After a successful debut season Lioness is back for Season 2 on Paramount+. The first season starred Laysla de Oliveira as Cruz, the eponymous Lioness, a secret agent assigned to lure high-value targets overseas, where they can be eliminated with more efficiency and certainty than, say, a drone strike. The program is run by Joe (Zoe Saldaña), who in turn reports to Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman).
Lioness season two sees a new recruit (Genesis Rodriguez) brought on a dangerous mission involving drug cartels on the US-Mexico border, which gives the series a sort of anthology vibe. But despite not appearing in the first episodes of the season, Laysla de Oliveira still appears and is mentioned in the program’s opening credits sequence. So, it was only a matter of time before she appeared in Lioness‘ second season, an appearance that finally occurred in the fourth episode, “Five Hundred Children”.
TelaRant interviewed Laysla de Oliveira about her surprise reappearance in Lioness season 2. She explained how Cruz was initially not supposed to return after the conclusion of the first season, and how she was pleasantly surprised by writer Taylor Sheridan’s decision to bring her back. She talked about how Cruz has changed since her days as the Lioness and discussed the intense exercise regimen she endured to play her character.
Lioness star Laysla De Oliveira didn’t think she’d be asked back for season two
“He didn’t want to bring Cruz back if it wasn’t in a meaningful way.”
Screen Rant: I want to jump right into the show because I love it! In Season 1, they almost hide the premise that you are the main character. Zoe and Nicole are on every poster, but then you watch it and think, “Oh, that’s YOUR show!” And you carry it so well.
Laysla de Oliveira: Thank you, that means a lot.
Screen Rant: Did you know you would be part of season 2? Did they have that option in their contract?
Laysla de Oliveira: Oh my God… Hold on tight, because this is a rollercoaster of a story. There was a time when Cruz wasn’t supposed to come back, but I didn’t know that. You sign the contracts you sign and… [puts her hands up].
The strike ended and I received a call from Taylor [Sheridan]who explained to me how the story goes. As each season will be new and that Cruz will not be part of the new season. As devastated as I was as an actress, that’s what being an actor is. There are ups and downs. But it was also a beautiful conversation. It was the first time I could really thank him for changing my life, which he did, with this role. He had in mind what he wanted to write and didn’t want to bring Cruz back if it wasn’t in a meaningful way because he felt like she was completely done with the show.
I’ll give it to Taylor, he’s a very prolific writer, and writing always comes first. So I ended the conversation with, “I’m upset, but thanks for changing my life.” And he said, “I’ll get you into something else, I promise,” and I thought, “Yeah, yeah, he won’t…” But you know, whatever! I got to experience this and it was the journey of a lifetime.
And then, I think six weeks later, on the dot, on my birthday, he called me. I thought he was calling just to see how I was. I was like, “Oh, how sweet, he’s calling to see if I’m okay after a hard hit.” But he said, “She’s back. I found a meaningful way to bring her back, and she is back.” It was such a beautiful call to receive, and I was so excited. I’m excited to be here now!
Screen Rant: It’s so natural how your character comes back, and so natural, if not necessarily healthy. She dealt with the consequences of everything she had to do in the first season. Tell me a little bit about coming back to that character, making that time jump and going back to something a little more stable for her.
Laysla de Oliveira: Wow, Taylor is a brilliant writer, because I really feel like even though they’re the same character, they’re completely different characters. She is fully grown. I’ve been using that word a lot, because it’s the best word I feel to describe her: she had a metamorphosis. I think she comes out of the program, she’s deployed off the coast of Somalia, and she’s really doing some soul searching in terms of trying to understand how she fits into this geopolitical machine.
I think she is a true patriot. I think she loves her country. When the mission is close to home, I think she feels a duty to protect her country. But it’s really interesting because she’s approaching this year from a much more mature perspective, which leads to a more dynamic and understanding relationship with Joe. There is more of a mutual understanding there.
Legendary Hollywood trainer Duffy Gaver helped the Lioness cast get in shape
“They need to find creative ways to maintain that strength.”
How is your physical training this year? Were you able to keep up with everything, so when it came time for season two, did you say, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this covered,” or did you have to go to training again?
Laysla de Oliveira: We all have to do boot camp. But it was really great this season. We had an in-house coach, Duffy Gaver. He’s a superhero trainer, he’s amazing. He came with us to Texas and we had him the whole time. We started training before we left for Texas. And diet was something very important this year, which I think helped a lot. I am a person who loses a lot of weight very easily. I had to keep my cardio low, eat a lot…
If you’re trying to gain muscle, then it’s hard! And if it’s your job! With the muscles, and the Texas heat, for everyone, it’s hard to maintain those muscles at the pace and heat we work at. There are so many things we need to think about that aren’t just what’s on the page. It’s like, “How do I keep these little ones?” [Laughs] But we also had two weeks of training, which is really cool. Taylor joined us and was amazing.
I imagine you sweat a lot.
Laysla de Oliveira: That’s it. In episode 8 or 9, you just need to find really creative ways to maintain your muscles, especially when you’re training. But not at the same rate as when you started, because the schedule doesn’t allow it. So everyone has to come up with creative ways and everyone’s body works differently, right? They need to find creative ways to maintain that strength.
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