Lioness star Michael Kelly is one of streaming’s most beloved journeymen. From White House Chief of Staff Doug Stamper in Netflix’s House of Cards to intelligence officer Mike November in Prime Video’s Jack Ryan to CIA Deputy Director Byron Westfield in Paramount+’s Lioness, Kelly has made a career of playing government officials in big-budget series that become a significant part of the cultural zeitgeist. When asked about his illustrious filmography, Kelly remained humble: “I’m a very fortunate dude.”

Kelly also reflected on the “deep responsibility” he feels towards the women who are in the real-life Lioness unit. “I’m proud to be a part of a Taylor Sheridan show in any way, but to bring awareness to these women who sacrifice so much for this country is incredible,” said Kelly. “What those people do is everything.” Kelly also knows what a “gift” it is to work with women like Oscar winners Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña in Sheridan’s spy thriller series. “To be on a show with women playing central characters that are almost always played by men is really special.”

With the premiere of Lioness Season 3—Sunday, August 2—on the horizon, Kelly teased what fans can expect from the latest installment of Sheridan’s spy thriller. “It’s batshit crazy,” said Kelly with a laugh. “It might be the most cinematic, dramatic season we’ve done so far.” Kelly also noted that the storylines are so “compelling” because of the themes the series touches on. “The concepts of family and home come in so strongly this season,” said Kelly.

Kelly visited the Decider studio to discuss the series, share what it’s like to work with a creator as unique as Sheridan, and more.

DECIDER: Lioness is back for Season 3. How did Taylor Sheridan send out the “bat signal” when the scripts were ready?

MICHAEL KELLY: [Laughs] The traditional way—through my agent and my manager. I always can’t wait, man. When those scripts come in, the first thing you do is skip to the end and make sure you’re still alive. But for me, it’s always a thrill because I love his writing. I think he’s one of the best guys to have ever done it. Like, he’s unbelievable.

Taylor Sheridan is indeed one of the most prolific creators in the industry. How does his process differ from other creators who you’ve worked with?

You’d have to ask him about his process, but for me as an actor, one of the greatest aspects about working on a Taylor Sheridan show is that when you get that script, that’s the script you’re shooting. I love to prepare and know everything forward and backwards about my character. Sometimes his monologues are pages long! It’s very comforting to know that whatever dialogue you initially memorize is what you’ll end up saying when it comes time to film.

A lot of times on shows you get scripts with blue pages, then yellow pages, then white, and then they go back to double yellow, double blue. They’re constantly collating your scripts, adding pages in, and taking the old pages out. It’s just a lot of work. With a Taylor show, you get the script, and that’s what you’re shooting. It’s different from anything I’ve ever done before.

I’ve heard that Taylor is very present for his cast during pre-production and during filming. Do you take advantage of that?

Sure. I would never ask to change any of his words, but sometimes I’ve asked for clarification about a line or two of dialogue. I don’t talk like a CIA deputy director in my real life [laughs]. Even with my political science background, I’ll sometimes have a tough time wrapping my head around this or that. Taylor will always have a conversation to talk about intentions or explain something. It’s incredibly valuable to have that voice on set with you.

At the end of Lioness Season 2, Byron, your character, seemed a bit disillusioned. He threw up in the plane following that business with the cartel, lamenting how “little will change.” How did that experience affect him?

In the world that I imagined for the character, it’s something that’s happened before, and it’s something that will happen again. For these men and women in the CIA—the ones that I’ve met— the mission is the most important thing. Sometimes the thought of what they are sacrificing catches up to them. It’s part of the job. There is a reality to it that’s sickening to some and not to others. Byron carries a lot with him. I don’t think it’s as easy for him as it is for others.

Where does the Lioness program fall on Byron’s list of priorities?

Very high. He’s dealing with a lot, but the Lioness program is important to him. Partly because of his relationship with Kaitlyn. They can count on each other.

The majority of your scenes are with Nicole Kidman. How would you describe her as a scene partner?

She’s one of the best, right? I say it all the time: I’m sitting with three Academy Award winners during those situation room scenes. Their talent blows my mind. To get to play with Nicole on a daily basis? I sit back, and I’m like, “I am doing it, man.” It’s so cool [laughs].

I live for the scenes in the situation room with you, Nicole, Zoe, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Ehle and Bruce McGill. Are those the best days on set?

I love them. I have so much fun. We filmed one scene in the situation room this season that was 12 minutes long. It was a 12-minute scene that we shot over two days. 12 minutes is a very long time [laughs]. It was like doing a mini play within the show with some of the most talented actors in the world. It’s just… I have a great job [laughs]!

What can you tease about Lioness Season 3?

It’s batshit crazy [laughs]. It is absolutely batshit-crazy. It might be the most cinematic, dramatic season we’ve done so far. The concepts of family and home come in so strongly this season. That’s what’s gonna make it so compelling.

Lioness and Jack Ryan might be the two most topical narrative shows on television in recent years. Are people aware of that responsibility on set?

Lioness is a real program. We are representing real people who are willing to do all the things that they do to make it possible for me to sit here on this couch. They make it possible for you to stand back there and for us to live our lives as freely as we do here in this country. I feel not only grateful, but a deep responsibility to portray them in the best light that I can because, to me, what those people do is everything.

How proud are you to be able to tell stories like Lioness?

I’m so proud. I’m proud to be a part of a Taylor Sheridan show in any way, but to bring awareness to these women who sacrifice so much for this country is incredible. To be on a show with women playing central characters that are almost always played by men is really special. It’s wonderful to be on set and watch these talented women shine. It really is a gift.

From Netflix to Prime Video to Paramount+, you’re a bit of a streaming journeyman. You’ve continually worked on series that have serious budgets and serious star power. How has this shift in the industry impacted your career?

It changed my life, honestly. It was only 13 years ago that we did House of Cards. It sounds like a long time now, but when you think about it, that was really the first original streaming show to hit the mainstream. Before that, we just tuned in every Sunday night to The Sopranos or whatever the big show of the night was. Now, we all stream everything. How we consume content and art has completely changed. It happened really quickly. To be part of these three shows in particular makes me feel like I’m a very fortunate dude.

Lioness Season 3 premieres Sunday, August 2 on Paramount+