The cast of the upcoming spy drama Lioness is growing continuously, with the most recent addition being Michael Kelly, according to The Hollywood Reporter. His role will be as Byron Westfield, the Deputy Director of the CIA. One of Kelly’s most recognizable characters is Doug Stamper in House of Cards, in which he appeared in every one of the series 73 episodes. However, Michael Kelly is no stranger to these sorts of roles and often portrays law enforcement and military officials.
He also had a particularly chilling role as the psychologist Arquette in an episode of Black Mirror called “Men Against Fire,” which concerns a military program hiding dark secrets. Kelly has also appeared in The Sopranos, Person of Interest, Jack Ryan, Everest, and Man of Steel.
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Lioness already has an impressive cast and previously added Morgan Freeman as the U.S. Secretary of State. In addition, Nicole Kidman will appear as the CIA’s Senior Supervisor, Kaitlyn Meade. The series concerns a real-life military program of the same name, in which a group of female marines infiltrated terrorist groups to gain intelligence during the Iraq War. Zoe Saldaña has been cast as the leader of the program, tasked with training and directing her fellow operatives. Since the local customs of Iraq and Afghanistan forbade men from touching women, including giving pat-down searches, the Lioness operatives used this to smuggle various items. A documentary of the program was made in 2008 also called Lioness.
Taylor Sheridan Tackles Spy Genre for the First Time
Paramount+
Lioness marks screenwriter Taylor Sheridan’s first foray into spy dramas, although he previously worked on some screenplays with espionage elements, such as Without Remorse. He’s primarily known for his work on modern Westerns, including the blockbuster Yellowstone, along with its prequels 1883 and 1923. He also wrote and directed Wind River and had a recurring role in Sons of Anarchy.
Taylor Sheridan began in the film industry as an actor and first appeared in an episode of Walker Texas Ranger. His first screenplay was for Sicario, a film that earned universal acclaim and launched his career as a screenwriter. Sicario spawned a sequel, also written by Sheridan, and a third film is in development.
Lioness will stream on Paramount+, although no release date has been set. The cast includes Cruz Manuelos, Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldaña, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, Hannah Love Lanier, Austin Hébert, Stephanie Nur, Dave Annable, and James Jordan. Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña will executive produce the series, while Taylor Sheridan will serve as the showrunner.
