Laysla De Oliveira on her role of a lifetime in Special Ops: Lioness | CBC Arts
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Arts·Q with Tom Power

Laysla De Oliveira on her role of a lifetime in Special Ops: Lioness

Growing up, the Toronto actor was drawn to on-screen portrayals of tough women who reminded her of her mother. She now gets to play one in the new series Special Ops: Lioness alongside some of her acting heroes.

The Toronto actor plays a marine working undercover for the CIA in the new series

CBC Arts ·
A front facing headshot of Canadian actor Laysla De Oliveira as she sits posed with a slight smile while looking down at the camera.
Laysla De Oliveira is a Canadian actor known for her roles as Dodge in the Netflix series Locke & Key, Veronica in the drama film Guest of Honour, and Becky DeMuth in the horror film In the Tall Grass. (Emma McIntyre)

Laysla De Oliveira is in the middle of a pinch-me moment.

The actor grew up in a small Toronto apartment watching Brazilian telenovelas with her family, but when she discovered films like Erin Brockovich, her fuse was sparked.

She found she was drawn to on-screen portrayals of tough women who reminded her of her mother, and now she gets to play one in the new spy thriller series Special Ops: Lioness alongside her acting heroes Zoe Saldana, Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman.

In an interview with Q guest host Talia Schlanger, which was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike, De Oliveira talks about her role of a lifetime and reflects on her path leading up to this moment.

WATCH | Official trailer for Special Ops: Lioness:

The full interview with Laysla De Oliveira is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Interview with Laysla De Oliveira produced by Catherine Stockhausen.