Paramount+'s TV show comes from the mind of Taylor Sheridan, who is most known for creating Yellowstone and all its spinoffs. However, Sheridan branched out from the neo-Western drama when Special Ops: Lioness debuted in July 2023, and it was a hit for Paramount+ (despite receiving mixed reviews from critics). As a result, the platform renewed it for a second season, which premieres in October 2024.

Paramount+ changed the show's title from Special Ops: Lioness to just Lioness in season 2.

The spy thriller series revolves around the CIA's Lioness program, which Special Ops: Lioness bases on a real military task force now defunct. The CIA recruits a female operative to infiltrate terrorist organizations or other groups that are on the United States government's radar. In Special Ops: Lioness season 1, the Lioness program enlisted the help of a sergeant in the Marines to take down a terrorist, and season 2 features the team taking on a new Lioness.

Zoe Saldaña As Joe McNamara

Date Of Birth: June 19, 1978

• Active Since: 1999

Actress: Zoe Saldaña was born in aic, New Jersey, but was mostly raised in Queens, New York City. Saldaña spent some of her childhood in the Dominican Republic, where her mother was from, before returning to New York as a teenager. She got recruited by a talent agency, which helped Saldaña land her first role in a movie — Center Stage in 2000. However, Saldaña's career started growing in 2002 when she played Kit in Crossroads, the Britney Spears road comedy drama. Saldaña truly stepped into the spotlight in 2009 when she starred in Star Trek and Avatar​​​​​.

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Character: Saldaña leads the cast of Special Ops: Lioness as Joe McNamara, the CIA officer in charge of the Lioness program. Joe struggles to balance her work with her personal life, as seen in Special Ops: Lioness season 1, episode 4. However, she often prioritizes her job, which leads to tension between Joe, her husband, and their teen daughter.

Laysla De Oliveira As Sergeant Cruz Manuelos

Date Of Birth: January 11, 1992

• Active Since: 2010

Actress: Laysla De Oliveira was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and started modeling when she was a young teenager. However, De Oliveira dreamed of being an actress. So, she studied drama and dance at Rosedale Heights School of the Arts and got an agent. Over the years, De Oliveira appeared in a few movies and TV shows here and there, but her first big role was as Dodge in the cast of Locke & Key on Netflix.

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Character: Sergeant Cruz Manuelos, played by De Oliveira, is the show's first Lioness in Special Ops: Lioness season 1. Cruz is a Marine who s the military to escape an abusive relationship, and her talent and dedication catch Joe's eye. The Lioness program recruits Cruz, but her mission doesn't exactly go as smoothly as originally hoped.

Dave Annable As Neal McNamara

Date Of Birth: September 15, 1979

• Active Since: 2002

Actor: Dave Annable was born in Suffern, New York, but grew up in Walden, New York. After high school, Annable attended the State University of New York at Plattsburgh (SUNY Plattsburgh). However, he dropped out in 2003 to pursue his acting career full-time. Annable appeared in various commercials and had guest spots on TV shows before landing his breakout role in 2006 — Justin Walker in the cast of Brothers & Sisters on ABC.

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Character: Annable portrays Neal McNamara, Joe's husband, in Special Ops: Lioness on Paramount+. Neal is a pediatric oncology surgeon, meaning that both husband and wife have stressful (often heartbreaking) jobs that put a strain on their relationship. Joe promises Neal to be around more after the season 1 finale, but she's back in the fight in season 2.

Nicole Kidman As Kaitlyn Meade

Date Of Birth: June 20, 1967

• Active Since: 1983

Actress: Nicole Kidman was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Australian parents in the United States on student visas. Her family returned to Sydney, Australia just a few years after her birth, where she was predominantly raised. Kidman developed a love and talent for dance and acting when she was very young, ing the Phillip Street Theatre before dropping out of high school. In 1990, Kidman rose to prominence after starring in the sports action film Days of Thunder​​​​​. Kidman's movie and TV career took off, and Kidman is now one of the most acclaimed and highest-paid actresses in Hollywood.

Nicole Kidman has received five Oscar nominations over the course of her career, winning Best Actress for her performance as Virginia Woolf in The Hours in 2002.

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Character: Kidman stars as Kaitlyn Meade in Taylor Sheridan's TV show Special Ops: Lioness on Paramount+. Meade is a high-ranking CIA official who oversees the Lioness program as Joe's boss. She often serves as Joe's confidant, defending her and the Lioness program to those with higher ranks.

