The cast of Paramount+'s CIA thriller "Lioness" gathered at the SVA Theater in New York on July 29, 2026, for the season three premiere.
The new season begins streaming on August 2.
Series stars Jill Wagner and Laysla De Oliveira spoke about the show's authenticity and the challenges of balancing demanding roles with personal life.
Military Praise and Authenticity
Wagner, who plays Quick Reaction Force team leader Bobby and serves as an executive producer, said that high-ranking military officials have expressed strong support for the series.
"Major, major hitters in the U. S.
military have come up to me and my husband and said how much they love the show," Wagner said.
"And it's such an amazing honor because it's called 'Lioness'. It's not called 'Lion.'
It's called 'Lioness,' and it's told from a female perspective."
She added that the positive feedback from military leaders confirms the show's accuracy. "The fact that they're buying it means that we got it right."
Wagner noted that her husband's military background provided direct insights into covert operations. She said that viewers often question the realism, but the events depicted do happen.
"I think that there's so much that we don't know, even within this show," Wagner said.
"I know my friends and family have watched it and they're like, 'Does that really happen?' Yeah, it does.
It does."
The series was created by Taylor Sheridan and co-conceived by Wagner and her husband David Lemanowicz. Wagner recalled how the initial concept came about in her Tennessee backyard.
"He was the first person that told me about lionesses. I didn't know they existed," Wagner said.
"Taylor has created this version of them that you see, but these women exist, and there are badass women that go on these ops, and they do these jobs and we're telling their story."
Wagner credited Sheridan's passion for the military as a driving force behind the show.
"He loves the show, and that's what makes this show so brilliant, because it's his brain and his passion for our military."
Balancing Stardom and Family
Working alongside lead stars Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman has been a learning experience for Wagner. She admitted to moments of self-doubt on set.
"It's so cool. You look over and you just learn things by osmosis," Wagner said.
"There were points where I looked over at them and I thought, 'I shouldn't be here. Oh gosh, I don't belong in this room.'"
She has since learned to overcome those feelings. "Recently I've just looked over and said, 'No, no, no, stop telling yourself that.'
Whether you're a woman or a man, you have to get to a certain part in your life where you're, like, 'I do deserve to be here and sit in that.'"
The physical demands of her role as Bobby, combined with executive producer duties and raising two daughters, present ongoing challenges.
"I think the challenges remain the same for me. Just the executive producer side of it.
Obviously, there are those challenges, and then there's the physicality challenge of Bobby and the fact that I'm also trying to be a mom and it's really hard to keep those three things together," Wagner said.
"But we can do it. We're women.
We can do anything."
Long production schedules in locations like Mallorca and Morocco have required adjustments in how her family travels during filming.
"I think you just have to find the pockets that you can bring them with right," she said.
"The first season, I didn't have my girls in Mallorca or Morocco, and that was super challenging. And understanding that that won't work for me ever again."
Wagner acknowledged that maintaining balance is an ongoing process for both herself and co-star Saldaña.
"I love when people are like, 'How do you have it all figured out?' I'm like, 'I don't!'"
Navigating work-life logistics demands flexibility across every project.
"It's this forever changing thing, and you just have to be malleable, and you have to just work within your family resources, and try to make it work," she said.
Reflecting on red carpet events compared to her everyday life on a farm, Wagner shared her thoughts on social media before the premiere.
"Now, you can keep it, honey. Gimme a good pair of heels ...
I'm excited to go and be a girl for the night."
She added that stepping out for formal events offers a welcome break from routine. "I don't get to dress up and be fancy very often ...
Living on a farm in a small town doesn't really lend itself to red carpets," Wagner said.
"It's important to put effort into the way you look once in a while and go out with your husband or wife and pretend you're 10 years younger....
until the clock strikes 10 PM and you're both dying to go home and get in the bed and go to sleep."
Co-star Laysla De Oliveira emphasized that season three explores complex moral dilemmas that impact the agents' personal lives.
"that things aren't so black and white," she said.
De Oliveira offered key terms describing the upcoming season's tone for audiences: "raw, explosive sexy, hot, love, power."
Addressing the challenges of 14-hour filming days away from home, De Oliveira shared a humorous take on maintaining relationships during long shoots.
"I lock my husband in the apartment of wherever I stay, so it's really not a problem for me," she said.
"No, whenever he can come visit, he does come visit."
Balancing rigorous production demands remains a persistent hurdle for the cast. "I don't know if there is an easy way to do it.
I think that's probably one of the more challenging things figuring out life when you have a 14-hour day," said De Oliveira.
Season three of "Lioness" begins streaming Sunday, August 2 on Paramount+.
