Sam Asghari makes big 'Special Ops: Lioness' splash, jumping shirtless into swimming pool
Sam Asghari makes a splashy entrance in the third episode of the Paramount+ spy series "Special Ops: Lioness" with a cannonball jump into a swimming pool.
The Iranian American model, actor and fitness trainer (also known as Mr. Britney Spears) shows more muscles than lines of dialogue in his first appearance as Kamal in "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan's post-9/11 series.
But Asghari, 29, is swimming in the acting big leagues: "Lioness" boasts Hollywood stars including Nicole Kidman as CIA senior supervisor Kaitlyn Meade, Zoe Saldana as Joe, the CIA officer in charge of the Lioness spy program and Morgan Freeman, who has made fleeting appearances as Secretary of State Edwin Mullins.
Here's what to know about Asghari's "Lioness" role (now streaming).
Three months after his June 2022 wedding to Spears, 41, Asghari alerted fans he was cast in the show, posting the Variety story revealing the news on his Instagram page. The Kamal role was described as an "inveterate, unapologetic womanizer."
"It’s a pleasure to join such a badass cast 🦁🎥," Asghari wrote. "Hey @paramountplus do I get a free subscription now?"
Fun fact: Asghari often refers to Spears as "my lioness"
What role does Sam Asghari play in Taylor Sheridan's 'Special Ops: Lioness'?
Asghari played trigger-happy tactical police Sergeant Tobias, who talked smack to Mel Gibson's bomb squad veteran in 2022's little-seen action flick "Hot Seat." Here, Asghari is unarmed (except for his lethal arms) despite the wide deployment of Marines in the series.
Kamal is the playboy friend to Aaliyah (Stephanie Nur). Cruz (Laysla De Oliveira), posing undercover as Zara for the Lioness program, also befriends Aaliyah to get close to her terrorist-linked billionaire father to have the high-value target killed before he can pull off his next planned attack.
Kamal gives a "What's up, Zara?" greeting to the newcomer at a pool gathering before executing his cannonball. He sprays everyone, including three of Aaliyah's female friends.
"Why does God only give the best bodies to (jerks)," one of the friends asks loudly about Kamal.
Kamal brings built-in drama into his limited screen time, with key emotional ties. He's the brother of Aaliyah's mysterious fiancé and the best friend of Sami (Adam Budron), a dangerous trust fund degenerate who earns a blow to the throat from Cruz after he attempts to assault her.
Aaliyah explains that Kamal is involved in quite the "soap opera" with her best friends, rotating through brief liaisons.