Zoe Saldaña has publicly defended Taylor Sheridan's writing of female characters, pushing back against critics ahead of the season three premiere of Lioness on Paramount+.
During an appearance on CBS Mornings on Wednesday, Saldaña praised the showrunner for creating multidimensional roles for women in his television projects.
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Saldaña, who stars as CIA operator Joe and serves as an executive producer on the series, said: "If there's one thing that I love the most, it's men that really see women, and know how to write women.
And, I've been very fortunate to work with a lot of creative men that do that."
The series focuses on black operations within the CIA and military, highlighting the demanding roles of female operatives on the frontlines of the war on terror while managing complex personal lives.
Saldaña on Sheridan's Female Characters
"Taylor Sheridan writes great, complex, wholesome women that they may not be perfect, but then again, human beings weren't made to be perfect," Saldaña said.
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She also highlighted the accuracy of her character Joe, noting that Joe never breaks in front of her team and carries immense responsibility, but in private, she grapples with making everything work.
Saldaña expressed her admiration for Sheridan's ability to challenge the cast each season, saying: "I love the fact that every season, he manages to surprise us all with the challenges that he throws at (us)."
She added: "We feel challenged as actors and as artists. We also feel like we learn a lot about the complexity of people who live in service."
The upcoming season of Lioness features an ensemble cast including Nicole Kidman, Laysla De Oliveira, Morgan Freeman, and Dave Annable.
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New episodes are scheduled to stream on Paramount+.
