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Zoe Saldaña has drawn the line when it comes to taking on more of Taylor Sheridan’s television empire.
The Oscar-winning actress, who leads Sheridan’s CIA drama “Lioness” as Joe McNamara, said the demanding role already pushes her to the limit – leaving little room to venture further into the prolific creator’s growing television universe.
“I think that Joe McNamara and ‘Lioness’ is all that I can handle at this time,” she told People.
ZOE SALDAÑA SHARES BEHIND THE SCENES INSTAGRAM POSTS FROM BRUTAL ‘LIONESS’ TORTURE SCENE
Zoe Saldaña said starring as CIA operative Joe McNamara in Taylor Sheridan’s “Lioness” has been so demanding that she has no interest in joining any of the prolific creator’s other television series. (Ryan Green/Paramount+)
For Saldaña, carrying the series comes with a heavy workload long before cameras start rolling.
“I’m number one on the call sheet. I am first one in, last one out,” she explained. “I am prepping months before anybody ever is able to prep. So it’s already a lot of work for me.”
“I can’t imagine me taking on more of a Taylor Sheridan world,” she said.
ZOE SALDAÑA SAYS TAYLOR SHERIDAN ‘REALLY SEES WOMEN’ AS LIONESS SEASON THREE HITS PARAMOUNT+
Zoe Saldaña explained that leading the Paramount+ drama requires months of preparation and leaves her as the first person on set and the last to leave each day. (Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
While Saldaña may not be looking for more work from Sheridan, she believes their three seasons together have earned his trust.
“The good takeaway that I’m grateful for is that he knows that I’m reliable, just like Joe is,” she noted.
She claimed Sheridan knows she’s “honest,” “tough as nails” and “vocal and opinionated.”
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Zoe Saldaña also admitted she questioned whether she could handle the role before Season 3 premiered, calling it the most challenging performance of her career. (Ryan Green/Paramount+)
“I have my views, and I come with all heart, all brains, all muscle at all times,” she explained. “So, no, I think I’m good here at ‘Lioness.'”
Before Season three aired on Aug. 2, Saldaña admitted she had doubts about whether she could handle everything the role required.
“It was very demanding, I’m not gonna lie,” she told Entertainment Weekly at the time. “I didn’t even know if I was gonna be able to pull it off.”
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Zoe Saldaña praised Taylor Sheridan for writing Joe as a character defined by her abilities rather than her gender, saying she was honored to portray one of his female leads. (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic via Getty Images)
Season three ended Sept. 20, but Paramount+ has not yet greenlit the series for a Season four.
In Season three, Joe’s dangerous CIA career became intensely personal in the last episodes. The season put her family and marriage under mounting pressure while Joe herself became a target. Saldaña has described portraying Joe as the most challenging role of her career.
Part of what makes Joe stand out for Saldaña is that Sheridan didn’t define the character by her gender.
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Zoe Saldaña’s comments come after “Lioness” wrapped its third season on Sept. 20, while Paramount+ has yet to announce whether the series will return for a fourth season. (Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
“We’ve seen various stories of men like Joe,” she told the outlet.
“When you write something so incredible that it kind of defies gender and race, and it’s just about the merit of that human being, I feel like you give yourself the opportunity of a wider range of actors that can come in and sort of vie for that part,” Saldaña said.
“I have a great deal of respect for men that really know how to write women,” she added. “I’m happy to say that, after playing one of his female characters for three seasons, I’m incredibly honored that he wrote Joe as a woman.”
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