A Lioness Star Pitched The Series To Creator Taylor Sheridan

"Lioness" star Jill Wagner deserves credit for bringing Bobby to life, but she's responsible for more than just playing the Quick Reaction Force team leader. Wagner had a key role in the creation of the Paramount+ series, which features an anti-terrorist team of undercover female CIA operatives. She pitched the idea for the show, which is based on a real military program, to her old acting coach and now-"Lioness" creator Taylor Sheridan. The idea came from a conversation she had with her husband, David Lemanowicz.

"He asked me if there was something I've always wanted to do," Wagner said in a Decider interview. "I told him that I've always wanted to play someone in the military."

From there, Lemanowicz, a U.S. Army major and an executive producer for "Lioness," mentioned the "impressive" women he worked with. That became the basis of the pitch Wagner brought to Sheridan.

"I feared that someone would get a hold of this idea and just create Barbies with guns or try to make the women feel too superhero-like," Wagner, who is also an executive producer for "Lioness," explained to Decider. "People have to understand that there are many female heroes in the world, and they're not necessarily in Marvel movies. They're out there sacrificing for our country, and they have really interesting stories to tell. Because of Taylor's voice and his mind, I knew he was the one person who could do them justice."

As the leader of the QRF, Bobby is in charge of a military unit whose purpose is to help undercover operatives when things go wrong. "Lioness," which recently aired its third season, is the closest Wagner has gotten to serving in the military. It has also helped her fulfill an aspiration she never achieved.

"I've always said that it was my biggest regret that I never joined (the military)," Wagner said to Decider.

While Wagner has no military experience, she has family who does. In addition to her U.S. Army major husband, Wagner's grandfather and dad were both in the U.S. Marine Corps. Because of that, she grew up with respect for the military and developed a desire to portray a service member. So although Wagner can't follow in her family's footsteps, "Lioness" has become her way of paying homage to those with service experience.

"If I could play a member of the military on screen, I felt that could honor those who serve by telling their stories," Wagner told Decider. "In a way, 'Lioness' is a love letter to them."