Lionesscreator Taylor Sheridan’s hit Paramount+ series follows the exploits of its eponymous figure, an elite undercover agent on a mission to expose and eliminate America’s enemies. Zoe Saldaña plays the project leader at the CIA, while Nicole Kidman plays her boss, an even higher-ranking CIA agent who must deal with the political risks and ramifications of the work carried out by the Lioness program. The first season introduced Laysla de Oliveira as a Marine who is brought in to take down a terrorist financier in the Middle East. For season two, Genesis Rodriguez stars as Captain Josephina Carrillo, an Army helicopter pilot who is brought in to help take down the leader of a Mexican drug cartel…who happens to be her own uncle.
Genesis Rodriguez helps elevate Lioness‘ second season with the vulnerability of his performance. While the Lioness from season 1 had time to train and prepare mentally before heading out into the field, Carrillo is another nervous person, emotionally unprepared for the toll the mission takes on her. Much of the tension in the show comes from Carrillo figuring out whether she has the determination to see the mission through to its bitter end or whether there might be some other way to achieve her goals without seeing her family members dead, no matter how far away they may be. .
TelaRant interviewed Genesis Rodriguez about her work on Lionessas a sort of mid-season check-in. She praised Taylor Sheridan’s writing and how he created a role she could sink her teeth into. She also discussed Carrillo’s unstable emotional state throughout the show, playing a character constantly on the verge of emotional breakdown. Finally, she talked about working out for the show.
Genesis Rodriguez’s Natural Emotional Sensitivity Helped Her Become a Lioness
“I really sympathize with this character and what is being asked of her.”
Screen Rant: We’re halfway through Lioness season 2. Captain Carrillo, she just needs a hug, man.
Genesis Rodriguez: She needs a hug, man, right?
Every time we see her. It goes through the juicer.
Genesis Rodriguez: She’s going through a difficult situation and no one is cutting her any slack or keeping her informed. Man, she’s been through this.
For you, is it just acting? Or do you have to put yourself in this emotionally vulnerable position where you’re like, “Okay, Zoe Saldaña, scream in my face for an hour.”
Genesis Rodríguez: [Laughs] Oh, this is so good. Honestly, for Zoe, yes, whatever she wants. If she wants to scream at me for an hour, I love her so much, she can. But no, seriously, I would say one of my things is that I’m hypersensitive. And I think that’s why I’m an actor. Because if you tell me the story of your life, and you have sadness inside, I will be crying with you and holding your hand. I’m just sensitive. That would probably be why I was an interesting teenager.
But all that to say, yes, I think I have a very deep well. I really empathize with this character and what’s being asked of her, which is crazy. When I wrap my head around it; turn against your own family! I don’t know if I would be able to do that. But Josie is the kind of person who puts her country first. She served her country and sacrificed her life for her country. This kind of person, if you ask them this, they will seriously consider it. Yes, it’s a real honor to play Josie.
Genesis Rodriguez addresses the intense physical training required for the Lioness
“I never knew I could play an Army captain.”
Incredibly well said. More or less, he does physical training and like, we see his abs, and it looks like they’re being touched by bricks. They look like someone surgically inserted bricks under your skin. Does this offset some of your sensitivity? Do you like feeling so strong?
Genesis Rodriguez: You know what? I didn’t know I had this inside me. I had no idea. I didn’t even know, because my spirit animal is actually a sloth in real life. [Laughs] This character is a huge departure from who I am. And I was slowly turning from a sloth to a lioness! And really, I love acting. It’s my favorite thing in the world. I’m very, very grateful to be able to do what I love to do.
This character, in particular, gave me the opportunity to use my physical body to help tell the story. And it’s the story of someone who is regulated, who is routine, who has a checklist. When you see her walk, you know exactly who she is. She is very hard on herself and is disciplined. And that’s telling the story, the physicality of it. Not only that, when it comes to helicopters and being a helicopter pilot, from training and flying the helicopter, I realized that you have to be strong to grab the tail and move the plane to where you need to go to be able to take it off. Like, this is a job! This is part of the requirement, so you need to have this.
For me, give me a character where I have to gain weight and lose weight, and let me completely transform, because that just helps the work and informs the work.
After doing a season of this show that is so emotionally draining and physically draining, is it any different than finishing any other work? I don’t want to diminish any of his other work, obviously, but you feel like, “Wow, I did it!”
Genesis Rodriguez: Yes, “I did it. I did it.” It’s amazing because you know more about yourself. You’re like, “Oh my God, I was able to do that. It came out of me.” Okay, well, now there’s no excuse. You have to go to the gym. Now you need to go to the gym regularly.
It’s easy, but now it’s a lot easier when it’s like, “Oh, you get a character and you can do this for a character.” But when it’s your daily life, you just get carried away by life. But I’m so grateful for this experience because it taught me more about myself than I ever imagined. I never knew I could play an Army captain. I saw the breakdown and thought, “Can I do this? I don’t even know.” I am so grateful to have learned that I, in fact, could do this.
More about Lioness Season 2
As the CIA’s fight against terrorism comes closer to home, Joe (Saldaña), Kaitlyn (Kidman) and Byron (Kelly) recruit a new agent Lioness to infiltrate a previously unknown threat. With pressure mounting from all sides, Joe is forced to confront the profound personal sacrifices he has made as leader of the Lioness program.
Check out our others Lioness interviews here:
Source: Screen Rant Plus