IF THERE’S ANY show that knows how to up the ante with each new season, it’s Paramount+’s Lioness. Season 3 of Taylor Sheridan’s hit show (which has become a huge hit in its own right, completely disconnected from his expansive Yellowstone franchise and other shows like Landman) premiered in August, and it starts off with Joe’s (Zoe Saldaña) kidnapping. While she’s fighting for her life, the rest of the Lioness team is racing to find her.
The intense isolation of the show’s lead, however, does have one perk: we get to see the rest of the team shine. Kyle, Kaitlyn, Meade, Cruz, Cody, and others are essential in the quest to find Joe before she ends up dead or reveals secrets to the Russians.
The spotlight on key members of Joe’s crew may have viewers wondering if they’ve seen the Lioness cast before. In particular, a major member of the group is Kyle, one of Joe’s colleagues. He first appeared as a recurring character in season 1 but has since become part of the main cast. He’s integral in the search for Joe, running the Lioness team in her stead. Kyle is perhaps the most morally gray character in the show—he’s willing to make risky, often unethical choices. Kyle has certainly become a fan-favorite character through the seasons, but he’s always running the risk of taking things too far. And that’s what makes him a compelling television character.
Kyle’s actor, Thad Luckinbill, may have only recently caught the attention of viewers in Lioness, but he’s been a TV mainstay and movie producer for years.
Thad Luckinbill Plays Kyle McManus in Lioness
Luckinbill’s most well-known and longest-running role to date came as J.T. in The Young and the Restless, which he played from 1999 to 2010. He’s returned for brief stints since, however, with the most recent coming in 2023.
Outside of the famous soap opera, Luckinbill has also guest-starred in numerous television series, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, CSI: Miami, and Nikita.
Where his background best aligns with his Lioness role, however, is in producing. Luckinbill is one of the founders of Black Label Media, and has had a hand in numerous films, such as Sheridan’s breakout writing gig Sicario, along with its sequel Sicario: Day of the Soldado. Considering his hand in Sheridan’s success, it’s no wonder he’s a perfect fit for his Lioness role. More recently, Luckinbill produced the Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson-led drama Die My Love.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Luckinbill talked about his relationship with Sheridan, and how his Lioness role came to be. “There had been a couple other projects over the years where Taylor had considered me for, but this one—pardon the pun—I think he tailor-made this one for me,” he said. “It was supposed to be a few episodes, but it just clicked, and the Joe and Kyle relationship made sense.”
Lioness isn’t the only action-packed role Luckinbill has right now. Black Label Media is also producing the thriller Copperhead, which Deadline reports Luckinbill will star alongside Miles Teller, Jason Momoa, and Shea Whigham.
If you want to keep up with both Luckinbill’s on- and off-screen productions, he’s active on Instagram, where he’s currently, of course, doing lots of promo for Lioness.
Milan Polk is an Editorial Assistant for Men’s Health who specializes in entertainment and lifestyle reporting, and has worked for New York Magazine’s Vulture and Chicago Tribune.
