'God Friended Me' star Violett Beane explains the show's divisive title

Religion is not often front and center on primetime television, but the new CBS drama God Friended Me is putting God right there in the title.

“The title is intended to make people think,” Violett Beane, who plays reporter Cara Bloom, one of the show’s main characters, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “The show itself, while faith is discussed and all the characters come from different backgrounds, it’s more about our connectivity with each other, and how we can be there for one another and figure out life together, as opposed to focusing on religion specifically.”

Here’s the premise: The show’s protagonist, Miles Finer, played by Brandon Micheal Hall, is friended by someone who calls themselves God. Miles, an atheist who hosts a podcast on the topic, eventually accepts God’s request, as well as the friend suggestions that follow — among them Cara Bloom. By the end of the pilot, Cara, Miles, and Miles’ best friend, Rakesh (Suraj Sharma), have teamed up to try and uncover the source behind the God account, an omnipresent figure who seems capable of anticipating the future and leading Miles, specifically, to help those who need it. Variety aptly described the series as “Touched by an Angel reimagined for the millennial generation.”

Beane, who is best known for playing the role of Jesse Quick on The Flash, is excited by what Cara brings to primetime and impressed by the character’s power. “She’s pretty headstrong and I am too,” Beane says. “I think she has a little bit more of an understanding of the human connection than I do. She believes that there’s something bigger than us and we’re all connected in some way and I think it’s kind of what drives her as a journalist, she’s interested in other people’s lives and how we all connect to each other.”

With a title and premise evoking God, it’s not surprising that the show’s stars have been fielding questions about their own relationship to religion. Hall, for his part, has spoken about growing up with a mother who is a pastor.

“I grew up Quaker,” Beane says of her own relationship to religion. Explaining Quakerism, which she notes most people only associate with the oatmeal, Beane says, “You can believe in any deity or none at all and also be Quaker. I think that’s what I connect with the most. It’s not about all believing in the same thing, it’s about coming together as a community and believing in peaceful intention, community, simplicity, integrity.”

As for the series, Beane says one of its greatest strengths is its ability to bring the masses, no matter their religion, together. “It’s absolutely possible for any person in the world to connect with someone from the show,” Beane says. “Everyone will be able to relate to someone and feel a connection.”

The pilot is available for streaming and the series premieres Sunday, Sept. 30, at 8:30/7:30c on CBS.

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