When you walk into Rarriwuy Hick's Manahatta (New York City) apartment, you're immediately met a record softly playing and her smiling at the door.

For the Yolngu actress, spending a few months in the Big Apple has been a big change compared to what she's used to.

Hick recently made her lead acting debut as detective Toni Alma in NITV's first feature drama, True Colours.

The show follows her character as she returns to a fictional remote Northern Territory community she once grew up in to investigate a car accident.

Hick said it was a role which had seen her take on more of an authority figure, something she wasn't used to.

"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," she 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."

Travelling to Mparntwe (Alice Springs) to film the series, Hick said the best part was connecting with the mob from there.

"I love when I travel around for work around Australia because you go to other communities," she said.

"And the first thing we always ask is who's your mob and who's your family, and we try and find that connection."

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After her start in the entertainment industry in 2012, landing the role of Detective Toni Alma was Hick's first lead role.

She had previously acted in Redfern Now, Cleverman and Wentworth, but Hick said working on True Colours was different to any other acting gig.

"When you're a lead and you have a lead role, everyone looks to you," she said.

"You're kind of having to lead the whole cast and crew and I was like oh, okay this is bigger than just playing this character.

"You've got to actually set the pace and the tone of the whole entire show."

Reflecting on her time in the Australian industry, Hick said there was still a fair way to go for First Nations representation in Australia and worldwide.

"White Australia can't see us blackfellas internationally, we're not pushed internationally," she said.

"Unfortunately we've just go an industry that's not pushing us, you know you've got Margot Robbie, you've got Nicole Kidman, Chris Hemsworth.

"That sort of Australian look that is white, blonde hair and blue eyes, that's being pushed internationally and we're not being pushed in that way."

Despite the roadblocks she has had to face in her career, Hick said she was still passionate about what she does and the diversity she brings to the table.

• True Colours is available to stream on SBS.