Laysla De Oliveira on that steamy Lioness bathtub scene: 'Give the people what they want'

Lioness is finally giving Cruz and Josie fans the moment they’ve been waiting for!

When Cruz (Laysla De Oliveira) walks into her place and screams “honey, I’m home” it confirms that her relationship with Josie (Genesis Rodriguez) has progressed since the end of the last season. The sexy scene includes Josie welcoming her partner home wearing only a ribbon before they make their way into the bathtub to brings viewers into their relationship.

The third season of the Taylor Sheridan-created spy thriller sees the action hit very close to home for Zoe Saldaña's CIA senior case officer Joe. The aftermath of a mission to Ukraine sees Joe get abducted outside of her home by a group of operatives. It is up to Cruz, Josie, and the rest of Joe's unit to save her as they grapple with the complexities of having a mission at home in the United States. Tensions are high, so the romantic moment between the two women is a nice moment of relief on the action-packed series.

We spoke with De Oliveira about filming the sapphic romance scene, how her relationship with Josie is Cruz’s “first grown-up love,” what it means to her to play a queer hero, and more.

LaMonica Garrett as Tucker, Genesis Rodriguez as Josie, Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz, Jill Wagner as Bobby in 'Lioness' season 3.Ryan Green/Paramount+

We get a look at Cruz’s home life when she walks in the front door doing the funny “honey, I’m home” and finds a naked Carrillo. It’s a light scene on such a tense show. What did you enjoy about getting to show that side of Cruz?

That to me was the challenge of the season. People keep asking me, "What are you most looking forward to people seeing?" And I remember opening that script and thinking, "Wow, I've never done anything like this as Cruz. The audience hasn't seen it." Doesn't mean that Cruz doesn't joke around in this way, so it was really fun to explore and do different versions of it, and like leaning on the accent and just having a good time.

Me and Genesis, you know, we're friends, so it's a really safe space for us to both explore. Of course, there's always nerves there, and just especially with the intricacies of shooting in water in a tub. I like to joke that me and Genesis now have a baby because it is hard for those modesty stickers to stay on when there is soap and water involved. So we had to get pretty close pretty quickly and that can be uncomfortable. But when I'm in those scenarios, I'm always thinking, give the people what they want. I know that when I'm watching a show, I like to see the couple that I most like explore that. And so, thankfully, when it comes to me and Genesis, because we're friends and because there's a lot of trust there, it was a very safe space for us to hopefully create something beautiful that the audience will enjoy as well.

Their moment gets interrupted by work, but I want to ask how would you describe where Cruz is emotionally in the relationship at this point?

I feel like this is Cruz's first grown-up love. In the first season, we see her falling in love, right? For the first time, she's expressed she's never been in love before. Everyone's got that first, but she wasn't able to entirely be herself, given the fact that she was undercover. When Cruz meets Josie, she's going through a beautiful metamorphosis because she's going through growth and expansion, and she gets to meet someone who's experienced some similar things that she has, and she's living with this person. They have banter. They have a lot of time together, and so this is a real mature adult relationship.

Any behind the scenes info you want to share about that scene?

We went to rehearse the bathtub scene because when you do these scenes, you want to have them very rehearsed because you move at a very fast pace. Then you add the elements of water and everything that I told you. So we were like, "What's going to be the choreography?” And we have a wonderful intimacy coordinator, and so we were rehearsing. And the bathtub is small for two really tall girls, so that was the thing that made us giggle all the way through. And then when I put my foot on Genesis's hand for her to do the massage, I guess I was wearing a sock, and the toe part was completely off, so it was just my toe peeking out, and we were just laughing hysterically. I think we have pictures of it, and I'm so excited to do those kinds of scenes because I know the audience has been wanting to see it.

Zoe Saldaña as Joe, Thad Luckinbill as Kyle, Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz in 'Lioness' season 3.Emerson Miller/Paramount+.

In Ukraine, Cruz is with Joe and they have a brief exchange about what their mission is, which is a big leap forward compared to Cruz’s anger when Joe shows up in season 2. How do you see that relationship evolving, and what do you think Cruz needed from Joe in order to get to that place?

We end the season in such a beautiful place. Joe risked her own life to not only save Cruz's life but save the entire team's life. I think in that moment, and also in the time they spent together, Cruz really starts to see Joe's heart, and Cruz sees herself reflected in Joe whether she would like to accept that or not. So it really becomes kind of like looking in a mirror, and I think it's beautiful because the more Cruz starts to love herself, she also kind of starts to love Joe too, and really understand their dynamic on a deeper level. If we pay close attention to Cruz's trajectory, I think that we can say that she might follow in Joe's footsteps.

Well that leads me to my next question. There have been hints about what people see for Cruz’s future. Seeing Caitlin and Joe’s abduction, do you think she wants that life? Potentially moving from soldier to spy.

I think it would be so interesting to watch Cruz have to recruit a Lioness at some point. It's not something that happens this season, so I can say that. And I've gotten this question, but when I think about Cruz in Ukraine you see her joy in the sense of she's exactly where she wants to be. The whole crux of season one was she really saw the world as black and white. She fell in love with someone, and she is not into obviously ruining people's lives and mistreating people. But that's what the whole show is about: living in the gray. And as Cruz starts to mature, she has a better understanding of that gray. It would be interesting to see how she moves, given her own experiences if she were to be in Joe’s position.

We do see Cruz team up with Kyle (Thad Luckinbill). What can you say about how that dynamic shapes her potential professional future?

I think she thinks she doesn't know how to be a spy because of how things ended season one, but wherever she goes, there she is, and she is quite good at it. To have somebody like Kyle confirm that, I think, is very exciting for Cruz's trajectory, because he's great at his job too.

Cruz has resonated strongly with LGBTQ+ viewers because she’s not defined only by her identity. She’s a complex action hero navigating love and trauma. What has that response meant to you?”

I'm going to be honest. It's meant everything to me. It's my favorite part of doing the show. When I signed on to do this character, I didn't know where it was going. I didn't know that it would be a love story. I was a bit nervous because I didn't know if I was the right person to tell this story and if people would be okay with that. But what I wanted to do is infuse as much love as possible, and I'm happy that it did. And it seems to be very well received. I just want to be able to tell the story of love, of wanting love, whether that be with a man or a woman.

Lioness season 3 is airing now on Paramount+! Watch the season trailer below.