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2 • Terre Haute Tribune-Star • July 23 - 29, 2023 One of the most popular actresses in cable movies is also the co-creator of one of streaming's newest series. A veteran of Hallmark Channel who now does work for Great American Family, Jill Wagner ("Mys- tery 101") teamed with writer-producer Taylor Sheridan ("Yellowstone," "Tulsa King") to create the international espionage thriller "Special Ops: Lion- ess," which Paramount+ debuts Sunday, July 23. Zoe Saldana ("Avatar: The Way of Water," 2022) has the central role of a military operative who has a special assignment at the front of the ongoing war against global terrorism. Nicole Kidman ("Big Little Lies") and Michael Kelly ("House of Cards") portray the supervisors of the largely female-driven Lioness pro- gram, which actually exists, and which Saldana's char- acter works within alongside a Marine Raider (Laysia De Oliveira). Wagner effectively created a part for herself since she also has a co-starring role in "Lioness," whose cast includes Morgan Freeman ("A Good Person," 2023), LaMonica Garrett ("Designated Survivor"), James Jordan ("Wind River," 2017) and Dave Annable ("Brothers & Sisters") as well. Wagner knew Sheridan from before his current run as a powerhouse produc- er, also supplying the Paramount+ series "Mayor of Kingston" and "Tulsa King" as well as the "Yellow- stone" prequels "1883" and "1923," and they reunit- ed to develop "Lioness" together. (Garrett, Jordan and Annable have worked for Sheridan before in some of his other shows.) The new series features Wagner in a role that night not surprise those who know the former "Wipeout" co-host's work from the shows "Blade" and "Teen Wolf," though fans of her genteel work in virtually all of her cable movies might not expect the toughness of her "Lioness" character Bobby from her. That's in keeping with the theme of the show, of course, but it's an area Wagner hasn't delved into much lately. Similarly, Kidman has played it tough on occasion, though that's also a relatively rare situation. The 2018 movie "Destroyer" is an excellent example, effective to the extent that at the time of the undercover-detec- tive drama's release, the Oscar-winning actress' hus- band — country-music superstar Keith Urban — ad- mitted (albeit jokingly) to being a little afraid of her, given the rugged nature of her portrayal in that film. Kidman has been no stranger to home-screen work in recent years, and before her movie stardom, she be- gan her career by doing television in Australia (where she grew up, though she was born in Honolulu). "Five Mile Creek," "Vietnam" and "Bangkok Hilton" were among her 1980s credits before her main focus shifted to feature films, and it would be almost 30 years until TV became a part of her resume again. When she was cast opposite Elisabeth Moss in the second season of the limited series "Top of the Lake," which was set in Australia and debuted in 2017, Kid- man was considered a major "get." The same year, she also starred (along with Reese Witherspoon) in the first season of the drama "Big Little Lies," for which she earned a Primetime Emmy Award among other honors. "The Undoing," "Nine Perfect Strangers" and the anthology "Roar" followed for Kidman, and she pres- ently has more series coming … including "Expats" and a show based on novelist Patricia Cornwell's forensic-pathologist character Kay Scarpetta, plus the miniseries "The Perfect Couple" and "Faraway Downs." coverstory BY JAY BOBBIN Zoe Saldana in "Special Ops: Lioness" Seeing action: 'Special Ops: Lioness' debuts on Paramount+ Color Page