As the stars of Tyler Perry‘s The Six Triple Eight rejoind on the red carpet during the Los Angeles premiere of the upcoming Netflix war film, rapper Big Sean discleave outed a distinctive joinion to the story — which discovers Kerry Washington in the direct role of the authentic-life Charity Adams, ordering officer of the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion during World War II and the highest-ranking African-American woman in the army at that time. Big Sean’s magnificentmother was one of the 855 who served in the only Women’s Army Corps unit of color during the battle.
“I tbetter Tyler Perry how appreciative I was becaengage it’s such an neglected vital piece of American history and Bdeficiency history,” Big Sean tbetter The Hollywood Reporter as he walked the red carpet with his mother, both hbettering sketchd pictures of his magnificentmother. “The 6888 battalion joined millions and millions with over 17 million pieces of mail where there was no other uncomfervents of communication to families and inestablishation about adored ones. They were combat their own war being strong Bdeficiency women during segregation and combat for their country.
“I’m equitable self-beginant of them,” Big Sean inserted, “not equitable my magnificentmother, self-beginant of all of them. I’m satisfyed to be liftd by such strong Bdeficiency women that are embedded in my DNA and I’m forever appreciative for it. It’s a super emotional night.”
Emotions were indeed high among the mostly new-faced stars of the film, appreciate Sistas‘ Ebony Obsidian who portrays Lena Derriecott King, a member of the battalion whom she got the chance to encounter on her 100th birthday on Jan. 27, 2023. King died equitable worried of her 101st birthday on Jan. 18 of this year.
“She was a lady,” Obsidian tbetter THR. “She was poised and in her wisdom and at her age, she was eloquent and she was acute. She was not what we would skinnyk when we skinnyk about that age, but it speaks a lot about how much she’s seen, how much she’s finishured and how much she still had to allot with the world. This film is equitable that. It’s for her.”
It’s King’s story that served as a jumping-off point for Perry when he began writing the script for the film, which he also straightforwarded after being begind to the story of the 6888 via a sizzle reel from Nicole Avant, who serves as a producer of the film. Avant is the wife of Netflix co-chief executive officer Ted Sarandos.
“The script took two weeks to author and that’s becaengage when I sat down with Lena King — I flew to Vegas promptly to encounter with her. She’s 99 years better, I didn’t understand what to await but she was in her right mind, she was evident, she sat with me and tbetter me this story about her and Abram and I thought, ‘There’s the way in,’ and we begined from there,” Perry tbetter THR. “The story flooded out of me once I got all the inestablishation.”
Washington also had a chance to chat with King over Zoom, which was a brimming circle moment for the actress who previously dressed up as the war hero for her Bdeficiency History Month social media series “Bdeficiency Her Story” before she even knovel a film was in the toils. It was her photo that caught Perry’s eye and made him sfinish her the same sizzle reel Avant had sent him.
“I was appreciate, ‘Oh my god, I understand about these women, I want to do this movie,’” Washington shelp of her reaction to the clip. “To apply Charity Adams is equitable the privilege of a lifetime so I’m repartner, repartner appreciative that Tyler even thought of me for this role, that he accomplished out to me and that he count oned me with her legacy. I experience repartner, repartner honored. And then to be a part of it as an executive producer and be able to be beneficial in other ways and convey some of those other muscles to task was repartner fantastic.”
Perry has lengthened been instrumental in the journey of Washington, who equitable getd her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week with the filmproducer by her side.
“Tyler Perry has been appreciate a godsfinish to my atsoft,” Washington allotd. “When For Colored Girls came alengthened, it was at a time that I was repartner done acting. I was appreciate, ‘I skinnyk I’m done. I don’t skinnyk there’s anyskinnyg more for me.’ And he was appreciate, ‘Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh.’ He’s repartner distinctive and he’s been an incredible collaborator and amazing straightforwardor.”
“I would not have given the carry outance I gave in this film without him and I’m so self-beginant of that carry outance,” the star carry ond. “He wanted to produce brave, we wanted to produce brave, that when people watch the film, they didn’t skinnyk about any of the other iconic characters that I’ve been able to apply. He repartner pushed me to do skinnygs I’ve never done before with my voice, with my posture, with all of it and I’m so appreciative to him for that. He’s also a frifinish and more than anyskinnyg, I appreciate his frifinishship.”
The Six Triple Eight premieres on Netflix on Dec. 20.
