won a Barrymore Award for Excellence in Theater in 1998 where she worked in Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts at Lantern Theater Company.
Entry into TV and films
Siff started her silver screen career in 2004 when she appeared in Season 2 of 'Rescue Me'. She also appeared in several TV shows like 'Grey's Anatomy', 'Law and Order', 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit'. She soon got impactful roles in 'Mad Men' and 'Sons of Anarchy'. Apart from TV, Siff has appeared in several films as 'Push', 'Then she found me', 'Leaves of Grass' and 'Concussion'.
Love story with Paul Ratliff
In the year, 2012 Siff got married to beau Paul Ratliff. Paul is a mental health practitoner. The couple has always kept their love life personal.
Donning the 'mom' hat
In October 2013, the actor announced that she was expecting her first child with husband Ratliff. In 2014, Siff gave birth to Lucy. In an interview with The Cut in 2018, the actress said, "When I first had her, I was like, 'I'm never going to act again'," she says. "I just couldn't imagine performing and taking care of this tiny life. Like, how is it conceivable that I would put on a costume and makeup and pretend to be somebody else?"
The 'Billions' star
Her character Wendy Rhodes gained a lot of popularity. Talking about her character in the show in an interview with The Cut she said, "The character transforms from a man to a woman, and I've always loved characters who just hold that position within them," she shares. "Playing women who are in certain ways very 'masculine' and in other ways very soft."
You can watch all five seasons of 'Billions' on the Showtime App, Disney+Hotstar and Starzplay.