Academy Award-winning actress Zoe Saldaña has revealed that criticism about her physical appearance became one of the biggest motivations behind her transformation for Lioness Season 3. The 48-year-old actress spent months building muscle and improving her combat skills to prepare for the most action-packed season of the Paramount+ series.
Saldaña plays CIA operative Joe McNamara, a fearless leader who commands the elite Lioness team in the hit thriller created by Taylor Sheridan. While many viewers praised her performance in previous seasons, some critics questioned whether someone with her petite frame could realistically perform such demanding action scenes.
Instead of ignoring those comments, Saldaña used them as fuel to become stronger than ever.
Critics Inspired Zoe Saldaña to Train Harder
Speaking about the criticism, Saldaña explained that people often underestimate women with smaller body types.
She said many viewers believed her character would not be capable of handling the intense combat sequences because of her size. However, the actress emphasized that she has always maintained an athletic lifestyle and trained consistently throughout her career—even during her pregnancies.
According to Saldaña, negative opinions motivate rather than discourage her. She enjoys proving doubters wrong by demonstrating that strength is not determined by body size alone.
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Taylor Sheridan Wanted a Stronger Joe McNamara
The transformation began shortly after Saldaña won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Pérez in early 2025.
A few months later, Lioness creator Taylor Sheridan contacted her to discuss the direction of Season 3. He explained that Joe McNamara would face even more physically demanding missions and wanted the character to appear stronger than ever.
Sheridan encouraged Saldaña to build more muscle, describing Joe as “a machine” capable of handling brutal military operations.
The actress embraced the challenge immediately and adjusted her fitness routine to match the vision for the character.
Intensive Strength Training During Summer Vacation
Rather than waiting until filming began, Saldaña started training during her summer vacation in Italy with her husband, artist Marco Perego-Saldaña, and their three sons.
She hired a private trainer who closely monitored both her nutrition and workout program. While Italy offered countless culinary temptations, Saldaña remained committed to her fitness goals.
Her training focused primarily on increasing strength, endurance, and muscle mass while maintaining flexibility. The former professional dancer already possessed excellent body control through years of ballet and classical dance training, making the transition to strength-focused workouts more effective.
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Music Kept Zoe Saldaña Motivated
In Lioness Season 3, Joe trains while listening to world news reports that reflect the dangerous global conflicts surrounding her missions.
Saldaña admitted that her real-life workout routine is much different.
Instead of listening to current events, she prefers upbeat playlists featuring artists like Ariana Grande, Madonna, and Black Coffee. She believes energetic music provides the motivation she needs during demanding gym sessions.
Lioness Season 3 Features Bigger Action and Higher Stakes
Season 3 raises the intensity significantly as the Lioness team becomes involved in operations connected to the war in Ukraine while Joe’s family also faces serious threats back home.
The new season features larger-scale military action, tactical combat, and dangerous battlefield missions. Joe works alongside returning operatives as they pursue a high-value Russian target while navigating modern drone warfare.
Taylor Sheridan also appears on screen as Sgt. Maj. Cody Spears, an experienced military operator whose leadership influences the team’s survival in increasingly dangerous situations.
Saldaña praised Sheridan’s professionalism, saying he remained respectful of episode director Michael Friedman throughout filming despite being the show’s creator.
Building Muscle Changed More Than Her Performance
Beyond preparing for demanding action scenes, Saldaña says the experience transformed her personally.
She believes weight training becomes increasingly important with age because it builds confidence as well as physical strength. The actress explained that developing muscle helped her realize she could accomplish difficult challenges both on and off screen.
She also completed refresher training with handguns and semi-automatic weapons before filming began to ensure every combat sequence looked as authentic as possible.
For Saldaña, becoming stronger was about much more than appearance. It allowed her to portray Joe McNamara with greater realism while inspiring her own fitness journey.
As Lioness Season 3 streams on Paramount+, viewers can expect Saldaña’s most physically demanding performance yet—one shaped by discipline, determination, and a desire to prove that strength comes in many forms.
