Josie is a far cry from Season 1’s agent, Cruz (Laysla De Oliveira).
Despite these ties, Josie is a loyal US Army pilot who seems patriotic.
It doesn’t hurt that she’s the best woman for the job.
Image via Paramount+
It’s clear almost immediately that Josie will struggle with Joe’s rough and fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants QRF team.
We spoke with Rodriguez about her role as Josie for this new season ofLioness.
Finally, we discussed a little bit about her previous role as Sloane fromThe Umbrella Academy.
you’re free to check out the full interview in the video above or the transcript below.
She’s like the odd person out.
GENESIS RODRIGUEZ: Going into a second season of a show, I could really pull from life.
Image via Paramount+
I was kind of the newbie, How am I going to fit in here?
So, that wasn’t the reach.
ButJosie has to deal with a lot in this season.
Image via Netflix
This is a very physically demanding role for your character and many of the characters on this show.
Was that a challenge for you, getting a handle on that physical aspect?
What was it like prepping for that?
Special Ops: Lioness is a Paramount+ original series starring Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman. The series centers on a marine and a CIA agent who work together with the daughter of a dangerous terrorist group to destroy the organization. Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone co-creator) and Jill Wagner created the series, which was directed by Paul Cameron and Anthony Byrne.
RODRIGUEZ: It was super challenging for me.
I had never done anything that transformative in terms of strength.
My program started right around after I got the call to do the job.
I started training six days a week, and I was training with a Navy SEAL.
I also trained well, you call it training?I learned how to fly a helicopter.
Where did we leave off with Taylor Sheridan’s thriller last season?
They have to be so calm, cool, and collected up in the air.
They always have to be solving problems and there’s no time to panic.
So, there is a reason why she talks the way that she talksinsidethe helicopter.
She’s very much in control in those scenes.
She’s a lot less frazzled by the energy of all these people.
This is a man of many TV shows with many stories in his mind.
Was there anything that was surprising about working with him?
RODRIGUEZ: He’s a creative genius.
I’m just so honored to be a part of his umbrella of shows.
Like, how does he do it all?
I’m just so incredibly lucky.
The way he writes women, too I am so lucky because they’re complex characters.
It’s his writing.
I was always nervous and excited.
That’s how I feel watching the show, so honestly, it’s relatable.
Where Does Josie’s Loyalty Ultimately Lie in ‘Lioness’ Season 2?
RODRIGUEZ: No one person is black and white.
We all have gray.
We are complex characters, each and every one of us.
It makes you think.
Can you tease if we get any of that and what that interaction is like?
I promise you it’s worth your time to just check out.
Even in just the first couple of episodes, you’re hooked.
You’re not going to be expecting what’s going to happen.
I literally never expect what happens in this show.
RODRIGUEZ: I know!
It’s so good.
Were there ever any plans for you to come back for that final season?
I was sad that we didn’t get any more of Sloane.
Or was that not something that you were considering?
RODRIGUEZ: I would have loved to.
I love Sloane so much, so thank you for saying that.
AndUmbrella Academyis a very special show to me.
