"I think I just would hope that people just see the humanity in it and find that something that's relatable right now that we're all sort of dealing with some form of this and maybe that will touch something and people."
This is what American actor Josh Charles said when asked during a recent interview what he thinks viewers can pick up from "Away," a series now streaming on Netflix, which stars him and Hilary Swank, among others.
The series is described as a "thrilling, emotional drama" that celebrates the incredible advancements humans can achieve and the personal sacrifices they must make along the way.
As American astronaut Emma Green (Swank) prepares to lead an international crew on the first mission to Mars, she must reconcile her decision to leave behind her husband (Charles) and teenage daughter (Talitha Bateman) 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.
According to Charles, it shows that to reach for the stars, people often sacrifice a lot.
"I think, just hopefully, there's some relatability there in terms of just how you navigate, you know, in the case of our story, it's an extraordinary time because Hillary is this character Emma commanding this international historic mission to Mars and on Earth. You know, my character being chief engineer, but also dealing with a physical element is trying to sort of getting himself back together both physically and emotionally, both for his work for the mission and for Emma protect her and the astronauts and also for his daughter."
So what was the main attraction for him in joining the series?
"Well, I think when you're picking to do something there are so many variables, you know. I loved the idea of working with Hillary. I love the idea of working with Edward Zwick. I liked the script a lot. And I read the first script. I like the idea that it combined the sort of space-themed show mixed with very sort of grounded interpersonal sort of dramatic storylines. You know, these families and this particular family and how they're going to navigate this journey together while away. I know it struck me, it's just really compelling," he answered.
Charles has nothing but good words for Swank and Bateman.
"It was fantastic. I love both of them," he related.
The 48-year-old star noted how great it was working with Swank.
"It was great working with her. She's a really committed actor, grounded and true. I really enjoyed her as a scene partner," he noted. "I felt the same way about Thalita. I think Thalita is extraordinarily talented, such a sweetheart of a young lady. And it always just sort of warms my heart to work with younger performers because I started as a young performer and so I really, really enjoyed our scenes together."
What did he gleam from the story?
"I think it's a story that has like a real cinematic scope, dealing with space and all the things that we love about that of the unknown, mixed with just very real grounded story about a family and how they get through some pretty extraordinary circumstances, how they work to get through, not that they necessarily get through. Yeah, but you know, they're working through," he said.