Ebony Obsidian is stepping into her power in Tyler Perry’s newest Netflix time-period piece, The Six Triple Eight. The film is inspired by true events of the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color to serve overseas in WWII as they overcame racism and sexism, and grueling working conditions along the way to serve their country. Obsidian stars alongside Hollywood heavyweights in the film, including Susan Sarandon, Oprah Winfrey, and the film’s leading lady Kerry Washington. She shines as Lena Derriecott Bell King.
Like Washington, Obsidian had the leverage of knowing Perry’s flow, having worked with him on the BET drama series Sistas. But playing a fictional role versus a historical figure came with a different burden for the rising star. In her chat with Collider, Obsidian spoke about her excitement for the film, and what she did to channel her inner warrior for the role.
Ebony Obsidian Didn’t Know the Origin Story Before Getting the Script

Hearing about the real-life heroes of the film only made her want to participate in the film even more.

Image via Netflix

COLLIDER: Congratulations on The Six Triple Eight. Before we get into all of the good stuff, how familiar were you with the story before getting the opportunity to star in this film?
EBONY OBSIDIAN: Not at all. Not at all. Not a whisper, not a text. Nothing. I didn’t know anything about the Six Triple Eight, and I was very upset about that. I was very curious, and I felt a lot of things when I read that script. I wondered if it was fiction. I wondered if this was just a story that was made up, and I was quickly assured by Tyler, who sent the script, that, no, this is history. This is a part of history that was forgotten and swept under the rug, and 80 years later, we’re bringing it back and sharing it with the world and giving these women the platform they deserved all that time ago.

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The leading lady was already familiar with the true events of the time period drama.

You actually had a chance to spend some time with the woman that you play in this, Mrs. [Lena Derriecott] King. What did you learn about her that you wanted to ensure that you brought to the film?
OBSIDIAN: Her purity. Her purity was so palpable in the room from the second that I walked in. By the way, I surprised her when I met her, so she didn’t know I was coming. I walked in, and she didn’t know that I was playing her in the film, she didn’t know that I was an actress, she didn’t know any of those things, but she was still elated that someone came to see her. She was elated that someone wanted to talk to her. Then, when she did learn that I was playing her, she was even more elated, which I was like, “Oh, thank goodness!” You know what I mean? It was very special. She really was open, and so giving of who she is and who she was at that time, and I’m glad that I met her when I did because right after I met her, we went off to Europe and shot the rest of the film.
Working With Fact and Fiction Are Two Different Experiences For the Actress

The Six Triple Eight is her first big film, but not her first time working on a Tyler Perry production. While the transition wasn’t hard on set, there was a welcomed challenge in storytelling.

Image via Netflix

You’re not new to the Tyler Perry family; you worked with him on Sistas. Going from working with him on the show to working with him on this film, how was that transition? Was this intimidating, was it exciting, or both? Especially when you merge it with the star-studded cast that’s featured in this movie.
OBSIDIAN: Incredible cast, for sure. It’s funny you say that because I actually had thought many years ago, “If ever I work with Tyler Perry, it’ll be on a film.” Like, “Of course, it would be on a film.” I don’t know why, but that’s just what I thought. And then we shot over 100 episodes of television, and then this film came to be. So, the story of that is kind of interesting and maybe full-circle in a strange way. But the transition, I mean, a TV series and a film are different in structure already, so I think the transition was mostly in the structure of that because when you work with someone before, you know how they work and you know what their goals are. You kind of have a cadence and a rhythm. So, I think it was very helpful in telling this story and just being able to focus on honoring these women because we’d already gotten over the hump of the first time working with others. But yeah, it was great. We also shot in Atlanta, Georgia, part of the film at his studio, so that felt like home. That was very comfortable.
As you mentioned, film and television are different in structure, but it is also a different role for you because you are playing a character based on a true story and a real person, so it’s different from fact and fiction. Was there more pressure on you to really dig into this role and do it justice because of that?
OBSIDIAN: I might have used the word “pressure” previously, but now that I think about it, I don’t know that “pressure” is the word that I would use. I think I was excited in the form of nervousness, as well, because I wanted to make sure that I honored who Lena was as a person, not just where she fits into this story. That was really important for me because we see who she is before the war, because we see the school she goes to, and her mom, and how she works. We just see a little bit more of her life before she actually becomes a soldier. It was important for me to honor her truth and her story and why she was even in the army to begin with. Really, it was because of love — because she loved a Jewish boy in her community who, at that time, she wasn’t allowed to, and he wasn’t allowed to, also. They inspired each other, and they kind of protected each other’s love story in a way, him in spirit and her in her physical form, going off and following in his footsteps.
The Six Triple Eight can be streamed on Netflix.

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The Six Triple Eight follows the story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-female, African American unit tasked with sorting a massive backlog of mail in Europe during World War II. Overcoming discrimination and difficult conditions, the unit’s efforts significantly boost the morale of soldiers on the front lines.

Release Date

December 20, 2024

Runtime

127 Minutes

Main Genre

Drama

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Stream on Netflix