Zoe Saldaña says Lioness already gives her more than enough Taylor Sheridan drama, both on screen and behind the scenes. Despite the Paramount+ series’ success, the 48-year-old actor cannot picture herself joining another of the producer’s television worlds while she remains responsible for CIA operative Joe McNamara.

“I think that Joe McNamara and Lioness is all that I can handle at this time,” Saldaña told People. “I can’t imagine me taking on more of a Taylor Sheridan world.”

Why Lioness demands so much from Saldaña

Saldaña does not simply lead the spy thriller. She also serves as an executive producer, a combination that makes the job considerably larger than arriving on set, saying the lines and finding the nearest comfortable chair.

“I’m number one on the call sheet. I am first one in, last one out,” she said. “I am prepping months before anybody ever is able to prep. So it’s already a lot of work for me.”

Even so, Saldaña said she remains “grateful” to work with 56-year-old Sheridan. She believes the Yellowstone creator understands that she will speak plainly and arrive prepared to defend her position.

“He knows that I’m honest, I’m tough as nails, I’m vocal and opinionated,” she said. “I have my views, and I come with all heart, all brains, all muscle at all times.”

Her conclusion was direct: “So, no, I think I’m good here at Lioness.”

The series also stars Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, Laysla De Oliveira, Jill Wagner and Dave Annable.

Will Lioness return for Season 4?

The workload is not Saldaña’s only question. After the Season 3 finale revealed that Aaliyah Amrohi, played by Stephanie Nur, had orchestrated Joe’s abduction, the Oscar winner said she does not know where the story could go next.

“I don’t know if we’re able to go to a season 4,” she said. “I don’t know where he would take it.”

That uncertainty follows a third season Saldaña previously described as especially difficult. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, she said the production pushed her hard enough to make her doubt whether she could complete it.

“It was very demanding, I’m not gonna lie,” she said. “And I didn’t even know if I was gonna be able to pull it off.”

Saldaña held “various conversations” with Sheridan about Joe’s storyline before filming. Whatever concerns she raised appear to have been resolved, as she said she was “so happy and proud of the direction that he eventually took.”

How Taylor Sheridan keeps the cast alert

Other cast members have described a production where performers need to adjust quickly. Earlier this month, Jill Wagner, who plays Quick Reaction Force leader Bobby, said Sheridan made her relearn a scene using her non-dominant hand only minutes before cameras rolled.

“He forces you to run into the fire,” Wagner told People. It is not the most relaxing rehearsal philosophy, but nobody appears to have mistaken Sheridan’s set for a wellness retreat.

Laysla De Oliveira, who plays operative Cruz Manuelos, offered a similar account. She said Sheridan “can change things on the spot” during filming, requiring cast members to stay ready for sudden adjustments.

“You have to have your head on a swivel and be able to do that,” De Oliveira said. She clarified that Sheridan does not rewrite scripts at the last minute, though his direction can still change immediately.

For now, Saldaña is staying inside the one Sheridan production already occupying her calendar. Lioness is streaming on Paramount+.