Tyler Perry uses Ford Dining Hall as set for World War II drama
Last year, the Ford Buildings played the role of the sinister Pennhurst Mental Hospital in an episode of the Netflix sensation Stranger Things. In January, the Berry landmark drew another film crew to campus, this time led by Tyler Perry.
The famed director came to Berry to shoot scenes for his upcoming Netflix feature, Six Triple Eight, a historical drama based on the true story of a battalion of predominantly Black women who served in the U.S. Women’s Army Corps during World War II.
This is the second time a Tyler Perry production has visited Berry, as episodes of The Haves and The Have Nots were filmed at Oak Hill in 2013.
Joining Perry for this latest shoot were several members of his all-star cast, including Kerry Washington (Scandal), Dean Norris (Breaking Bad) and choreographer/actress Debbie Allen (Fame, Grey’s Anatomy), along with hundreds of extras who were bussed onto campus for their scenes after prepping at nearby AdventHealth Stadium.
Filming took place at Ford Dining Hall, which Hollywood magic transformed into the interior of a chapel in Great Britain. The windows were covered with newspaper to mimic wartime blackout conditions, with crane-mounted exterior lighting serving as the “sun” during evening shoots.
While the moviemaking took place indoors, students had the opportunity to watch from their windows as Allen led the huge crowd of extras through marching practice on the lawn outside Ford Gym. Afterward, the famous choreographer visited with those who had gathered to view the nighttime spectacle.
Among those working on and around the set were 10 students from the communication department who served as paid interns during the production. Also involved was alumnus Matt Pruehs (96C), now director of production rentals for Tyler Perry Studios.
Six Triple Eight could make its debut by year end.
Frasier star visits on personal quest
If you happened to be on campus in early March and swore you saw someone who was the spitting image of Dr. Frasier Crane, you weren’t imagining things.
Kelsey Grammer – the actor who breathed life into the fictional psychiatrist on not one but two legendary comedies, Cheers and Frasier – was conducting research for a book he’s writing about his late sister, Karen, who was murdered in Colorado in 1975 after attending Berry earlier in the decade.
During his visit, Grammer thumbed through Cabin Log yearbooks and other historical sources from his sister’s era, in addition to visiting places she could have frequented as a student.
Gracious and grateful for the opportunity to learn about his sister’s time at Berry, the award-winning actor also toured Sisters Theatre and posed for pictures with students, staff and President Steve Briggs.
