Released on September 15, 2023, A Million Miles Away is an acclaimed biopic about José M. Hernández, the first migrant farmworker to travel space. The Prime Video Original film stars Michael Peña as Hernández, a Mexican immigrant who grew up working the fields in Stockton, California before pursuing his lifelong dream of exploring the cosmos as a professional astronaut.
In addition to the riveting true story, the inspirational and uplifting movie is brought to life by a superb ensemble of actors, many of whom portray real-life astronauts. For those yet to watch the film, here are the most prominent characters in A Million Miles Away and the excellent actors who portray them.
Michael Peña as José M. Hernández
Michael Peña brings José M. Hernández to life in the motivational true story. After relocating from Mexico to Stockton, California, José and his family work tirelessly as farmhands. When José watches the launch of the Apollo moon mission in the late '60s, he becomes inspired to do everything he can to become a professional astronaut. Through years of study and perseverance, Hernández finally realizes his lifelong dream.
Peña is a versatile actor who has played drama and comedy with equally convincing results. With nearly 100 credits since 1994, most fans will recognize Peña as the fan-favorite character Luis in the Ant-Man franchise. Peña has experience playing astronauts after starring in Ridley Scott's The Martian and Roland Emmerich's Moonfall. No stranger to TV as well, Peña's work in the hit Netflix crime show, Narcos: Mexico, is among his best performances.
Juan Pablo Monterrubio as Young José M. Hernández
Juan Pablo Monterrubio plays José M. Hernández as a starry-eyed 7-year-old boy living in Stockton, California, with his family. The early scenes in the movie depict José's sense of star-gazing wonderment and conscientious work ethic as he works in the fields with his father, Salvador.
The heart and soul come from the movie's depiction of José's family, and the support they show through decades of struggle to realize his dream. Monteburrio makes a lasting impression in the film despite being a relative newcomer. Before being cast in the uplifting biopic, Monteburrio appeared in the Mexican Netflix movie Como Caido Del Cielo and took center stage in the coming-of-age adventure film Viajeros.
Rosa Salazar as Adela Hernández
Rosa Salazar stands out as Adela Hernández, José's loving wife. Adela makes profound personal sacrifices to support her husband's lifelong dream, often forgoing her lifelong ambitions. While the space travel scenes provide visceral thrills, the tender depiction of how José and Adela work out their family problems makes the movie resonate the most. Salazar gives an enchanting performance that makes Adela as easy to root for as José.
Salazar is a superb actor who has starred in many popular movies and TV shows since her career began in 2010. While she's most famous for playing Alita in Alita: Battle Angel, fans are bound to recall her work in everything from Birdbox and The Maze Runner: The Death Cure to Brand New Cherry Flavor and Undone. In 2024, Salazar will appear in the anticipated MCU outing, Captain America: Brave New World.
Garret Dillahunt as Frederick W. Sturckow
Garret Dillahunt plays Frederick W. Sturckow. Sturckow is a real-life NASA astronaut, engineer, and space pilot. In the movie, Sturckow serves as José's supervising mentor who helps the bright-eyed astronaut achieve his lifelong dream. Sturckow treats José fairly and honestly, with Dillahunt giving another authentic performance that proves why he is such an invaluable character actor.
Dillahunt has amassed an impressive movie and TV resume with over 90 credits. His most notable movies include No Country for Old Men, 12 Years a Slave, and Looper. However, fans might recognize Dillahunt most from his long-running TV roles, including stints on Fear the Walking Dead and Deadwood. With four upcoming projects in the work, fans can expect to see even more of Dillahunt in the future.
Julio César Cedillo as Salvador
Julio César Cedillo adds immense gravitas as Salvador, the patriarch of the Hernández family. Salvador moves his family from Mexico to California to work as an agricultural farmer, doing everything he can to provide a better life for his family. As such, Salvador instills hardworking values in his son and provides José with the tools to achieve the utmost success.
