Special Ops: Lioness star LaMonica Garrett (Tucker) shares an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming espionage thriller series from Creator/Executive Producer Taylor Sheridan. Special Ops: Lioness stars Zoe Saldaña (Joe), Laysla De Oliveira (Cruz Manuelos), and Michael Kelly (Byron Westfield), along with Morgan Freeman (Edwin Mullins) and Nicole Kidman (Kaitlyn Meade).
Stream the two-episode premiere of Special Ops: Lioness on Sunday, July 23, exclusively on Paramount+. https://bit.ly/StreamSpecialOpsLioness
Stream the two-episode premiere of Special Ops: Lioness on Sunday, July 23, exclusively on Paramount+. https://bit.ly/StreamSpecialOpsLioness
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TVTranscript
00:00 Get your team ready to move.
00:01 Hey there, I'm Lamonica Garrett, and I play Tucker,
00:16 a quick reaction force operative
00:17 in the thrilling new series Special Ops Lioness,
00:20 which premieres July 23rd with new episodes dropping
00:23 every Sunday exclusively on Paramount+.
00:26 And today I have the privilege
00:28 of giving you a behind-the-scenes look
00:30 at your new favorite espionage thriller
00:32 from visionary creator Taylor Sheridan.
00:34 It stars Zoe Saldana, Liza De Oliveira, Michael Kelly,
00:38 along with Morgan Freeman and Nicole Kidman.
00:41 Stick around to hear from the rest of my top-tier castmates
00:45 as they invite us into the secretive world
00:47 of espionage and intelligence
00:49 that makes up Special Ops Lioness.
00:52 Hello and welcome to an exclusive look
00:54 at Special Ops Lioness,
00:56 which premieres July 23rd with new episodes dropping
00:59 every Sunday exclusively on Paramount+.
01:02 Special Ops Lioness comes to us from Taylor Sheridan,
01:05 creator of Yellowstone Origins series 1883 and 1923,
01:09 along with Tulsa King and Merrick Kingstown.
01:12 And much like these excellent series,
01:14 this show promises entry into a rich and expansive world.
01:18 Inspired by an actual U.S. military program,
01:21 this action-packed series follows the life of Joe,
01:24 played by Zoe Saldana,
01:25 while she attempts to balance her personal
01:28 and professional life as the tip of the CIA's spear
01:31 in the war on terror.
01:34 The Lioness program, overseen by Caitlin Mead
01:36 and Donald Westfield,
01:37 played by Nicole Kidman and Michael Kelly,
01:40 enlists an aggressive Marine raider named Cruz,
01:43 played by Liza De Oliveira,
01:44 to operate undercover alongside Joe,
01:46 among the power brokers of state terrorism
01:49 in the CIA's effort to thwart the next 9/11.
01:52 Dead pact. We leave zero, 600.
01:54 Special Ops Lioness asks the question,
01:57 "How far are you willing to go to protect your country?"
02:01 Coming up, we'll hear from my talented co-stars
02:03 who'll introduce our cast of characters
02:05 and tell us how they each fit into the brutal world
02:08 of Special Ops Lioness.
02:10 Plus, we'll find out what it was like for stars
02:12 and executive producers Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman
02:16 to work on this series both in front of
02:18 and behind the camera.
02:19 So let's take a peek behind the curtain
02:21 and finally find out how Special Ops Lioness
02:24 was brought to life.
02:25 To bring this world to life just gives me goose bumps.
02:30 One word to describe Lioness, it's powerful.
02:33 ♪♪
02:38 Lioness is based on a real-life CIA program
02:40 and follows two members of the Lioness engagement team,
02:43 an elite group of young female Marines...
02:46 You'll do.
02:47 ...who carry out critical missions
02:48 in hostile foreign territories.
02:50 It's about these women that are in the field.
02:52 It's their stories, but none of this is simple.
02:55 These types of missions shows the danger involved
02:58 and what dedication it takes to carry through.
