If you happened to catch “The Six Triple Eight” on Netflix during the holidays (and it seems that over 23.3 million others did, as reported by the streaming service), you might have been curious as to why this World War II film – focusing on the battalion of 855 Black women and women of color who sorted through a three-year backlog of mail (amounting to 17 million pieces) and significantly boosted morale – is dedicated to “the life, service, and memory” of entertainment magnate Clarence Avant and his wife, philanthropist Jacqueline Avant.
It was Nicole Avant, former diplomat now film producer, who made Tyler Perry aware of the extraordinary unspoken truth that later became a story.
As a young girl, Nicole’s mother, Jacqueline, introduced her to Major Charity Adams (depicted by Kerry Washington), who was the first African American woman to hold an officer position in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. However, Nicole can’t recall her mom ever mentioning that Adams led the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, also known as the Six Triple Eight, or their courageous actions during World War II. Later on, when a group of filmmakers presented Nicole with a preview of their project aiming to adapt this story for the big screen, she decided to share the video with her mom.
Nicole chuckles while sharing their friendly debate, ‘She mentioned the Six Triple Eight to me, and I thought it was just one person – Charity Adams. But it turns out it’s a group of 800 women!’
Jacqueline was overjoyed to learn that Nicole intends to honor these heroes in the limelight. “My affection for history was nurtured by her,” Nicole remarks about her mother. “Her advice to me as I grew up was: ‘Your role is to carry on the torch. Every generation before you, whether it’s 60 years ago or a thousand, your gratitude [to them] should be reflected in your life. You take the baton and use it to create your own acts of goodness.’
Discussing ‘The Six Triple Eight’ was their last topic before Jacqueline met her tragic end during a home invasion in December of 2021.
Following that fateful night, Clarence resided with Nicole and her husband, Ted Sarandos – who is co-CEO at Netflix – until his passing in August 2023. Throughout this period, Nicole documented her journey navigating grief in her memoir titled “Think You’ll Be Happy.” Simultaneously, she was also involved in the production of “The Six Triple Eight,” with her father providing constant support and motivation throughout the process. She often shared updates from the film set, and before his demise, she screened a completed version of the movie for him.
As the clock struck past midnight, I found myself engrossed in the fading strains of the end credits song. It was then that I shared a chuckle with Clarence, teasing him about how the movie’s theme track, “The Journey,” was penned by none other than his colorful friend, Diane Warren – whom he affectionately referred to as his “friend with a knack for cursing.
Sarandos noted they shared a similarity,” he said as he met up with his spouse during their short interview at the Paley Honors event hosted by Tyler Perry last month.
Nicole remarked, indicating her husband who was seated with Clarence during his passing, ‘I sensed the moment for change was approaching, so we took turns.’ Sarandos penned a heartfelt introduction about this moving incident in the softcover edition of ‘Think You’ll Be Happy,’ which became available on Dec. 3, mere hours before Nicole graced the red carpet for the global debut of ‘The Six Triple Eight.’
Nicole views these incidents as more than mere coincidence; instead, she sees them as manifestations of divine timing and order. As Avant and Perry were being considered for the role of Major Adams, Nicole had recently discovered the Six Triple Eight and had dressed up as Lena Derriecott King (one of the last surviving soldiers from that battalion) for a social media series celebrating Black women’s historical contributions. Unbeknownst to her, an email about the “Six Triple Eight” movie was waiting in her inbox at the exact moment she posted about it on Instagram.
Nicole remarks that everything fell perfectly into place during the fortunate sequence of events, calling it a full-circle moment. She began this journey with her mother’s enthusiasm and ended it with her father’s encouragement, who always spurred her on by saying, ‘Regardless of what happens, you must press on. You have to complete things, even if they are difficult.’ That’s why this movie holds a special significance for her, as it serves as a testament to his words and support.
To Sarandos, “The Six Triple Eight” stands out because it serves as a bridge connecting the roles of studio executive and spouse. For Netflix, this movie represented a significant milestone demonstrating their commitment to producer Perry.
“Tyler is tackling a new scale of projects, both in terms of size and aspirations. He already has an impressive portfolio, but these particular pieces really shine,” Sarandos notes about “The Six Triple Eight” and its precursor “A Jazzman’s Blues”, which Perry unveiled in 2022. “It allows him to paint on a larger canvas – something I’ve taken great pride in observing.”
On a more personal level, he mentions, “This movie represents the passion we invested in it. Clarence and Jackie’s constant aim was to share people’s stories and preserve them from being forgotten by history. They passed this dedication onto Nicole.
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2025-01-05 02:46