She's sunk her teeth into gritty TV shows such as Redfern Now and now leads the drama miniseries True Colours, but Australian actress abroad Rarriwuy Hick is showing no signs of slowing down.

The Yolngu woman moved to Manahatta (New York City) for her role as Ruby Mitchell in Australian TV series Wentworth, among other work.

The atmosphere and people grew quickly on Hick, who found acceptance in the global city.

"People stare at you back home if you've got dark skin or curly hair or a curvy body," she said.

"People look at you all the time and not necessarily in a way where you're beautiful.

"Here, we are the beauty standard and it's so fun."

When Hick began acting in 2012, she was known for her role in Redfern Now, which at the time was the first show to be commissioned, written and produced by First Nations Australians.

"I think I came in at a time where things were really changing in the industry and we were starting to create our own story," Hick said.

"And then I fell in love with (acting) and I found I learned a lot just being on the job working with Lisa Flanagan, Kelton Pell, all these amazing actors.

"Back home we sit there and you listen to the Elders and you don't talk too much you just sit there and listen and learn.

"I took that and brought that into my work and all those guys who have been doing it for a long...amazing mob who have been doing it for a long time, they were my teachers."

Recently, Hick made her debut in her first lead role in NITV's first feature drama, True Colours.

Hick plays Detective Toni Alma who returns to the fictional remote Northern Territory community she once grew up in.

"Five years I was shooting Wentworth, so I went from being a prisoner - and that was one mind frame to work with - to then a detective," Hick said.

"I kind of like playing the detective because you have more authority to be a boss and boss people around.

"I was living and working out in Alice Springs for about four months.

"I learnt how to speak central Arrernte for the role, which was a challenge but I loved it. Such a beautiful language to speak."

Hick said as much as she loved NYC, she was keen to return back to Miwatj (Arnhem Land).

• True Colours is available to stream on SBS.