Sitting with three Oscar winners, Michael Kelly discusses - Lioness - pressure on set

 Michael Kelly has been filming for decades and has been nominated for four Emmy Awards. When he first entered the set of Special Ops: Lioness, he still felt a little overwhelmed.What made him nervous was the weight of his fellow actors.

Kelly told TV Insider that it was truly one of the most daunting jobs he'd ever had in the beginning.At that time, there were already two Oscar winners, Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman, at the same table. With Zoe Saldana winning the award in 2025, there are now three.But when it comes to now, his feeling is more fun: “You are working with the best people, trying to keep up with them.As an actor, you think, wow, I'm really doing this with the best people.That's all you can hope for.”

This Paramount+ series created by Taylor Sheridan will premiere in 2023.Kelly plays Byron Westfield, the CIA's deputy director of operations. Over the past three seasons, he has teamed up with senior operations officer Joe McNamara, played by Saldana, CIA executive Caitlin Mead, played by Kidman, and Secretary of State Edwin Mullins, played by Freeman, to plan important operations against terrorist threats.

Working with this group of actors is why Kelly has always cherished this job.He has repeatedly spoken about his affection for the cast, and playing Byron also fulfilled another of his wishes: He has wanted the opportunity to work with Sheridan since he auditioned for the 2021 film Those Who Wish Me Dead starring Angelina Jolie.

In another interview with Collider, Kelly stated the status of the crew very directly: "Everyone is very dedicated, and everyone always gives 110“ of their energy."No one is half-hearted on this show, and it shows.I think that's why it's so good.I'm proud to be a part of it.”

As of the time of publication on November 8, local time, Paramount+ had not yet officially approved Special Operations: Lioness Season 4.Kelly has joined another Sheridan series, Landman, for its third season as William Crockett, the wealthy head of an oil management company.