03:01 Someone who's going to get that person close to the target
03:05 so that they can then say,
03:07 "This is where the target's gonna be,"
03:08 and then the U.S. can deal with it
03:10 how they're gonna deal with it.
03:12 ♪♪
03:15 The show has themes of managing duty
03:18 and service of country and service of life
03:22 and whether or not we all have what it takes
03:25 to live in that kind of duality.
03:27 One of the things that makes this show different,
03:29 you see not just the action
03:31 of what the people in the CIA are doing abroad,
03:34 but you also see their home life,
03:36 and the home life is not told in one-dimensional characters.
03:40 The series is about a suspenseful, nuanced look
03:44 into the war on terror.
03:45 Walk us through your decision to call the drone strike.
03:48 I chose to protect my team
03:50 and the sanctity of our operation.
03:52 The quality of the stars involved,
03:55 Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman and Zoe Zaldana,
03:57 I do not think you will be disappointed.
03:59 Zoe and Nicole are leading the ship,
04:01 and that means something.
04:03 Stay clear of anybody.
04:05 The idea of it was what was so fascinating to me.
04:08 I thought that was just so compelling,
04:10 so I'm very involved in shaping the feel of the series.
04:15 I felt like if I join, I want to be an executive producer
04:18 because I just want to have the kind of control
04:20 that I've never felt before.
04:22 Being an executive producer on a Taylor Sheridan show
04:26 is very empowering.
04:27 This show's full of badass women.
04:30 It's a dream come true to get to come in
04:32 and work with the best of the best.
04:33 There's zero fluff involved in it.
04:36 There's zero kind of grandiose.
04:38 There's zero heroism in it.
04:40 This is not an ordinary CIA thriller.
04:42 I don't think that there's anything
04:44 like this on TV.
04:45 There's action and romance and deep-layered characters.
04:50 The show explores love, loyalty,
04:54 the fine line between what's just and unjust.
04:58 Hopefully, this show is indirectly portraying
05:01 real lives, real women that are doing it
05:04 every single day for us.
05:06 Expect the unexpected with this series.
05:08 And hold on, because it's a ride.
05:12 [dramatic music]
05:15 ♪
05:17 Coming up, we'll meet the members of Jo's team
05:20 and the daughter of a high-value terrorist target
05:22 who Cruz cozies up to as part of her mission.
05:25 Plus, we'll learn what it was like for our cast
05:28 to team up with undeniable talents,
05:31 Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman.
05:33 Stay tuned.
05:35 We'll be right back.
05:36 [dramatic music]
05:39 ♪
05:40 [dramatic music]
05:43 ♪
05:48 - A teammate who has your back is essential
05:50 on intense missions,
05:52 where one mistake could cost you your life.
05:55 You need someone skilled and with keen eyes
05:57 who's quick to action.
05:59 Speaking of loyal allies,
06:01 time to meet Jo's highly-trained
06:02 quick-reaction force unit,
06:04 who serve as Cruz's family in the field.
06:06 Now, I'm lucky to play Tucker, one such ally.
06:09 And I'm so excited to show you the dynamics
06:12 of our special ops lioness team.
06:14 We'll also meet Aaliyah,
06:16 the mark at the center of Cruz's mission.
06:19 And we'll be introduced to Jo
06:20 and Kaitlyn's off-the-field family,
06:23 the civilians forced to contend
06:25 with the constant demands of this unique job.
06:27 Take a look.
06:29 - What made this show so good for me,
06:32 it was a great, great ensemble.
06:35 [dramatic music]
06:38 ♪ ♪
06:40 I played Jo, the station chief of the lioness program,
06:43 tasked with training, managing,
06:44 and leading her female undercover operatives.
06:48 I oversee the undercover military group
06:50 and my mission to take down
06:52 some of the world's most dangerous terrorists.
06:54 And she understood very, very early on
06:58 that in order for her to save lives,
07:02 she has to know how to play the game.
07:05 That keeps Jo sharp, keeps Jo honest,
07:09 but also keeps Jo loyal.
