by Jeroslyn JoVonn
August 29, 2024
Perry came up with the entire script for ‘The Six Triple Eight’ after just one meeting with Washington.
Kerry Washington is bringing a piece of Black American history to the big screen as star and producer in Tyler Perry’s The Six Triple Eight.
The new film sees Washington and Ebony Obsidian, among others, portray real-life members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only predominantly Black unit of the U.S. Women’s Army Corps deployed overseas during World War II. Perry wrote and directed the historical drama and said he came up with the film’s entire script after one lengthy meeting with Washington.
“After one few-hour session with her I had a whole script in my head,” he tells People.
Washington plays Major Charity Adams, the battalion’s commanding officer, while Obsidian plays Officer Lena King, who passed away earlier this year at age 99.
“She remembered everything,” Perry says of King, who recalled joining the 6888th battalion and delivering mail overseas alongside her fellow Black female officers. The battalion’s “No mail, low morale” motto reflected their WWII mission to bring “communications to exhausted soldiers of every race of our country who were fighting,” Perry shares.
“These women were incredibly important to the war efforts toward the winding down of the war,” he says of the film’s importance.
“It’s important that these types of stories have their voice and their place, because so many of us are trying to erase and write out the history of the contributions of certain people.”
Washington notes how “proud” she is to be a part of the film while praising Perry’s work as a writer and director.
“I think Tyler has done an extraordinary job taking this largely untold story and adapting it into a moving narrative work of art that allows you into the hearts and minds of these brave American heroes,” she explains.
The “Scandal” star believes the movie “resonates with audiences so strongly because although it is a historical drama, the themes in the film are still very relevant today.”
“So many of us know what it feels like to be marginalized, underestimated and tested,” says Washington. “This movie is about the magic of what’s possible when we join forces to meet life’s challenges head-on. And it’s about fighting for the American dream even when there are others who believe that the pursuit of that dream does not belong to you.”
King saw a rough cut of the film before she passed away and approved it. When she watched the film version of her battalion salute, she saluted with them.
“It was a beautiful moment,” Perry shared.
The Six Triple Eight premieres on Netflix on Dec. 20.
