The season 3 finale of ‘Lioness’ aired on Sept. 20

Another mission is in the books for the Lioness team.

The Taylor Sheridan-created Paramount+ series follows CIA senior case officer Joe McNamara (Zoe Saldaña), who leads a team of elite soldiers on dangerous undercover missions. But in season 3, the tables turn when Joe is abducted by an unknown enemy, sending her team on a desperate mission to bring her home.

Joe’s kidnapping takes center stage throughout the season, which features familiar faces including Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman), Neal McNamara (Dave Annable), Edwin Mullins (Morgan Freeman) and Byron Westfield (Michael Kelly), alongside several new additions to the cast.

In August 2026, Saldaña spoke to PEOPLE about how she’s come to admire Kidman after collaborating on the show.

“I admire her,” Saldaña said of her costar. “She’s an incredibly talented woman, but what she is first and foremost, what I love the most, is she’s a mother. She’s a daughter. She’s a sister. She’s a friend.”

They aren’t the only ones who have bonded on set. The actress said that preparing for the series is “like suddenly doing a thesis in the CIA” — which is why she, Kelly and Freeman regularly run lines together.

In honor of season 3 coming to a wrap on Sept. 20, here’s a look at the cast behind the scenes of Lioness season 3.

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The Lioness Family

Production on Lioness season 3 kicked off in October 2025. Here, the main cast gathered for a photo in front of Joe’s Virginia home during a night shoot.

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The Washington Bosses

Kidman, who plays Joe’s boss, Kaitlyn Meade, posed alongside Freeman, who portrays U.S. Secretary of State Edwin Mullins and Kelly, who plays CIA deputy director of operations Byron Westfield, while filming one of their many Washington, D.C., meeting scenes.

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Special Effects Makeup on Display

In September 2026, Saldaña shared behind-the-scenes photos of herself covered in special effects makeup that made her appear bruised and bloodied while filming season 3, episode 6, in which Joe’s captors cut off her pinky toe.

“Episode 6 was a real challenge,” Saldaña wrote on Instagram alongside the images.

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Braving the Cold

Saldaña captured a photo of LaMonica Garrett, who plays Tucker, warming his hands with a portable space heater while filming outdoors.

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Seeing Double

Saldaña posed alongside her stunt double while filming the season 3 premiere, specifically the scene in which Joe is abducted from her car.

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In the Trenches

Garrett snapped a photo of Austin Hébert, who plays Randy, in his military gear while filming the Ukraine combat scenes for the season 3 premiere.

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Bring Your Kids to Work Day

Jill Wagner, who plays Bobby, brought her daughters, Army Gray and Daisy Roberta, to the Lioness set, where the trio sported matching outfits for the occasion.

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Night Shoot Buddies

Wagner, James Jordan (Two Cups), Genesis Rodriguez (Josie), Jonah Wharton (Tex) and Laysla De Oliveira (Cruz Manuelos) snapped a group selfie while filming episode 2, which follows the aftermath of the first attempt to kidnap Joe.

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Joe’s Protectors

De Oliveira shared a photo from a night shoot with her costars, including Thad Luckinbill, who plays CIA senior case officer Kyle, and Lioness newcomer Ian Bohen, who portrays operator and K9 handler Grady.

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Combat Crew

“The amount of fun we have while filming shouldn’t be allowed,” Garrett captioned this group shot on Instagram in December 2025.

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