The Big Picture

Zoe Saldaña reveals what audiences of the Paramount+ spy thriller
Lioness
have to look forward to in the second season with her character and the pressure Joe faces.
Saldaña talks about acting with Taylor Sheridan in the Season 2 opening action sequence.
Saldaña describes working on scenes with Nicole Kidman, who plays her character’s superior in the CIA.

If there’s anyone who can handle a challenge in Hollywood, it’s probably Zoe Saldaña. Not only is she in some of the highest-grossing franchises ever, but she also has no problem strapping on some tactical gear and grabbing a gun before jumping into the next mission she has on Lioness. Saldaña’s character, Joe, has faced her fair share of challenges since the series began. As the leader of the Lioness program, she is the one who finds their newest Lioness, trains them, and then sends them into a dangerous environment where they could end up exposed or killed.

In Season 1, her operative was Cruz (Laysla De Oliveira), and now in Season 2 it is Josie (Genesis Rodriguez). But she’s not just leading her men and operatives in the field; she’s also playing politics when she has to go in and meet with her CIA bosses and the Secretary of State to break down the worthiness of their missions. To top it all off, she’s a largely absent mother with serious guilt over not being there for her husband (Dave Annable) and two daughters. Joe has her hands full, but as plans and missions go awry, she is forced to make sacrifices that could lead to detrimental results.

We spoke with Saldaña about her part as Joe and working with Taylor Sheridan, especially as actors in the first two episodes of Season 2. She went into detail about the challenges that Joe will be facing this season and how elevated they will be. Saldaña also discusses working across her idol Nicole Kidman and what it’s like to be in scenes with her. Finally she teases a new dynamic between Joe and Cruz and also Joe, Cruz, and Josie in Season 2.

You can check out the full interview in the video above or the transcript below.

Zoe Saldaña on Filming on Set With Taylor Sheridan in Front of the Camera

COLLIDER: Lioness Season 2 has been an intense ride already. I’ve seen three episodes and I’m already like, “This is a lot.” I want to discuss a little bit about the first episode in Season 2 because we see a heart-pounding scene where you guys are in Mexico, and there’s a lot of physical action in those scenes. What was it like filming those scenes and filming them alongside Taylor Sheridan? You’ve got the boss on set that day, and you’re working alongside him — what is that like?

ZOE SALDAÑA: He’s an actor first, so it’s a role that he really enjoys, and you can feel it. The energy that he brings to the table is encouraging and it’s inspiring. Everything is much more intense in this season; the decisions that she has to make are heavier, and they’re also involving her physical participation in a lot of these. For years, she took a superior role where she wasn’t necessarily all the time on the ground, and when she was, she was close by. This time, everything that’s happening is happening so fast. It’s happening so suddenly that Joe is having to put on her uniform again and get on the ground. That’s challenging her in terms of thinking about whether or not she’s up for this, and risk losing her life and leaving her kids without a parent. That level of pressure is causing her to struggle to stay focused. I think that Kaitlyn is noticing that. That adds, also, a different dynamic to her relationship with Kaitlyn.

Related ‘Lioness’ Season 1 Recap: What You Need To Remember Before Season 2 Where did we leave off with Taylor Sheridan’s thriller last season?

Saldaña on Acting Across Nicole Kidman in ‘Lioness’
Image via Paramount+

I actually wanted to touch on that because I feel like those two characters, Kaitlyn and Joe, are like mirrors of each other in a way. Their relationships with their husbands are similar, but also they’re opposite. Can you talk about working with Nicole Kidman and working on that relationship between these two women who definitely are in a position of power?

SALDAÑA: Nicole is an actress who is incredibly prepared all the time, but also incredibly alive and very present. So, interacting with her as her character and me as Joe is great because we know when a take feels like, “Oh, that was good,” or when we’re off because there’s just something that we’re finding. What we’re looking for is to have that synergy in terms of what is the undertone, what is the subtext in all of this? I love collaborating with people who are like that. She’s my idol, also. [Laughs]

She’s amazing.

SALDAÑA: Yes, she is.

Saldaña Breaks Down the Difference Between Josie and Cruz in ‘Lioness’ Season 2
Image via Paramount

This season, we have Genesis [Rodriguez] coming in as Josie and Laysla [de Oliveira] playing Cruz coming back, which is amazing. I’m so excited. Can you talk about the difference between how Joe approaches her relationship with these two women? They’re quite different when it comes to the characters.

SALDAÑA: Yes, they are in the sense that one is a much more accomplished officer and, therefore, has been in it longer and adds a certain level of experience — I’m talking about Genesis’ character, Josie. But Cruz is a very special character because Cruz is the heart that always reminds Joe, “Wait a minute, these are people. We can’t just get so lost in what we’re doing that we’re forgetting about the integrity of truth, and the truth sometimes is better.” But there is a lack of experience that causes her to be impulsive in situations where she needs to be a lot more reliable. But Joe sees that potential, whereas in the first season, she didn’t see that in Cruz. I’m excited for the relationship that’s going to be unfolding in the season between Joe and Cruz, and the dynamic that they’re gonna have with Joe, Cruz, and Josie.

Lioness Season 2 drops new episodes on Sundays on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Special Ops: Lioness is a Paramount+ original series starring Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman. The series centers on a marine and a CIA agent who work together with the daughter of a dangerous terrorist group to destroy the organization. Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone co-creator) and Jill Wagner created the series, which was directed by Paul Cameron and Anthony Byrne.Release Date July 23, 2023 Seasons 1 Story By Taylor Sheridan, Jill Wagner Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Watch on Paramount+