Nicole Kidman compares ‘Lioness’ prep to writing a CIA thesis

Nicole Kidman is going the extra mile to master her role in Special Ops: Lioness, revealing that she relies on a dedicated team of researchers to fully understand the show’s complex scripts.

Speaking at Paramount+’s The Icons of Taylor Sheridan’s Universe event in New York City, the Oscar-winning actress shared insight into the intense preparation required for the espionage drama. The series, created by Taylor Sheridan, follows an undercover CIA program and is packed with dense, technical dialogue.

Kidman, who plays CIA supervisor Kaitlyn Meade, explained that while the scripts are already carefully fact-checked by Sheridan and his team, she takes things a step further. “I have my own people that do my research on every single term that I’m using so that I know everything I’m talking about,” she said.

The actress described the process as demanding but rewarding, comparing it to academic work. “It’s like suddenly doing a thesis in the CIA,” she noted, emphasizing the importance of fully understanding each line. According to Kidman, the goal is to make even the most complex terminology feel natural and effortless on screen.

To achieve that level of fluency, Kidman and her co-stars, including Zoe Saldaña, Michael Kelly and Morgan Freeman, spend time breaking down the dialogue together.

“It’s been incredibly exciting, because it’s like suddenly doing a thesis in the CIA,” Kidman added.

Seasons 1 and 2 of Lioness are now streaming on Paramount+.