Miles from Nowhere star Arlo Green on why new Kiwi-Muslim dramedy is a universal story - Spy

Written by award-winning writer Mohamed Hassan, Sky Originals’ new series Miles from Nowhere aims to tell a fresh story for Kiwis. There’s a cast of memorable characters, and lead actor Arlo Green talks to Spy about the significance of the project, and why this fresh, funny show is kind of like Friends.

Kiwi actor Arlo Green might be starring in the huge British science fiction series Nautilus this year, but it’s his leading role in local dramedy Miles from Nowhere that he hopes will represent the Muslim community in a beautiful way.

“I know that seeing someone like you on screen is akin to seeing your name on a gift shop souvenir as a child,” 30-year-old Green tells Spy. “It’s a really affirming and validating feeling a show can’t be everything to everyone, but for Kiwi-Muslims, they are going to feel seen and they are going to feel cool.”

Green says Sky Originals’ Miles from Nowhere, directed by Ghazaleh Golbakhsh and written by award-winning journalist, writer and poet Mohamed Hassan, which premieres this week on Sky Open, Sky Go and Neon, is a show “by us and about us” and is the opposite of how the Muslim community is often represented.

“The Muslim community is like any other, the story is universal: it’s about family, about navigating the relationships between us and about finding your purpose, a reason to wake up in a world that right now feels pretty confusing and scary.

“I promise it’s not that down buzz, though!”

The groundbreaking six-part drama-comedy series tells the story of Green’s character Said, a young guitar-playing songwriter.

Green says much of the story revolves around Said’s crisis and turmoil. His fiancee has dumped him. His career is non-existent. His passion for music is crippled by a lack of confidence. And his mum worries he’s losing touch with his faith.

Things take an unexpected turn when he accidentally becomes involved in a situation at a sausage sizzle by the local mosque that is misconstrued as incitement.

Security Intelligence Services (SIS) start to follow Said and he forms a dangerous friendship with SIS agent Gabe, played by Benedict Wall.

Green, who has starred in M3GAN and Rūrangi, loves his co-stars on the show. He says that Shadia, his mother on the show, played by Sherin Darwish, is a diamond and no one else could have played the role.

“Darwish is an amazing mother in real life. She had never acted before, yet she was a natural,” says Green. “She was so kind and funny and a joy to work with.”

Roxie Mohebbi, who has appeared on Shortland Street, will play Marwa.

And Green has found a forever friend in Australian star Sami Afuni, with whom he is also starring in underwater odyssey Nautilus. Afuni plays Ahmad, a passionate community activist whose mouth sometimes moves faster than his brain.

“Sami has that thing you just can’t teach – he’s magnetic,” says Green. “He’s really held on to his inner child in a beautiful way, I think something we could all learn from.”

Green is an accomplished musician and, as soon as he heard the show was holding auditions, he started writing music.

“I’ve never been a good guitarist at all, but part of why I love this job is getting to visit other realities of what you could have been.

“I’m not a fan of the default me, so any chance to run away from myself I do with extreme enthusiasm and this was no different.

“Mohamed had already written some songs for the show, and I begged him to let me write a couple.”

Music, laughter, poignant moments: Green describes the show as a world in which viewers would like to live, with a wild cast of characters that should all have their own show like Friends or Hey Arnold.

“I think it will be a good watch because it’s a soft introduction to a community that many people just haven’t had much to do with but probably have a lot of ideas about.”