Zoe Saldaña has made clear she will not join another Taylor Sheridan series after her intense run on Lioness. The actress, who also serves as an executive producer on the Paramount+ spy thriller, told People in 2026 that playing CIA operative Joe McNamara demands all she has to give.
Zoe Saldaña on Lioness commitment
“I think that Joe McNamara and Lioness is all that I can handle at this time,” Saldaña said. “I’m number one on the call sheet. I am first one in, last one out.
I am prepping months before anybody ever is able to prep. So it’s already a lot of work for me.”
Saldaña emphasized the toll that Sheridan’s production style takes on actors. His preference for practical sets and effects on shows like Yellowstone, Landman, and Lioness adds physical and logistical demands to every shoot. She explained her reasoning: “Adding another Taylor Sheridan project isn’t something I can envision right now.
I bring my full intensity, mentally, emotionally, and physically, to every aspect of this work. I feel I’m in the right place at Lioness.”s production style takes on actors.
“I can’t imagine me taking on more of a Taylor Sheridan world,” she said.
“I have my views, and I come with all heart, all brains, all muscle at all times. So, no, I think I’m good here at Lioness.”
Season 3 pushed Saldaña to new limits
Saldaña’s commitment to the role intensified in Season 3, which wrapped in September. Sheridan asked her to bulk up for a storyline in which Joe is abducted and tortured before being rescued by her team. “I didn’t even know if I was gonna be able to pull it off,” Saldaña told Entertainment Weekly about the physically taxing arc.
The actress has also faced skepticism about her ability to convincingly perform the combat scenes Joe requires. Saldaña brushed off that doubt, pointing to her lifelong athletic training. “People often assume that someone with my frame can’t be physically strong or capable,” she told USA Today.
“I’ve encountered this doubt throughout my career, audiences struggle to accept that my character could pull off these action sequences. Yet I’ve always been an athlete in training, maintaining that discipline even during my pregnancies.”s commitment to the role intensified in Season 3, which wrapped in September.
“It’s very typical to think that a woman with a petite frame cannot be strong or capable,” she told USA Today.
“I’ve always faced this backlash, like people cannot believe Joe could do many of her scenes. And yet I’ve always been this athletic actress, constantly training, even when I was pregnant with my children.”
What’s next for Lioness
Paramount+ has not yet renewed Lioness for a fourth season. Until the network decides the show’s future, Saldaña has signaled that Lioness remains her sole commitment to Sheridan’s universe.
Reporting from Polygon, TVLine and TV Insider contributed to this story.
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