'Lioness' star reveals Taylor Sheridan’s strange last-minute scene change: 'Transition your weapon...'
Jill Wagner expects the unexpected when Taylor Sheridan steps onto the ‘Lioness’ set. The actress, who plays special operations team leader Bobby on the show, recently spoke to People about how Sheridan challenged her in a surprising way while filming Season 3 of the Paramount+ spy thriller. Wagner, 47, said the latest season was not her most physically demanding. She described it as "a bit more cerebral" than the previous chapters. However, one scene in particular pushed her outside her comfort zone.
Wagner and Laysla De Oliveira, who plays Marine-turned-CIA operative Cruz Manuelos, were rehearsing an entrance into a house. Their characters needed to enter and clear the room. The actresses struggled with the angles during rehearsal. They had already learned the sequence one way when Sheridan stepped in shortly before filming and asked Wagner to switch her weapon to her left hand. "Ten minutes before we roll, he comes in and says, ‘No, I think you should switch arms. Transition your weapon to your left arm,’ she said.
Recalling having to perform the sequence with her non-dominant hand, Wagner added, “And I was just like, ‘Hmm … okay. Help me.’” The actress eventually worked through the change, and now considers the scene one of her favorite moments from the season. De Oliveira said the moment captured what makes Sheridan different as a creator and director. She explained that he can change the direction of a scene on the spot. She also spoke about witnessing another side of Sheridan during their work on ‘Lioness’. "He does have quite a sensitive side, and it comes out in his writing and from the fact that he used to be an actor," she said.
Sheridan has another role in Season 3 beyond his work behind the camera. He returns as Cody Spears, and Wagner praised his performance in the show. "He’s so talented, and we’re lucky to have him," she said. New episodes of ‘Lioness’ are streaming on Paramount+.
