After a successful debut season,Lionessis back for season 2 on Paramount+. Season 1 starred Laysla de Oliveira as Cruz, the eponymous Lioness, an undercover agent assigned to lure high-value targets out into the open where they can be eliminated with more efficiency and certainty than, say, a drone strike. The program isrun by Joe (Zoe Saldaña), who in turn reports to Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman).
Lionessseason 2 sees a new recruit(Genesis Rodriguez) brought in for a dangerous mission involving drug cartels on the Mexico/USA border, which lends the series something of an anthology vibe. But despite not appearing in the first several episodes of the season, Laysla de Oliveira is still featured and named in the show’s opening credits sequence. Thus, it was only a matter of time before she appeared inLioness' sophomore season, an appearance that finally occurred in the fourth episode, “Five Hundred Children.”
Special Ops: Lioness Season 1 Recap & Ending Explained
Aaliyah’s wedding finally arrived in the Special Ops: Lioness season 1 finale, but did Cruz go through with killing her father? Read on for the recap.
ScreenRantinterviewed Laysla de Oliveira abouther surprise reappearance inLionessseason 2. She explained how Cruz was initially not supposed to return after the conclusion of the first season, and how she was pleasantly surprised by writer Taylor Sheridan’s decision to bring her back. She spoke about how Cruz has changed since her days as a Lioness and discussed the intense workout regimen she endured for the sake of playing her character.
Lioness Star Laysla De Oliveira Didn’t Think She’d Be Asked Back For Season 2
“He didn’t want to bring Cruz back if it wasn’t going to be in a meaningful way.”
Screen Rant: I want to jump right into the show because I love it so much! In season 1, they almost hide the premise, which is that you are the lead character. Zoe and Nicole are on all the posters, but then you watch it and you’re like, “Oh, this is YOUR show!” And you carry it so well.
Laysla de Oliveira: Thank you, that means a lot.
Screen Rant: Did you know that you were going to be part of season 2? Did they have the option in your contract?
Laysla de Oliveira: Oh my gosh… Hold on tight, because this is a roller coaster of a story. There was a moment in time where Cruz wasn’t supposed to come back at all, but I didn’t know that. You sign the contracts that you sign, and… [puts her hands up].
The strike ended, and I got a call from Taylor [Sheridan], who explained to me how the story goes. How every season is going to be a new thing, and that Cruz wouldn’t be a part of the new season. As devastated as I was as an actress, that’s being an actor. There are highs and lows. But it was also a beautiful conversation. It was the first time that I really got to thank him for changing my life, which he did, with this role. He had what he wanted to write in his mind, and he didn’t want to bring Cruz back if it wasn’t going to be in a meaningful way, because he felt that she was completely done with the program.
I’ll give it to Taylor, he’s such a prolific writer, and the writing always comes first. So, I ended the conversation with, “I’m upset, but thank you for changing my life.” And he said, “I’m going to put you in something else, I promise,” and I thought, “Yeah, yeah, he’s not gonna…” But you know, whatever! I got to experience it, and it was the journey of a lifetime.
And then, I think it was six weeks later on the dot, on my birthday, he called me. I thought he was calling just to check in on me. I was like, “Oh, that’s sweet, he’s calling to see if I’m okay after a hard blow.” But he was just like, “She’s back. I found a meaningful way to bring her back, and she is back.” That was just such a beautiful, beautiful call to get, and I was really excited. I’m excited to be here right now!
Screen Rant: It’s so natural how your character comes back, and so natural, if not necessarily healthy. She’s dealt with the fallout of everything she had to do in season 1. Tell me a little bit about returning to this character, having that time jump, and going back to something a little more stable for her.
Laysla de Oliveira: Gosh, Taylor is such a brilliant writer, because I really do feel like even though it’s the same character, they’re completely different characters. She’s fully grown. I’ve been using this word a lot, because it’s the best word I feel to describe it: she’s had a metamorphosis. I think she leaves the program, she’s deployed off the coast of Somalia, and she’s really doing some soul searching in terms of trying to understand how she fits in this geopolitical machine.
I think she’s a true patriot. I think she loves her country. When the mission is close to home, I think she feels that sense of duty to protect her country. But it’s so interesting because she is tackling this year from a much more mature perspective, which then leads to a more dynamic relationship with Joe, and understanding. There’s more of a mutual understanding there.
Legendary Hollywood Trainer Duffy Gaver Helped The Lioness Cast Get In Shape
“They have to come up with creative ways to keep that muscle on.”
How about your physical training this year? Were you able to keep up with everything so when it came time for season two, you were like, “Don’t worry, I got this,” or did you have to go to boot camp again?
Laysla de Oliveira: We all have to do boot camp. But it was really great this season. We had an in-house trainer, Duffy Gaver. He’s a superhero trainer, he’s incredible. He came with us to Texas, and we had him at all times. We started training before we left to Texas. And diet was a really big thing this year, which I think really helped. I’m someone who loses a lot of weight very easily. I had to keep the cardio low, eat a lot…
If you’re trying to put on muscle, then it’s hard! And if it’s your job! With muscle, and with the Texas heat, for everybody, it’s hard to keep that muscle on with the pace that we’re working and the heat we’re working in. There’s so many things we need to think about that aren’t just what’s on the page. It’s like, “How do I keep these little guys going?” [Laughs] But we also had two weeks of boot camp, which is really cool. Taylor joined us, and it was awesome.
I imagine you sweat it out.
Laysla de Oliveira: That’s the thing. By episode 8 or 9, you just have to come up with really creative ways to keep that muscle on, especially when you are training. But not to the same degree as when you first started out, because the schedule doesn’t allow it. So, everybody has to come up with creative ways and everybody’s bodies works differently, right? They have to come up with creative ways to keep that muscle on.
More About Lioness Season 2
As the CIA’s fight against terror moves closer to home, Joe (Saldaña), Kaitlyn (Kidman), and Byron (Kelly) enlist a new Lioness operative to infiltrate a previously unknown threat. With pressure mounting from all sides, Joe is forced to confront the profound personal sacrifices she has made as the leader of the Lioness program.
Lioness
Cast
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.
