Zoe Saldana who starred in four highest-grossing movies of all time— Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame— revealed the reason behind her initial rejection of Yellowstone creator’s 2023 thriller series Special Ops: Lioness.
Taylor Sheridan has his own universe of movies and shows, including Kevin Costner starrer Yellowstone and Sylvester Stallone’s Tulsa King. While writing Special Ops: Lioness, he had Saldana in his mind as envisioned for her character in the Paramount+ show.
Zoe Saldana Was Not Sure To Nod For Taylor Sheridan’s Show Special Ops: Lioness
Zoe Saldana has appeared in several blockbusters playing challenging roles. But the actor was scared of appearing in Taylor Sheridan’s spy thriller series, Special Ops: Lioness. The actor who plays Joe, a CIA officer in charge of the Lioness program in the show, revealed that she initially rejected the show.
“Almost exactly a year to the date, I called (Sheridan) back and said, ‘Hey, if this part hasn’t been recast, I’d love to talk about it.’ He was so sweet, saying, ‘What do you mean, recast it? Didn’t I tell you that I wrote that part for you?'” Saldana said in an interview (via USA Today).
Saldana’s initial thought of rejection came after Sheridan took the Avatar star and her husband Marco Perego-Saldaña and two friends on his private jet flying to the set of Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone. “It was like, ‘Let’s just hop on your plane and go have dinner with Taylor Sheridan on his set,'” Saldana said. However, “this kind of stuff” was not normal for the actor and her husband.
Sheridan’s hospitality, however, made her doubt about appearing in the series even stronger.
“There was a lot of wine, a lot of food, a lot of Taylor, and a lot of me. I thought, ‘I don’t know if I can work with Taylor Sheridan because maybe Taylor and I are the same person,'” the actor said of the dining and discussion with the creator.
Eventually, she nodded to the role, and the actor did a nice job in the female actors-led show. The series also stars Laysla De Oliveira, Stephanie Nur, Jill Wagner, and Nicole Kidman.
Zoe Saldana Reflected On Working On TV And Her Collaboration With Taylor Sheridan
Special Ops: Lioness was the first TV series Saldana has worked on. The actor revealed that she never wanted to do a TV show but later changed her mind after exploring the thrill and suspense the Sheridan-created show provided. Speaking of the creator, the Guardians of the Galaxy star revealed, “Believe it or not, that cowboy knows how to play well with others.” She added (via USA Today), “I’m humbled by the amount of consideration I receive.”
“Taylor has assured me that Joe is definitely going to get down and dirty next season. I never thought I’d say this because I didn’t want to do TV. But now it’s like, how could I not do TV when this is what we’re doing? It’s just amazing.”
It is fair to assume that Sheridan would bring the show for a second season, considering the statement from Saldana. In February, insider Daniel Richtman reported that Special Ops: Lioness was renewed for its second season at Paramount. While the official confirmation awaits, the possibility of the show getting a new season is not beyond imagination.
Special Ops: Lioness is streaming on Paramount+.
