SBS has unveiled the cast of its new Australian drama The Airport Chaplain, now in production in Melbourne, with screen heavyweight Hugo Weaving leading the series alongside Shabana Azeez, the Adelaide-raised actor fast becoming one of Australia’s most exciting exports.
The eight-part drama captures the high-stakes world of a bustling international airport, exploring the lives of the workers who keep it running under pressure. Weaving stars as Airport Chaplain Tobias Wallace, with Azeez taking on the role of Mira, his formidable new boss, in a clash that reverberates through the terminal and the people moving through it.
While Azeez’s profile has surged internationally thanks to her breakout role in the Emmy® and Golden Globe Award®-winning drama The Pitt, the actor’s creative roots are firmly South Australian. Born and raised in Adelaide, the St Aloysius College graduate cut her teeth in the city’s independent performance scene before going on to study at the University of Adelaide, later emerging as a standout talent across Australian television, film and live comedy. Her rise from Adelaide stages to international screens adds a local layer to the new SBS production.
Weaving said “I’m delighted to be a part of this wonderful Australian drama, and to play Airport Chaplain Tobias Wallace. Joining such a talented ensemble and passionate creative team is a great pleasure, and I’m excited for audiences to immerse themselves in the incredible stories that unfold at the airport.”
Azeez shared “I’m so thrilled to be joining this incredibly iconic Australian TV team to work on The Airport Chaplain. What an honour to be bringing such a quirky, diverse cast of characters to life, in a world we all know so well. Airports are such connective places, and The Airport Chaplain is such a timely and heartwarming story – I can’t wait for it to be on our screens.”
Joining Weaving and Azeez is a stellar ensemble including Claudia Karvan, Thomas Weatherall, Erroll Shand, Kavitha Anandasivam, Jackson Tozer, Elias Anton, Arka Das, Fanny Hanusin, Echo Palo, Nicholas Denton, George Mason, Brenna Harding, Michael Logo, Priscilla Doueihy, Claude Jabbour and Ras-Samuel, among others.
At the centre of the story is Tobias Wallace, a fast-moving fixer convinced the airport couldn’t function without him. That belief is tested when he meets Mira, whose arrival sparks a power struggle that ripples through cleaners, baggage handlers and passengers alike, each navigating their own hopes and crises amid the constant motion of the terminal.
Produced by award-winning Australian production company Wooden Horse, The Airport Chaplain is co-created by Elise McCredie and Jude Troy, who also serve as executive producers. The series is written by McCredie alongside Sarah Bassiuoni, Mithila Gupta and Vidya Rajan, and directed by Bonnie Moir and Tig Terera.
SBS Head of Scripted Nakul Legha said the network was excited to bring the ambitious drama to life, praising Weaving’s humanity and Azeez’s fearless voice as anchors for the series.
The Airport Chaplain is produced for SBS with major investment from Screen Australia, in association with SBS, and financed with support from VicScreen.
The Airport Chaplain will premiere on SBS and SBS On Demand this year.
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