‘The US Army didn’t treat Black women like humans – Netflix is telling their story’-Asyia Iftikhar-Entertainment – Metro

It’s taken 80 years but Netflix is finally telling the shocking story behind the US Army’s World War Two all-Black women battalion and the injustices they faced.

From Hollywood producer Tyler Perry, and starring A-Lister Kerry Washington, The Six Triple Eight is perfect for those who enjoy retellings of some of the most jaw-dropping, and inspiring events in history, just in time for a cosy Christmas watch.

Named after the Women’s Army Corps unit of colour, the film follows Major Charity Adams and her soldiers who were sent to Birmingham, UK in the final year of the war to sort through 17 million letters in just six months.

They did it in just 90 days, but this immense task was not without its challenges.

Major Adams and her team (including Lena Derriecott King, played by Ebony Obsidian) faced an onslaught of institutional racism and sexism during Jim Crow era America where racial segregation and workforce discrimination reigned supreme.

The historic drama reckons with these themes head-on and includes a powerful, true-to-life confrontation between the normally by-the-book Major Adams and a white male superior officer in front of her 800 soldiers, the majority of whom are African-American and female.

‘For her to break those rules and speak that way to a superior officer was so out of character for her,’ Kerry, 47, told Metro ahead of the movie’s premiere.

The screen star discovered the US Army’s poor treatment of Black women (Picture: Bob Mahoney/Perry Well Films 2/ Netflix)

She continued: ‘And I think it came from this place of such love and devotion for the battalion and really not being able to stand by while their humanity and dignity was being dragged through the mud.

‘No longer being able to put up with the injustices that they were being presented when they were working so hard day and night for their country and their country was not treating them like human beings.’

That scene – which takes place at King Edward’s School (an all-boys school requisitioned for the war effort) – proved itself a ‘very, very intense’ filming day.

The Scandal star explained: ‘I have so much gratitude for Dean Norris, the actor who plays General [Halt] in that scene because in real life Dean is like the loveliest human being.

‘But his willingness to step into the evil of racism and misogyny in that moment, I think it really stirred up something ancestral in me. That day was very, very intense to film.’

Kerry has played countless iconic roles over the years including the unforgettable Olivia Pope, Mia Warren in Little Fires Everywhere and, of course, Django Unchained’s Broomhilda von Shaft.

As a prolific actor, she shared an insight into how she prepares for a role, and the ease with which she approached Major Adams.

The filming process ‘stirred something ancestral’ within her (Picture: Bob Mahoney/Perry Well Films 2/Courtesy of Netflix)

‘I think as with any character I play, I always ask myself, what do I personally know about the circumstances that can help me to connect emotionally, spiritually, psychologically?

‘But really Charity Adams’ life was so rich that I mostly just poured myself into her and asked her to pour herself into me.’

Her process included reading her memoir ‘several times’ as well as always having it to hand on set.

She added: ‘I wanted to have her with me all the time because her experience was so broad and inspiring and rich and important that I really felt like this was much more about her than it was about me.’

The entire film is helmed by film industry tycoon Tyler Perry, also known for his Madea franchise and various Netflix titles such as Mea Culpa.

This is Kerry’s first project with Tyler and she recalled how ‘lucky’ she felt to work on this movie with him.

She said: ‘He told me that his last film before this [2022’s A Jazzman’s Blues] is when he really fell in love with filmmaking and I was like “this is like your 27,000th movie. What do you mean?”.

‘He’s really good at making movies, but filmmaking is a new art form for him and I just feel like I am so lucky as an actor to get to be alive and working with him in this extraordinary era of his career.

She stars opposite Ebony Odsedian as Lena Derriecott King (Picture: Bob Mahoney/Perry Well Films 2/Courtesy of Netflix)

Kerry says Tyler is in an ‘extraordinary era’ of his career (Picture: Getty)

‘He’s bringing all of his talents to bear to tell these really beautiful important historical epic tales of truth.’

The Six Triple Eight also marks a milestone in his longtime friendship with Oprah Winfrey as she finally makes a cameo in one of his movies as Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of the National Council of Negro Women.

Although Oprah’s scenes were filmed in the US (opposite co-star Susan Sarandon as Eleanor Roosevelt), many of the scenes were also shot in the UK to lend ‘authenticity’ to the epic.

Kerry shared: ‘For a lot of our cast, it was their first time in Europe, so it was really exciting for the girls in the film to have a similar experience to the soldiers in the story in history.

‘It was really wonderful to be able to be in the places where these things were happening.’

The Six Triple Eight is released on Netflix on December 20.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Entertainment – MetroRead More