07:11 - I don't play someone in the program.
07:13 I run the program.
07:14 So that's a very different mindset
07:16 for what I'm trying to achieve.
07:19 There's a strategic element
07:21 to pretty much every action that she does.
07:23 She's got to think ten steps ahead of everybody.
07:25 And so her ability to handle that is what you see.
07:28 - Westfield is the deputy director of the CIA.
07:31 I would say he's a serious, no-nonsense kind of guy.
07:34 He has admirable qualities.
07:36 He's always doing what he believes is the right thing.
07:38 - The Kass group is really exciting.
07:40 You know, we had people like Michael Kelly
07:42 and Morgan Freeman.
07:44 - There's not much I can tell you about Mullins.
07:46 He's secretary of state.
07:48 My job is to protect the president from the fallout.
07:52 - I think in the beginning of the show,
07:54 Cruz is somebody who is deeply lost.
07:57 She's just in this awful, depressing place.
08:00 Cruz is running away from her abusive boyfriend.
08:04 And as she's doing it, this Marine comes and he saves her.
08:09 - I've been out warring my whole life.
08:10 - You came to the right place.
08:11 - She realizes that she's had enough.
08:14 - Our little sparrow.
08:16 - Joe contracted our unit to be the quick reaction force.
08:19 - The quick reaction force are responsible
08:22 for if anything goes wrong with our lioness,
08:25 they go and get her.
08:26 - But then the specificity of these individual people,
08:28 they're not all the same.
08:30 So they have their different fingerprints.
08:32 - I love Bobby.
08:34 - Bobby is the leader of quick reaction force.
08:37 I think it tells you a little bit already
08:38 that she's a female and she's a leader
08:42 of a bunch of bad-ass guys.
08:44 - You have to earn being a leader.
08:45 It's not just a title that's given to you.
08:47 Bobby gets the job done,
08:48 so we have no problem following her.
08:49 - Two cups is a combat veteran
08:51 who's had a career in the army,
08:53 who is a former infantryman
08:55 who then was selected for special forces.
08:57 His skill set is unique and eclectic and eccentric.
09:00 - Like all of these guys,
09:01 Tex is a bad-ass.
09:03 No one in this show isn't a bad-ass.
09:04 Trained killer, so to speak.
09:06 On the surface, he's a tough guy,
09:08 but there's a lot going on underneath that.
09:10 - Randy's a technical specialist,
09:12 but he's kind of always looking out
09:14 for the well-being of the group.
09:16 I think Randy has that protective quality
09:18 about him with the team.
09:20 - Tucker is a Marine.
09:21 He's a MARSOC Raider.
09:22 He's mechanically inclined, is a good way to put it.
09:24 If we get to a helicopter
09:26 and no one knows how to fly this thing,
09:28 give him 15 minutes, he'll figure it out.
09:29 - You obviously have a really big responsibility
09:32 when you do a role like this.
09:33 You have to take that responsibility
09:35 as hard as you can,
09:37 because you're representing something
09:38 that a country's only founded on,
09:40 but protected by.
09:41 - You see that, yes,
09:43 they're this bad-ass group of people,
09:45 but they're real people.
09:46 They really are a bit like family.
09:48 - Cruz is really excited to be with the team,
09:50 so I think the reason why Cruz joined the military
09:52 in the first place is to find a family,
09:54 so here she is with her new family.
09:57 - You know what she looks like?
09:58 - I know what she looks like. - Look at her again.
10:00 - Alia is a mysterious young Arab woman
10:03 who has roots in Saudi Arabia,
10:06 and she's also the daughter of a heavy-hitter billionaire,
10:10 which is what affords her her very lavish lifestyle.
10:13 And it would seem on paper that she has an easy life,
10:15 but in actuality, it is quite a restrictive life.
10:19 She lives very insulated, a contradictory one.
10:22 - Neil is a surgical oncologist married to Jo,
10:25 and they also have two children,
10:27 so Neil is kind of also the stay-at-home dad.