One of the reasons Cedillo and Peña work so well together in the movie comes from their previous collaboration in Narcos: Mexico. Cedillo has also appeared in such TV shows as Coyote and Queen of the South. A Million Miles Away marks one of six movies Cedillo appeared in 2023 alone, including Upon Open Sky and the killer shark movie, The Black Demon.
Verónica Falcón as Julia
Verónica Falcón plays Julia, the mother of José and wife of Salvador. Upon relocating from Mexico to California, Julia makes tough financial sacrifices to ensure José receives the best education possible. Without her caring contributions, there's no telling where José's life path may have wound up. When Miss Young encourages the family to remain in Stockton, Julia heeds her advice and enables José to develop his math skills.
Beginning her career in 1995, Falcón is most famous for starring in Queen of the South, in which she played Camila Vargas. Falcón also showed up in Ozark and Perry Mason in recent years. Whether starring in popular TV shows or such popular movies as Jungle Cruise and The Forever Purge, Falcón continues to expand her impressive filmography.
Sarayu Blue as Kalpana Chawla
Sarayu Blue portrays Kalpana Chawla. Chawla is a real-life astronaut who made history by becoming the first female of Indian origin to fly to space. Her ground-breaking role as an aeronautical pioneer is just as uplifting as Jose's. Chawla tells José that "Tenacity is a superpower," which helps him find the strength to persevere in the face of overwhelming odds in the movie.
Blue has spent most of her career working in television. She currently stars in the TV series Expats opposite Nicole Kidman, which follows a group of immigrants living in Hong Kong. Blue's other notable credits include I Feel Bad, No Tomorrow, and the popular Netflix original series, Never Have I Ever. Perhaps transitioning more into movies, Blue can be seen next in the upcoming TV movie Under the Bridge.
Michelle Krusiec as Miss Young
Michelle Krusiec plays Miss Young, one of José's impactful school teachers. When José shows superior math skills in class, Miss Young recognizes his talents and encourages him to follow his heart and pursue his dream of becoming an astronaut. Krusiec gives a movingly sympathetic turn as a teacher willing to invest in her students' goals.
Krusiec is a veteran actor who has made her presence felt across various movies and TV shows. Her most prominent movie credits include Sweet Home Alabama, Knife Fight, and The Invitation. Meanwhile, fans may remember seeing Krusiec in such TV shows as One World, General Hospital, and Hawaii 5-0. Krusiec can be seen next in Tiger Mom, a movie she co-wrote.
Isabel Aerenlund as Nicole Stott
Isabel Aerenlund plays Nicole Stott. Stott is a real-life astronaut who made history by becoming the first person to live tweet from outer space. In the film, Stott is a young female candidate competing with José to join a crucial space travel mission. Along with Chawla, Stott's sense of pioneering female empowerment is just as uplifting as José becoming the first immigrant farmer to travel among the stars.
A Million Miles Away marks one of Aerenlund's most mainstream movies. The talented Mexican actor recently starred in I'm Going to Have a Good Time, her first feature film since 2017. With plenty of recent TV experience as well, Aerenlund notably starred in the Netflix original series Ingobernable and the Vix original series Los Artistas: Primeros Trazos. She can be seen next in the upcoming horror movie The Containment.
Bobby Soto as Beto
Bobby Soto portrays Beto in the thrilling space movie. Beto is José's close cousin who encourages him to follow his dream of becoming an astronaut. However, when Beto suffers a tragedy in the film, the result forces José to redirect his focus and persist in the face of overwhelming uncertainty. Family means everything to José in the movie, and Beto is one of the driving forces in the narrative.
Soto is a terrific actor who also built a rapport with Peña and Cedillo by starring alongside both actors in Narcos: Mexico. Soto also gave a superb performance in Hulu's Flamin' Hot, another acclaimed biopic about a famous Mexican figure rising to historical prominence. Soto can also be seen in David Ayer's The Tax Collector and Steve Buscemi's The Listener.