Reaching for the stars

Hilary Swank gets the chance to live out a dream in Netflix series Away, writes michele manelis

BEFORE Hilary Swank set out to chase her Hollywood dream, she looked to the heavens and aspired to join the ranks at NASA, exploring the ultimate in final frontiers. In her new Netflix drama series Away she finally gets that chance – playing astronaut Emma Green, who commands a three-year space mission to Mars and becomes the first person to land on the mysterious red planet.

“I’ve always wanted to be an astronaut, even before I wanted to be an actor” the 46-year-old, two-time Oscarwinning actress tells The Guide.

“I love the whole idea of space exploration, of something bigger than us. Just the idea of looking back at Earth, and how beautiful it is,” she ponders, “and that feeling we’re all connected without borders, without boundaries.”

Evidently, her first career choice wasn’t in the stars for Swank.

“I just didn’t have the brain for it,” she admits, turning to the next best thing.

“A teacher in school had the class write and perform a skit. As soon as I did it I realised that I came alive inside. Performing was so exciting for me, and I went home and told my mum. She really encouraged me to continue and one thing led to another and here I am – an actor playing an astronaut.”

Away was created by Andrew Hinderaker and the cast includes The Good Wife’s Josh Charles, as Swank’s devoted husband; Love, Simon’s Talitha Bateman as her teenage daughter; as well as a multi-ethnic four-man crew.

Much of the drama stems from Emma’s choice to leave her husband and teenage daughter behind on Earth, 50 million miles away. Swank says one of the biggest challenges was acting as though she were moving in zero gravity which required the actors to be suspended in the air for hours on end.

“I will say that was more challenging than I thought it was going be. To make zero gravity look effortless, took a lot of effort,” she chuckles.

Presumably, with her love of space exploration, she’s put her name on the waiting list to go to Mars, alongside such celebrities as Richard Branson, Kris Jenner and President Donald Trump? She shakes her head: “Not if it would take three years, but the moon? One hundred per cent!”

And besides, she has her own devoted husband who’d be left behind on Earth, entrepreneur Philip Schneider, who was equally thrilled about the role.

“My husband is super happy with anything that I embark on that I am excited about,” she says.

Happily married for two years, Swank offers, “He’s such a support and such a champion of me, which I greatly appreciate, especially because I do some ambitious stuff.”

AWAY

STREAMING, NETFLIX