10:30 I think the marriage to Jo is probably
10:32 one of my favorite things that stood out
10:34 when I was reading the pilot.
10:35 There's all the CIA stuff,
10:37 and, you know, you can't talk to your partner about her day.
10:41 One of the things that's the coolest part
10:43 of this whole thing is the cast that they put together.
10:46 I'm like, "Taylor, how do you do this, man?
10:48 Like, this is insane, this cast."
10:50 - I'm just happy that I get to go to work
10:52 and look at the face of people I've admired
10:55 for a really long time
10:56 and get to go on this artistic journey with them.
10:58 I know anybody would be incredibly happy
11:00 in this situation.
11:02 [dramatic music]
11:05 - As the brain behind wildly popular series like "1923,"
11:09 "Tulsa King," and "Mayor of Kingstown,"
11:12 Taylor Sheridan hardly needs an introduction.
11:14 In addition to "Special Ops Lioness,"
11:16 I also had the pleasure of working with Taylor in 1883,
11:19 where I played Thomas, a Buffalo soldier
11:21 tasked with guiding families, including the Duttons,
11:24 safely along the Oregon Trail.
11:27 You see, once production begins,
11:29 Taylor often films an episode in pieces,
11:32 sometimes with months in between scenes.
11:34 It feels just like shooting a movie.
11:36 And for the actors involved,
11:37 our preparation begins months
11:39 before cameras even start rolling.
11:41 For "Special Ops Lioness,"
11:43 our hands-on learning came in the form of Navy SEALs
11:46 who provided combat and weapons training
11:48 weeks before production.
11:51 And this prep work not only ensured
11:53 us bringing authenticity to our roles,
11:55 but also gave us the opportunity to gel together as a cast.
11:59 Sheridan's growing portfolio offers complex characters,
12:02 relatable examinations of the family unit,
12:05 and a gritty world-building.
12:08 Here's how "Special Ops Lioness" perfectly fits
12:10 into his impressive, award-winning series roster.
12:14 - We move now! - Chief, we got a roll!
12:16 - It's dead, Cor! - Shoot 'em!
12:18 [gunshot]
12:19 [dramatic music]
12:22 ♪ ♪
12:24 - When you have a writer that can write like that,
12:26 you've just got to go, "Okay, I'm on for the ride.
12:29 Let's go."
12:30 - He challenges me, but he's passionate,
12:32 but he's extremely creative and collaborative.
12:36 - Taylor has a way of putting good people
12:38 in a situation where we could all bond,
12:40 and there's no bad apples.
12:42 - What Taylor brings is a level of excellence.
12:45 - When you mention Taylor Sheridan,
12:46 people trust his work, and actors want to work with him.
12:50 - Before even reading the script,
12:52 I saw Taylor Sheridan's name.
12:54 I was like, "Yes, yes, immediately sold."
12:57 - Authenticity is key, so the least we can do
12:59 is find that authenticity, get as close as we can,
13:01 and portray it as real as we can.
13:03 He helps the Annie to go where we need to go
13:05 to tell this story.
13:06 - He says things, particularly in this one,
13:09 that we don't really get publicized.
13:12 I just find that part of it very interesting.
13:16 - Taylor is one of those writers
13:18 that is just so good at being raw and authentic
13:24 and creating these characters
13:26 in which they're so multidimensional.
13:29 - A technical side is understanding
13:31 that Taylor writes in a form of, like, a novel.
13:34 There's a cadence to his characters
13:37 and the way that they're interacting.
13:38 - I'll have to make a decision. You understand that?
13:40 - Roger that!
13:41 - Taylor has this grit to him as well.
13:44 I think he has this way of creating a world
13:47 that always keeps it grounded.
13:48 So for an actor, you can just kind of lean back
13:51 into the writing, and the world's gonna create itself.
13:54 - He builds that infrastructure in his writing
13:57 and then kind of steps away and allows us to explore it.
14:01 - About four or five months after "1883" finished,
14:04 I get a call from my reps, and they said,
14:06 "Hey, you want to do another Taylor Sheridan show?"
