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Zoe Saldaña Doubted Herself for "Lioness"
24 Oct
Summary
- Saldaña initially refused the "Lioness" role for a year.
- She cited dyslexia and anxiety as challenges for Sheridan's scripts.
- Saldaña will not join another Taylor Sheridan series after "Lioness".
Zoe Saldaña, the lead in Taylor Sheridan's special ops thriller "Lioness," confessed she initially turned down the role of CIA operative Joe McNamara. For an entire year, Saldaña expressed self-doubt, stating she didn't believe in herself enough to tackle Sheridan's demanding worlds. She admired how actors like Morgan Freeman and Nicole Kidman readily accept Sheridan's projects, attributing it to his rich character writing.
Saldaña, accustomed to action from franchises like "Avatar" and the MCU, found "Lioness" Season 3 particularly challenging, requiring her to build more muscle. This demanding experience has led her to conclude that she will not join another series created by Taylor Sheridan. The actress also shared in a 2024 interview that her dyslexia and anxiety made tackling Sheridan's dialogue-heavy scripts a significant personal hurdle.
Despite her initial reservations, Saldaña has valued her time portraying Joe, a character constantly navigating the conflict between her high-stakes CIA job and an unstable family life. If "Lioness" is renewed for a fourth season, Joe could face further challenges, including processing her husband's departure and dealing with potential threats from her past abduction.
