WATCH: The On Set Experience While Filming 'The Six Triple Eight'

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Tyler Perry’s groundbreaking film honors the unsung legacy of the all-Black female battalion in World War II, highlighting how Black women have long redefined excellence and innovation in America.

Transcript

00:00I love to end any interview when I'm interviewing a cast

00:03and just like the set experience

00:06and the relationships and bonds that were built on the set

00:09because as we talked about, community is super important

00:12and you can really see that through films

00:14of just cast getting along in that energy.

00:17How was it on set?

00:18Did you guys form relationships, friendships?

00:21How was it on that last day when filming was done?

00:25I would love to know.

00:26She's stuck with me forever.

00:28I told these girls, they are stuck with me.

00:31I don't care where they go, what they do.

00:34I am in their corner for life, right?

00:37Or die.

00:38I love these girls.

00:39If she's stuck, it's because I glued her to me.

00:40So it's mutual, but she tells, you tell such a great story.

00:46So we were, we were filming on location.

00:50No, we were in the UK, I think.

00:52Yeah.

00:53Yeah.

00:53And we, there was a lightning storm.

00:56And so you have to shut down when you're on location

00:58and there's a lightning storm

00:59because there's a generator,

01:00you don't want people to get hurt.

01:01And so on Tyler Perry sets,

01:03you don't sit around idle with nothing to do.

01:05He's always-

01:06I can imagine.

01:09He's like, come on storm, let's go.

01:10So I was like, what do we do with this time?

01:13And I said to Debbie Allen

01:15who did all the choreography in the film.

01:17She choreographed the dances and the marching, all of it,

01:21all of our movement.

01:22So I said, Debbie, let's take the girls downstairs

01:25and let's do like a IRL, ask me anything.

01:27Let's just open ourselves up to them.

01:29I think I also just wanted to be able to ask Debbie

01:31anything I wanted to ask.

01:32And we all benefited from it, what happened.

01:34So we went down into the basement

01:36and we just had like a no judgment zone,

01:39a place where everybody could open up their hearts,

01:42ask questions.

01:43We talked about finding husbands.

01:45We talked about raising kids.

01:46We talked about picking projects.

01:48We talked about politics, where you live, faith.

01:50We just went there.

01:52And it's-

01:52It was a great hard time.

01:53It was like one of the most special times

01:55I've ever had on a set.

01:57And everybody really, you could feel

02:02how important we knew it was

02:04that we'd be there for each other and be in truth.

02:06Yeah, definitely.

02:07I mean, I think working with a multicultural set in general,

02:11depending on what the baseline community is,

02:14especially just multicultural black women,

02:17you really are able to pull out that authenticity.

02:20And I can really see it here,

02:21which is like why I was like,

02:23I have to ask that question

02:24because I love when I see cast members

02:26who really get along and it seems like

02:28there was really good energy on set.

02:30So I can see-

02:31But I wanna just add that that starts with Tyler.

02:34Yeah, okay.

02:35Thank you for that.

02:36He's an extraordinary leader.

02:39I mean, he does such a beautiful job

02:43holding his power, leading, and also encouraging.

02:48He creates a space where people can make brave choices,

02:52creative choices, but he is unapologetic

02:56in knowing that he is the boss and the leader.

02:59And I just love that about him.

03:01I love that he holds his space, that he's so strong,

03:04but he's also so loving.

03:05And I love that you added that, Gary.

03:08It is just FYI, it's the reason why

03:10what you see in 6 Double 8 is what it is today.

03:13It's his vision.

03:14It is really his vision that we all,

03:17we knew the assignment was to come together

03:18to fulfill his pure vision of making something so special

03:24that it honors these women in the proper way.

03:27Absolutely.

03:28No, thank you for adding that.

03:29I was gonna say, because I think,

03:31Tyler does get his flowers every now and then,

03:34but really just giving that context

03:36of how meaningful it was to have him being encouraging

03:39and set that tonality of the set,

03:41I think is really important.

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