Michael Kelly on Playing LIONESS's CIA Deputy Director in Season 3
The actor reflects on playing power players and what draws audiences to those roles.
Michael Kelly joined TODAY to discuss Season 3 of Taylor Sheridan's espionage thriller LIONESS, in which he plays CIA Deputy Director Byron Westfield, the official overseeing an all-female military unit tasked with infiltrating and dismantling terrorist organizations from within. Speaking about the show, which draws on a real-life military program, Kelly said, "It's a great honor to tell a story like this."
Kelly also addressed how audiences have responded to the type of roles he has become known for, including political POWER PLAYERS and military leaders. "I'm just so grateful," he said of the fan reaction to these characters. On LIONESS, Kelly's Westfield works alongside Joe, played by Zoe Saldaña, and Kaitlyn, played by Nicole Kidman, guiding the Lioness team as it confronts enemies operating in the shadows.
Season 3 finds Joe navigating a conflict that has moved beyond her professional duties and into her personal life, as hidden networks and betrayals close in from multiple directions.
LIONESS streams on Paramount+, with Kelly starring alongside Saldaña, Kidman, and Morgan Freeman. More on the season's setup can be found in BroadwayWorld's coverage of the Season 3 trailer.
