The star of 'Billions' says there is one trait hedge fund managers all have in common

Before filming Showtime's new drama "Billions", actor Damian Lewis met with hedge fund managers to help him prepare for his role as Bobby Axelrod, the hedge fund titan he plays in the series. 

While Axelrod is just a fictional character, he draws on real life experiences. Lewis said that there's one key characteristic that hedge fund managers have: they're good listeners.

From the New Yorker:

"I found the hedge-fund guys I met all to be very, very concentrated listeners-watchful and articulate and quick to defend, if needed," Lewis recalled. "They all seemed to have this contained sitting posture. The legs, if they weren't crossed at right angles, tended to be close over the knee, their hands put together." In trying to "unlock" a character, he often zeroes in on a single fine-grained physical attribute. ("Perhaps stealing a bit from Laurence Olivier, who said, 'Always start with the shoes.'")

"Billions" is a show that centers around two powerful characters-hedge fund king Bobby Axelrod, the CEO of AXE Capital, and hard-charging US Attorney Chuck Rhoades (played by Paul Giamatti).

The show was written by Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and New York Times editor/CNBC anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin. It debuts on Showtime on January 17.

Here's the trailer: