Actress Jill Wagner conceived the idea for Taylor Sheridan's series "Lioness," drawing inspiration from her husband, David Lemanowicz, a former professional hockey player who later served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve. Wagner, who plays Bobby, the leader of the Lioness program's Quick Reaction Force (QRF), pitched the concept to Sheridan, her former acting coach, after Lemanowicz introduced her to the real-life program.
"My husband, David [Lemanowicz], was the one who told me about the Lioness program. From that moment on, I knew there was a story to tell," Wagner told Fox News Digital. "It took about five years, but I never gave up."
Wagner also comes from a military family, with her grandfather, uncle, and father all having served as Marines. Her husband was promoted to U.S. Army major in 2020. This personal connection to military service informed her portrayal of Bobby, as she aimed to represent the women she knew and respected within the armed forces.
"Taylor writes in such an honest and raw way. I didn’t want this show to become Barbies with guns. I wanted it to represent the women I knew and respected in the military, and he’s done that brilliantly," Wagner stated. She spent time meeting and speaking with real-life "lionesses" to develop her character, "mashing together" their personalities to create Bobby.
Wagner and Lemanowicz's relationship began when they were teenagers, but they reconnected years later in Afghanistan while Lemanowicz was serving in the Air Force and Wagner was on a USO tour. Despite an initial missed connection, they met again in Los Angeles a year later when both were single and married in 2017.
The couple, who share two daughters, Army Gray and Daisy Roberta, now live on a farm in Tennessee. Wagner expressed a desire to raise her children in a more rural setting, a contrast to her earlier life in Los Angeles.
"Lioness" season three premiered earlier this month, with new episodes released Sundays on Paramount+.
