Zoe Saldana Says ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ Is a ‘F-ing Powerful’ Series (Exclusive)

Zoe Saldana stars in Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan’s most recent series, Special Ops: Lioness, a spy thriller that she calls “f—ing powerful.” In the show, Saldana plays Joe, a CIA officer in charge of the Lioness program in the field. She works with Nicole Kidman’s Kaitlyn Meade, a high-ranking CIA official who manages the Lioness program. Recently, PopCulture.com had a chance to speak exclusively with Saldana about the Paramount+ series — which is now available on Blu-ray and DVD — and she opened up about the complex relationship between Joe and Kaitlyn.

“There’s so much love and loyalty between them, and that was powerful,” Saladana told us. “I love Nicole’s approach. I think that Joe knows that, that Kaitlyn would replace her in a heartbeat. If Joe were to lose her life, Kaitlyn would immediately the next day recruit the next sort of paramilitary operative. But that’s not to say that there isn’t any love and respect that Kaitlyn has for Joe, because they know what they’re doing, and they’re serving, and it is a choice.”

“When you serve to the degree that people like that serve, it is with your heart that you do it,” Saldana continued. “It is with a profound amount of unconditional devotion and love that you have for country, for people, for culture, for peace, and only they understand it. So between them, there’s always this unspoken word. That’s what I love, that their relationship felt so complex but very layered but also very deep, and it still surprises you.”

“I feel like Joe will forever be surprised by Kaitlyn, and Kaitlyn realized in this season is that Joe wears many hats. Joe has learned a lot from Kaitlyn even when Kaitlyn isn’t speaking,” Saldana added. “Because this whole thing about Joe assisting…and going off the grid for [CIA agent Kyle played by Thad Luckinbill], as another paramilitary operative and whose back she knows she needs to have, it’s because they understand that they’re valuable, but they’re not invaluable. They are disposable at any moment for their head honchos.”

Saldana went on to confess, “I loved everything about their relationship. All the conversations that I would have with Nicole and with Taylor separately, we were always on that same page… And to know that Taylor is like, ‘Hey, if we go, if we do a Season 2 and we do a Season 3, we’re just getting started. We’re all going to be like, ‘Season 1, what?’” The actress then shared, “And I love his energy and his enthusiasm because there were so many moments in which I would leave these voice messages on his phone, that I’m pretty sure he never heard, but they were all about just how much I was falling in love with these characters and their relationships to each other as we kept shooting the season.”

On the surface, Saldana continued, “Obviously the relationship between Joe and Cruz [Manuelos, a Marine Lioness rookie played by Laysla De Oliveira], but the relationship between Kaitlyn and Joe was just a seed that he planted there in season one, and that I am curious to see where he’s going to take it next if we are going to go.” She added, “I’m sorry, I rant and everything, but I really care about Lioness and it meant a lot to me, and I think it’s a very important show just to see the women that serve, but the women that serve to such a degree and such a capacity, it’s f—ing powerful and inspiring and so patriotic.” 

Special Ops: Lioness Season 1 is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. Click here to pick up a copy from Amazon.