(L to R) Jill Wagner and Laysla De Oliveira star in ‘Lioness’ season 3.
Premiering on Paramount+ August 2nd is season 3 of the hit series ‘Lioness‘, which was created by Taylor Sheridan (‘Yellowstone‘ and ‘Landman‘).
“This wasn’t the mission.”
Air Date: July 23rd, 2023
The series features an all-star cast that includes Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña (‘Guardians of the Galaxy‘), Laysla De Oliveira (‘Code 8‘), Genesis Rodriguez (‘Man on a Ledge‘), Jill Wagner (‘Blade: The Series‘), Michael Kelly (‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War‘), and Oscar winners Nicole Kidman (‘Aquaman‘), and Morgan Freeman (‘The Dark Knight‘).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jill Wagner and Laysla De Oliveira about ‘Lioness’ season 3, how their characters have changed, their military training, the all-star cast, and working with Taylor Sheridan.
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(L to R): Zoe Saldaña as Joe and Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz in ‘Lioness’ season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo: Lauren “Lo” Smith/Paramount+.
Moviefone: To begin with, Laysla, can you talk about how Cruz has changed since the first season and where she is mentally and emotionally when the new season begins?
Laysla De Oliveira: She’s matured a lot. I call season one Cruz, “Baby Cruz”. She goes through a major transition from season 1 to season 2. That growth evolves in season 3. She starts to really see how similar she is to Joe (Zoe Saldaña), how things aren’t so black and white and how they mirror each other really deeply. She also gets to experience moments of intimacy, adult intimacy. The first season, there’s love there, but it’s something that’s so forbidden. So, it was really cool to explore this year something that isn’t forbidden, and how she is in those moments. So, that is what the audience can expect from her in terms of her growth. A sweeter side almost that we haven’t seen before. A less reactive side, a more analytical side. I think also Josie (Genesis Rodriguez) brings that out in her too. We’ll stop talking because I’m going to start saying spoilers. But yes, please enjoy season 3.
(L to R) Genesis Rodriguez as Josie, Thad Luckinbill as Kyle, Jonah Wharton as Tex, Jill Wagner as Bobby and LaMonica Garrett as Tucker in ‘Lioness’ season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2025. Photo: Lauren “Lo” Smith/Paramount+.
MF: Jill, can you talk about the research and training you’ve done for this role and how that informs your performance season to season?
Jill Wagner: I mean, I think the physical training is one side, right? You can’t fake that. You have to go and you have to do the work. There was two years of training just to get me up to kind of Bobby neutral. Then I tried to work from there. But the research on the role, I’ve just been very fortunate to be able to know a lot of these women who are the women that we play. So, it’s just really talking to them, listening to their stories, getting to feel who they are, and what’s important to them in their heart. Then taking all that and smashing it together and seeing what comes out as Bobby. That’s the recipe.
(L to R) Jonah Wharton as Tex, Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz, and Jill Wagner as Bobby in ‘Lioness’ season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo: Ryan Green/Paramount+.
MF: Jill, can you also talk about working with Taylor Sheridan both as a writer and a showrunner, but also as a fellow actor on the show?
JW: Well, look, Taylor is a force of nature. I hang on to his coattails and I just am holding on for dear life because he’s a force. It’s his mind in this show that has got us this far. I’m just honored to ride along. I’m here for the ride.
(L to R) Zoe Saldaña as Joe and Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn in ‘Lioness’ season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo: Ryan Green/Paramount+.
MF: Finally, Laysla, the series features some of the best actors in the industry. What has it been like for you working with this all-star cast?
LDO: A dream come true. It’s something that you go your whole career thinking, “Gosh, I wonder if one day I’ll ever get to work with that person.” Then one day you get a call and you’re like, not only are you going to work with that one person, you’re going to work with that times three, times four, and times five. This entire cast who’s incredibly talented, works really hard, and shows up every day. It’s been an honor to share the screen with them, and to share Taylor’s words with them. I think that’s what makes the show so great.
(L to R) LaMonica Garrett as Tucker, Genesis Rodriguez as Josie, Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz, Jill Wagner as Bobby in ‘Lioness’ season 3, streaming on Paramount+, 2025. Photo: Ryan Green/Paramount+.
What is the plot of ‘Lioness’ Season 3?
In Season 3, from creator and writer Taylor Sheridan, hidden networks, foreign operatives, and personal betrayals collide. Joe (Zoe Saldaña) walks the line between duty and home as unseen forces circle her world. Patterns appear where they shouldn’t, names vanish, and paths rearrange. Guided by Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman) and Westfield (Michael Kelly), Joe confronts enemies operating in the shadows, leaving her to reckon with a war that now reaches into every part of her life.
Who is in the cast of ‘Lioness’ Season 3?
‘Lioness’ season 3 premieres on Paramount+ August 2nd.
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