Morgan Freeman As U.S. Secretary of State Edwin Mullins

Date Of Birth: June 1, 1937

• Active Since: 1964

Actor: Morgan Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but he moved frequently as a child, living in Mississippi, Indiana, and Illinois. He started acting at a young age, but when Freeman was offered a drama scholarship from Jackson State University after high school, he turned it down and enlisted in the United States Air Force. Freeman served for four years before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. In 1971, Freeman gained recognition when he appeared in the PBS children's show The Electric Company​​​​​​. Freeman went on to star in various movies, with his breakthrough coming via Street Smart in 1987.

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Morgan Freeman has been nominated for five Oscars, winning Best ing Actor in 2005 for his performance as Eddie "Scrap Iron" Dupris in Million Dollar Baby.

Character: Following the ending of Special Ops: Lioness season 1, Freeman was promoted to the main cast, meaning his character, Edwin Mullins, has a bigger role in season 2. Mullins serves in the U.S. President's cabinet as the Secretary of State, which is why he often works with the Lioness program.

Genesis Rodriguez As Captain Josephina Carrillo

Date Of Birth: July 29, 1987

• Active Since: 1994

Actress: Genesis Rodriguez was born in Miami, Florida, and her acting career began with Telemundo telenovelas. Later, Rodriguez made the jump to Hollywood, where she scored a few prominent roles, including a three-episode stint in Entourage and voicing Honey Lemon in Big Hero 6. However, Rodriguez gained more attention when she ed The Umbrella Academy season 3 cast.

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Character: Rodriguez s the cast of Special Ops: Lioness in season 2 as Captain Josephina "Josie" Carrillo. According to Variety, Josie is "a dedicated soldier with a fierce personality" and "a skilled helicopter pilot."

Special Ops: Lioness ing Cast & Characters

Michael Kelly as Byron Westfield - Michael Kelly stars as Byron Westfield, the CIA Deputy Director (meaning he's Kaitlyn's superior) in Lioness on Paramount+. Kelly, who has a lot of experience with political thrillers, is most known for his role as Doug Stamper in House of Cards and as Mike November in the cast of Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime Video.

Thad Luckinbill as Kyle McManus - Thad Luckinbill's Kyle McManus, a CIA officer, takes on a bigger role in Lioness season 2 as he s forces with Joe. Viewers may recognize Luckinbill from The Young and the Restless, where he played J.T. Hellstrom for over 10 years.

Jill Wagner as Bobby - Bobby, played by Special Ops: Lioness executive producer Jill Wagner, is the leader of the Lioness program's QRF (Quick Reaction Force) team. Wagner was previously one of the hosts of the ABC game show Wipeout and has appeared in numerous Hallmark films.

LaMonica Garrett as Tucker - LaMonica Garrett stars as Tucker, a member of the QRF team, in the Paramount+ spy thriller. Lioness isn't the first Taylor Sheridan project Garrett has been a part of — he played Thomas in the cast of 1883, the first Yellowstone spinoff. Garrett has also starred in several notable TV shows, including Sons of Anarchy, Designated Survivor, The Last Ship, and the Arrowverse (as the Monitor/Anti-Monitor).

James Jordan as Two Cups - Two Cups, played by James Jordan, is another QRF team member in Special Ops: Lioness. Jordan has appeared in many Sheridan TV shows, including Yellowstone as Steve Hendon, Mayor of Kingstown as Ed Simmons, and 1883 as Cookie.

Austin Hébert as Randy - Austin Hébert's Randy is a member of the Lioness program's QRF team. Before Special Ops: Lioness, Hébert starred as Wade in Sheridan's 1883 on Paramout+.

Jonah Wharton as Tex - Before ing the cast of Special Ops: Lioness in season 1 as Tex, another member of the QRF team, Jonah Wharton appeared in many TV series, including NCIS: Los Angeles, Bones, and The Rookie.

Stephanie Nur as Aaliyah Amrohi - Stephanie Nur portrays Aaliyah Amrohi, the daughter of a terrorist, in season 1 of the Paramount+ spy thriller series. Like many of her Special Ops: Lioness costars, Nur appeared in 1883, playing Melodi.

Hannah Love Lanier as Kate McNamara - Hannah Love Lanier stars as Kate McNamara, Joe and Neal's teenage daughter, in Lioness. Following season 1, Lanier played Charlie in the cast of the Road House remake on Amazon.

Martin Donovan as Errol Meade - Martin Donovan's Errol Meade is Kaitlyn's husband and a high-ranking financial investor in Special Ops: Lioness on Paramount+. Viewers might recognize Donovan from films such as The Portrait of a Lady (which also starred Nicole Kidman), The Book of Life, Insomnia, Ant-Man, or Tenet.

Source: Variety