'Away': Meet Hilary Swank, Ato Essandoh, Mark Ivanir and rest of the cast of the Netflix sci-fi series
Netflix's upcoming science-fiction drama presents Hilary Swank in a thrilling, emotional drama. Playing out on an epic scale, the series celebrates the incredible advancements humans have made in the field of science and the personal sacrifices they make (and must make in the future).
American astronaut Emma prepares to lead an international crew on the first mission to Mars. But in doing so, she will be leaving behind her husband and teenage daughter when they need her the most. As the crew's journey into space intensifies, their personal dynamics and the effects of being away from their loved ones back on Earth become increasingly complex. In the trailer, a glimpse is also offered into how much Swank's Emma misses her daughter and home.
The series is about hope and humanity. Created by Andrew Hinderaker, the series' executive producers are showrunner Jessica Goldberg, Jason Katims, Matt Reeves, Andrew Hinderaker, Edward Zwick, Hilary Swank, Adam Kassan and Jeni Mulein and arrives on Netflix on September 4, 2020. But before that, meet the cast.
Hilary Swank as Emma Green
Swank plays the role of Emma, an American astronaut who must leave her husband and teenage daughter behind in order to command an international space crew to a three-year-long mission. According to an official statement from Netflix, her character is described as a "headstrong, empathetic and highly intelligent astronaut and leader".
"I've said in press interviews that I always wanted to be an actor, but before knowing this, when I was five years old, all I wanted to be was an astronaut," Swank had said ahead of the series. "It's such a thrill to be touching on my childhood dream because now I have this great opportunity to really dive in and essentially scrape the surface of what it's like to be an astronaut."
The award-winning actress is the recipient of two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two Critics' Choice Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She's known for her work in 'Boys Don't Cry', 'P.S. I Love You', 'Conviction', 'The Homesman', 'You're Not You' and 'Logan Lucky'.
Ato Essandoh as Dr Kwesi Weisberg-Abbani
Essandoh's character is a British citizen from Ghana and is described as "good-humored, modest, and a man of deep faith. He's a world-renowned botanist and carries with him the hope of growing life on Mars. The actor is known for his work on 'Blood Diamond', 'Falling for Grace', 'Get Him to the Greek', 'Jason Bourne', 'Dark Phoenix', 'Altered Carbon' and 'The Code'.
Mark Ivanir as Misha Popov
Ivanir plays the role of Misha Popov, a Russian cosmonaut and engineer on the mission to Mars. "The most experienced member of the crew, Misha doesn't lack for the ego but secretly struggles with the personal sacrifices he made to get to space," according to a statement.
The actor is known for his work on 'A Late Quartet', '7 Days in Entebbe', 'The Red Sea Diving Resort' and 'Kajillionaire'.
Ray Panthaki as Ram
Panthaki is playing the role of Ram Arya, an Air Force fighter pilot from India. "While the other astronauts are forced to reckon with their attachments to earth and their families, Ram is quite alone in the world".
The actor is best known for his role of DI Rav Sangha on 'Marcella', Jevan Kapadia on 'Gangs of London', and 'Colette'.
Vivian Wu as Lu Wang
According to the statement, Wu plays the role of a chemist and astronaut representing China. "She is intelligent and pragmatic but below her focused exterior, she has a complex personal life." The actress is best known for her work in 'The Last Emperor', 'The Pillow Book', 'Heaven & Earth', and 'The Joy Luck Club'.
Talitha Bateman as Alexis Logan
Bateman plays the role of the 15-year-old daughter of astronauts Emma Green and Matt Logan. "Like her father, Lex is supportive and proud of her mother's three-year mission. She struggles with coming of age while her mother is on the mission and her father faces his own struggles".
The actress is known for her most recent work on 'Love, Simon' and 'Countdown'.
Josh Charles as Matt Logan
While Matt is supportive of his wife's mission, he "faces the already enormous challenges of dealing with the mission from home, while trying to raise their teenage daughter on his own".
The actor is known for his work as Dan Rydell on 'Sports Night', Will Gardner on 'The Good Wife' (a role that earned him two Primetime Emmy Award nominations) and as Knox Overstreet in 'Dead Poets Society'.
