Special Ops: Lioness season 2 marks the return of the dream team of Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman. To make the season more exciting, Morgan Freeman, another veteran actor with a recurring role in the first season, has joined as a series regular.
Freeman plays Edwin Mullins, the U.S. Secretary of State. The show will continue the journey of Joe, played by Saldaña, the CIA officer in charge of the Lioness program which recruits female operatives to infiltrate terrorist organizations.
Freeman has been a part of the entertainment industry for six decades but has rarely appeared on television in main roles. The actor has now revealed what motivated him to join Special Ops: Lioness season 2.
Morgan Freeman reveals he joined Special Ops: Lioness season 2 cast for three reasons
In an interview with Collider, the actor talked about the reprise of his role as Edwin Mullins in Special Ops: Lioness season 2. The too in a main role, in contrast to the recurring character he played in the previous season.
The Academy Award-winning actor stated three reasons encouraged him to return to the show: his desire to work with the series creator Taylor Sheridan, the incredible cast of the show, and he is being paid. Freeman said:
“Number one, it's a Taylor Sheridan project, and I'm just, number one, thrilled to be in that loop. Number two, it's an incredible cast that I work with — Zoe and Nicole and Michael and Bruce. Just that alone is enough. To top it all off, I'm paid to do it.”
Sheridan is one of the most sought-after names on television. The creator is the mind behind hugely popular shows like Yellowstone and its prequels 1883 and 1923, Tulsa King, and Mayor of Kingstown.
Special Ops: Lioness also features a talented ensemble. Apart from Zoe Saldaña and Freeman, the show stars Nicole Kidman as the high-ranking CIA official Kaitlyn Meade, Michael Kelly as CIA Deputy Director Byron Westfield, and Laysla De Oliveira as rookie operative Sergeant Cruz Manuelos.
Considering Freeman’s stature in the industry, he is also expected to earn a fairly decent paycheck from the show, which justifies his third reason.
Morgan Freeman’s character’s journey in Special Ops: Lioness
In the first season, Edwin Mullins is against Cruz's mission to take down Asmar Ali Amrohi, a dangerous terrorist who also has major power in the oil industry.
Mullins worries that, while the CIA wants Amrohi gone, killing him could make things worse for US relations in the Middle East and set back their progress by years. He knows that the move could backfire and complicate things in oil politics.
Even though Mullins tries to stop the mission, it goes forward. This makes him frustrated and concerned about how the government balances its goals of fighting terrorism, while protecting its own interests.
When the mission is complete, Mullins questions whether all that was worth it. He believes that though Amrohi was stopped, it might only change oil prices instead of truly stopping future threats.
The Secretary of State has a bigger role in Special Ops: Lioness Season 2. He will probably will get directly involved in the CIA’s future missions against terrorism.
Special Ops: Lioness Season 2 airs on Paramount+ on Sundays.