Who Is Cody Spears? Taylor Sheridan's Special Ops: Lioness Role, Explained

Recent years have seen their fair share of behind-the-camera creatives trying to find their way out from behind the curtain, and sometimes the results are better than you would expect them to be. Conversely, think about Tyler Perry suddenly being in "Alex Cross" or "Don't Look Up" after years of mostly staying behind the scenes (or in drag for his own projects). Seeing a director in this position is not such an uncommon sight anymore, but it's not something just anyone can just do on command. "Special Ops: Lioness" fans were surprised to see Taylor Sheridan in the mix during season 2 of the Paramount series as he played Cody Spears in the tactical drama. His role was something the creative team debated for a while before giving it a go, and viewers responded positively to his presence on a fan-favorite series, which nods towards some of his notable past roles in front of the cameras before he became known as a writer and producer.

"Special Ops: Lioness" season 2 begins with a mission of critical importance as the Quick Reaction Force team is tasked with rescuing a kidnapped United States congresswoman from a drug cartel in the kind of high-octane season premiere that people come to expect from this genre of show. Taylor Sheridan wrote and directed episode 1, "Beware the Old Soldier," and his fingerprints are on the product in more ways than one, namely the fact that Cody Spears strolls onto the scene looking very familiar to fans aware of his past.

It's important to note that Sheridan isn't some acting newbie, and his long list of credits includes "CSI," "Veronica Mars," "Star Trek: Enterprise," "NCIS: Los Angeles," and "Walker, Texas Ranger." To be honest, that's a staggering swath of the last 25 years of TV history right there, as you could count these various shows like carbon dating the rings on an old tree! So, his acting muscles clearly haven't atrophied from his time writing "Yellowstone" and other hits around the industry.

In that first episode of season 2 of "Special Ops: Lioness," Cody Spears is revealed to have worked with Zoe Saldaña's character, Joe McNamara, on a previous mission, and now they've been thrust together by a new assignment to get a congresswoman back onto United States soil after being kidnapped by the cartel. This isn't Taylor Sheridan's only appearance in season 2, as he also shows up during Operation Sky Hawk in episode 8. That test saw Spears flying in to save the day when the QRF was in a massive pickle. It stands to reason that we'll see more of Sheridan in the following season, because there are still so many dangling threads to account for with this show.

Series star Zoe Saldaña has an appreciation for the kind of intensity that Sheridan brings to those shooting days, and she told The Hollywood Reporter that he had his game face on from the word go. "He's intense in all the right ways. He cares a whole lot and he's very invested, so he's all-in at all times," Saldana shared. "That gives way for a challenge, which means you have to come prepared and you have to step up and know exactly what you're doing, because he sure does. It was definitely an adventure that I was only half prepared for, and the other half, I guess I had to improvise."

"He's an actor first, so he's all about the actors. He's writing amazing moments for each and every actor, and I really appreciate that," she added. "Sharing scenes with him was a little nerve-wracking, because you don't know if he's coming at you as his character or he's coming at you as your boss." Luckily for that entire team, his experience in front of his camera has paid dividends for them in their current run.