Talk about being sent "to the lions" — PASSIONS called in real animals to chase Luis and Fancy through the Italian catacombs, ultimately proving that even lions can be divas.

"The lions got pissed at Luis," his portrayer, Galen Gering, reveals with a laugh. "This one jumped up in its cage as I walked by and scared the crap out of me! They were there for a long time, and by the time we got to our scenes, they were just grumpy and irritable."

That meant making some quick production changes. "Emily (Harper, Fancy) and I were supposed to do some scenes with the lions, where they release them and we run to a safe haven," Gering explains. "They decided it wasn’t the best idea, since the lions were getting aggravated. So we weren't actually with them. We were right next to them, but they were in a cage."

Being that up-close and personal, even through bars, left its impression. "They were incredible animals," Gering marvels. "They're the most powerful, beautiful creatures. We become so desensitized with the world with live in. It's like, 'Wow, this thing actually lives on the planet with us. These creatures are created in addition to us stupid humans.' Stuff like that reminds you what an incredible world this is."

His awe didn't keep him from seeing the humor when it came time for Fancy's big lion-clawing scene. That, too, was supposed to involve a live animal, but with their grumpy disposition, a faux lion paw was used instead. Gering couldn't help but get a bit giggly while watching, but it was the intense and tragic Italian helicopter chase in later episodes that put him over the top.

"It was hilarious, because the pilot had this crazy accent. I told the Italian pilot to get us down to the train, but he was like, 'Are you patzo? They are shooting missiles at us,'" recalls Gering, who mimics an almost perfect northern Italian accent with ease. "I couldn't help laughing. And once I start, everyone's laughing."

Everyone but the lions, that is.