14:09 And I'm like, "Taylor, sign me up."
14:11 Like, the character-- I don't even--
14:13 I don't even know none of that.
14:14 Really sign me up.
14:15 This existed a few years back.
14:18 I was going back to Yellowstone to do a season four flashback,
14:22 and Taylor at the time had mentioned
14:24 he has this new show, "Lioness,"
14:25 and Zoey was attached at the time
14:27 and wanted me to read it and talk about it.
14:29 Read the pilot, and I was like, "This is amazing."
14:31 - You have to know when to trust him,
14:33 and you also have to know when to trust your gut and call him,
14:37 'cause he's always gonna be at the end
14:39 of that receiving line going,
14:41 "I want you to be a part of it.
14:42 I want you to take pride in this.
14:43 This is about women.
14:45 This is about you,
14:46 and I'm not gonna ever act like I know more
14:49 than you know more about yourselves."
14:52 - I describe him as Zoey's sort of Quicksilver
14:55 because he can... [imitates whooshing]
14:56 move in many different areas,
14:58 but when he says he's gonna give you something,
15:00 he gives it to you.
15:01 And that was exciting to me
15:02 because I work with all different people
15:05 in all different genres.
15:07 This was a very new genre for me,
15:11 and I wanted to be in that Sheridan world.
15:13 - Some big themes that "Lioness" explores
15:16 are call to service, relationships,
15:19 and resilience,
15:21 and I think that's something that we all deal with,
15:23 and I think that Taylor is one of the best
15:27 at being able to show all of that
15:29 and make it this real feeling thing.
15:32 - You can go into a Taylor Universe show,
15:35 and you know what it's gonna be.
15:36 You know it's gonna be, you know, top quality,
15:40 the greatest people
15:41 from production designers to cinematographers to actors.
15:45 There's something about him
15:47 that everybody wants to come play in this world.
15:48 [dramatic music]
15:51 - Next up, we dig into the elite "Lioness" program
15:56 and learn exactly what it takes
15:57 for someone to enter its ranks.
16:00 Don't move, 'cause we'll be right back.
16:02 [dramatic music]
16:05 ♪ ♪
16:08 [dramatic music]
16:11 ♪ ♪
16:14 - Special Ops "Lioness"
16:15 places three strong female characters at its center--
16:19 Joe, Cruz, and Kaitlyn.
16:21 These three women serve different
16:23 but vital roles within the program.
16:26 Joe as the leader of the unit,
16:28 Kaitlyn as Joe's senior supervisor,
16:31 and, of course, Cruz as the "Lioness."
16:34 But a woman can't become a "Lioness"
16:36 without proving herself on extreme levels.
16:39 Follow along as we learn the ins and outs of the program
16:42 and take a look at the mettle and preparation needed
16:45 for someone to join the ranks of such an elusive league.
16:48 [dramatic music]
16:49 - What is a "Lioness"?
16:51 [dramatic music]
16:53 It's unbelievable.
16:54 [dramatic music]
16:57 [dramatic music]
16:59 She's tasked with befriending
17:02 the daughters and wives of high-profile targets.
17:05 - If they can get close to the bad guy,
17:07 they can keep up with the bad guy,
17:09 and their task is to call strikes.
17:12 [dramatic music]
17:15 - Some may consider that cruel
17:17 and outside the lines of what's just.
17:19 What do you think?
17:21 - I think if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying, ma'am.
17:23 - These women are in the field.
17:25 There's a compartmentalizing required.
17:28 There's an ability to make decisions
17:31 under extreme duress.
17:33 As I read more and more about it, I was amazed.
17:37 - I want the people that watch this show to say,
17:39 "Oh, okay, they did their homework."
17:41 - And every day, they go unseen.
17:44 I'm just happy that we're giving these women
17:46 this kind of visibility.
17:48 - What Taylor's done is taken that to sea.
17:50 He's taken that real story and expanded it.
