Zoe Saldaña praises Taylor Sheridan for “how to write women” as Paramount+’s Lioness readies Season 3

Zoe Saldaña said she is grateful to return to her role in Paramount+’s “Lioness,” crediting series creator Taylor Sheridan for writing characters she described as defying easy expectations of gender and race. Speaking in connection with the show’s upcoming third season, the Oscar-winning actress reiterated her appreciation for what she called a deliberate method of character construction, saying Sheridan knows “how to write women,” and that the series’ characters “defy gender and race,” according to Deadline’s report on July 30.

In “Lioness,” Saldaña stars as CIA agent Joe McNamara. Deadline reports that as “Lioness” reunites with her character’s “pride” for the next season, Saldaña will reprise a role that, she said, is grounded in writing that feels intentional about the way women are portrayed on screen.

Sheridan, who created the spy drama, is widely known in television for writing that blends institutional settings with character-forward storylines. In Deadline’s account of Saldaña’s comments, the actress linked the show’s focus on Joe McNamara to Sheridan’s approach to scripting women as full, complicated people rather than as supporting figures for the men around them.

The third season will return on Paramount+, bringing back a cast anchored by Saldaña as the U.S. intelligence operative at the center of the series’ mission-driven narrative. Deadline’s report framed the season’s return as a continuation of the team dynamic, with Saldaña’s “pride” language tied to the show’s internal group structure.

Saldaña’s comments arrive as streaming services increasingly rely on established franchises to sustain subscriptions and viewer engagement, and as performers continue to emphasize what they view as quality differences in how scripted roles are written. In this case, Deadline reports that Saldaña focused less on production mechanics and more on the character work, describing the opportunity to reprise Joe McNamara in a show she characterized as having “knowing” writing for women.

For Paramount+ viewers, the immediate practical takeaway is that “Lioness” is moving toward another season installment with Saldaña returning as Joe McNamara. For industry observers, the interview underscores how leading actors can publicly tie creative authorship to how female characters are shaped and sustained across multiple seasons.

Deadline’s report did not include additional casting changes or a specific premiere date in the excerpted summary provided for this coverage, but it placed Saldaña’s remarks in the context of the show’s Season 3 return and her continued involvement with the series.