Taylor Sheridan's New Nicole Kidman Series Name, Photos Revealed
Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman make up two-thirds of the lead triumvirate
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Saldana initially passed on the project when Sheridan sent her the pilot script in the middle of the pandemic. "The thought of me committing to a multi-seasonal show was just daunting," the Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 star told Vanity Fair. She was convinced she would fail, but she was tempted. "It was Taylor Sheridan. Nicole Kidman was already attached to produce, and she was going to play a part in it as well. So obviously, that was a dream for me," she said.
Laysla De Oliveria's Cruz has to infiltrate a terrorist organization
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Laysla De Oliveria as Cruz Manuelos in Lioness Season 1 streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Lynsey Addario/Paramount+
- Lynsey Addario/Paramount+)Saldana eventually said yes. She credited her husband, Marco Perego-Saldana, with pushing her to say yes because she couldn't forget the pilot script and is a fan of Sheridan's work. After she agreed, Saldana also signed on as an executive producer. Sheridan kept sending her and Kidman script after script. They "couldn't believe that we were going to be a part of something this great," she told Vanity Fair.
Zoe Saldana's Joe in the field
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Zoe Saldana as Joe in Lioness Season 1 streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Credit: Lynsey Addario/Paramount+
- Lynsey Addario/Paramount+)Kidman's character is responsible for overseeing CIA operations from Washington. "She's had a long career in terms of playing politics, but also she's been in the field," Kidman told Vanity Fair. "She's actually running the Lioness program. But she also knows how to be a soldier." The Oscar winner went on to describe Meade as "very smart" and "very, very suited to the job she does."
De Oliveira's Cruz befriends her target's daughter, played by Stephanie Nur
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Lioness could be the breakthrough project for De Oliveira. Cruz's job gets complicated when she becomes friends with the target's daughter, but it's all just part of her plan. Her mission is to get close to the wealthy elite whose money funds terrorist groups. That's not the world Cruz, who is used to being in the middle of battles, is comfortable with.
Nicole Kidman leads the team from Washington
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L-R James Jordan as Two Cups, Jonah Wharton as Tex, Jill Wagner as Bobby, Zoe Saldana as Joe, Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade, Austin Hébert as Randy and Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz Manuelos in Lioness episode 5, Season 1 streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo credit: Greg Lewis/Paramount+
- Greg Lewis/Paramount+)The three lead characters exist in their own spheres within the CIA, and their goals are not always helpful to one another. Cruz's background includes an abusive relationship, which influences how she sees Joe. "That abusive relationship becomes a catalyst of her becoming a Marine and completely switching her life around," De Olveira told Vanity Fair. "So, she doesn't always respond to Joe in a way that somebody would in her position."
Meet the other members of the team
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The other members of the team are Jill Wagner as Bobby, Thad Luckinbill as Kyle, James Jordan as Two Cups, Jonah Wharton as Tex, and Austin Hébert as Randy.