17:54 - Our "Lioness," there's more required of her.
17:56 - She has to be tough, highly intelligent,
18:00 extremely physically fit,
18:01 capable and ruthless to accomplish her mission.
18:05 - They have to go through an enormous training program,
18:07 but there's still an element of risk.
18:09 - I think Cruz is a good fit for the program
18:11 because she's very committed.
18:14 She's physically strong, she's emotionally strong,
18:16 and she doesn't take no for an answer.
18:18 She doesn't break.
18:19 - You wanna break a record for me?
18:20 - Yes, sir! - Come on! Come on!
18:23 - Cruz goes deep undercover.
18:26 She gets thrown into the mission right away,
18:28 but she doesn't back down.
18:29 At the end of the day,
18:31 she has to serve her country and her mission.
18:33 - It's not your average person.
18:34 These are people with crazy amounts of determination,
18:38 grit, toughness.
18:40 - This operative is willing to be a sacrificial lamb,
18:42 so to speak.
18:43 You mess up out there in the field,
18:45 the "Lioness" messes up, they're dead.
18:46 - And that means sacrificing themselves for the mission.
18:50 - When we talk about collateral damage
18:53 in the case of the "Lioness" program,
18:56 they may be it.
18:58 ♪ ♪
19:00 - It's badass women in the military.
19:03 - The cost of you making a mistake is too high.
19:06 - One wrong decision could mean your life ends.
19:09 - If you can't do the job brilliantly,
19:12 you shouldn't be doing the job,
19:14 and that is a hard truth.
19:17 - She's in.
19:18 ♪ ♪
19:20 - She's in.
19:22 - Sit tight.
19:23 We have more to come on "Special Ops Lioness"
19:25 inside the series.
19:27 ♪ ♪
19:29 [dramatic music]
19:32 ♪ ♪
19:34 [dramatic music]
19:37 ♪ ♪
19:40 - If the behind-the-scenes look at this new series
19:42 has you itching for a mission of your own,
19:45 I've got your first one.
19:47 Stream the premiere of "Special Ops Lioness"
19:49 on Sunday, July 23rd.
19:51 Then stream all new episodes on Sundays
19:54 exclusively on Paramount+.
19:56 And if you're after more from Taylor Sheridan,
19:59 stream his growing slate of original series
20:01 that includes "1923," "Tulsa King,"
20:05 "Mare of Kingstown," and "1883,"
20:08 all exclusively on Paramount+.
20:10 And be on the lookout for info
20:12 about Sheridan's upcoming Paramount+ original series,
20:15 "Lawmen, Bass Reeves,"
20:17 starring David O. Yellowall.
20:19 I'm Lamonica Garrett, and it's been an honor
20:21 to take you through all there is to know
20:24 and anticipate about "Special Ops Lioness."
20:27 Thank you for joining me, and enjoy the show.
20:31 - Are you close?
20:32 - Closer than we've ever been.
20:34 - Contract agent or lioness?
20:36 - Lioness, sir.
20:37 - We locate the wives and daughters
20:40 of these high-value targets.
20:41 - You made it! - Told you I was coming.
20:43 - And we place an operative close to them,
20:45 and we kill the target.
20:47 [gunshot]
20:48 - If we play this right, it is over before it's begun.
20:51 - There's really no means to abort.
20:52 - We'll get her killed and expose the entire program.
20:54 - Our asset is embedded.
20:55 We don't have the ability to call off.
20:57 - We move now! - Her cover's low!
20:59 - It's that corps! - Shoot her!
21:01 - So we're just going to pretend
21:03 that a CIA quick reaction force
21:05 did not execute a kill mission in front of CBS News.
21:10 [gunshots]
21:11 - Walk us through your decision to call the drone strike.
21:14 - She was dead either way.
21:16 [dramatic music]
21:19 ♪ ♪
21:22 - I can't do this.
21:23 - You need to remember what you're fighting for.
21:26 ♪ ♪
21:31 [BLANK_AUDIO]