Jill Wagner pitched Taylor Sheridan 'Lioness' after military husband revealed real-life program: What to know

Jill Wagner has been in the industry for decades and stars in Taylor Sheridan's hit show, "Lioness." Even though she moved to California early in her career to pursue acting, she has returned to her country roots and lives on her Tennessee farm with her husband and two daughters.

With season three of "Lioness" premiering earlier this month, Fox News Digital is taking a look at everything to know about Wagner's personal life, her military connection, how her husband inspired her role in the series and more.

Wagner portrays Bobby, the tough, highly skilled leader of the Lioness program 's Quick Reaction Force (QRF).

WHAT TAYLOR SHERIDAN'S BIGGEST STARS REALLY THINK ABOUT WORKING WITH THE 'YELLOWSTONE' CREATOR Wagner not only stars in Sheridan's hit series , she was the one who pitched him the idea.

She told Parade in 2024 that Sheridan crafted the role as Bobby specifically for Wagner and she serves as an executive producer on the show.

"Taylor Sheridan was my old acting coach, and I had access to him," she began.

"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 went on to explain that in order for her to really bring Bobby to life, she had to sit down and speak with her lionessess.

"At first, I didn’t understand who Bobby was.

I still find things about her even right before we do a take.

I have met and talked to several real-life lionesses while researching the show," she said.

"I took all those personalities and mashed them all together; thus, we have ‘Bobby.'" Wagner and Lemanowicz first met when they were teenagers, but reconnected in Afghanistan while Lemanowicz was serving in the Air Force and Wagner was meeting troops during a USO tour.

"I hadn’t seen her in 17 years," Lemanowicz recalled during a 2016 Hallmark Home & Family episode.