Genesis Rodriguez says playing a helicopter pilot in the espionage thriller, Lioness, has taught her a lot about the dangerous world in which we live, but she doesn't let it keep her up at night.
"You do the best to represent these lives and these stories. I think it's important to be as realistic as possible to do that and relay the authenticity of it," Rodriguez, 37, told UPI during a recent Zoom interview with reporters.
"Knowing too much? Sure. Sure," she added. "I am a human, right? But, also, you can't let things affect you. You have to protect your peace, always."
Airing Sundays on Paramount+ the show casts Rodriguez as Josie, a new recruit for the CIA's covert Lioness program, which infiltrates groups that pose global security threats. Zoe Saldai±a plays Joe, the leader of the operatives.
As a fan of Season 1, Rodriguez said she was happy to see show creator Taylor Sheridan looking to add to the ensemble for Season 2.
"When I heard that they were casting for Season 2, I I was like, 'What is happening? What character is there? I I need to get in there somehow,'" she recalled.
"I saw the character description and I saw this fierce helicopter pilot captain in the army, and was like, 'Wait, can I actually do this?' Because I've never done anything like that before.
"It is the biggest, hardest thing I have ever had to do in terms of character and character preparation. I'm really so grateful that I was given this opportunity because I don't take it for granted."
The role required the actress to train six days a week, doing 100 push-ups and squats a day for a months, to achieve her warrior's physique.
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"I wanted you to be able to see this character and know who she was," Rodriguez said.
"I felt like her body represents how disciplined she is with herself. You see that physicality that strengthens her. I was actually doing my training with a Navy Seal. So, I was getting into the mentality and the mindset of how they make decisions under pressure, how cool they are under these circumstances."
Rodriguez described Josie as "the type of person that you can hear from a mile away" and a good match to go toe-to-toe with Saldai±a's Joe and their boss, Nicole Kidman's Kaitlyn.
"It was just a life accomplishment to be able to share the screen with her and share acting time with her," Rodriguez said about Saldai±a.
"Not only is she just the most kind and amazing, generous person, but she's the same as she is on screen as she is off screen," Rodriguez added. "So, our scenes were amazing because we were both playing. We were finding moments and, really, just that chemistry? You can't make it up."
Rodriguez said she is proud to be a part of a project that features so many powerful female characters based on women who hold these important jobs and make sacrifices all the time in their real lives.
"I hope these women feel like we're doing them justice," she said. "There are no words for what they do for us. I feel honored to be able to even play a small part and represent these women."
Sheridan, Kirk Acevedo, Patricia de Leon, Michael Kelly, Thad Luckinbill and Morgan Freeman co-star.
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