Young stars talk Hulu’s 'The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat'

ATLANTA - It’s a movie about the enduring power of friendship, brought to life by two trios of powerhouse actors.

Based on the best-selling novel by Edward Kelsey Moore, "The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat" centers on a trio of women who lift each other up through decades of sisterhood. Award-winning actors Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Sanaa Lathan, and Uzo Aduba play the women as adults — and worked closely behind the scenes with Kyanna Simone, Tati Gabrielle, and Abigail Achiri, who play the younger versions of the characters.

"They wanted to know us deeply and personally as people," says Achiri. "It’s so nice having people who have been in the game for so long because they really dropped some gems … I’ve gotten some really great advice from Uzo, just about life going forward and what it's like being in this industry, and then being a black woman in this industry."

And cast members say they had a perfect place to form those bonds, filming around Wilmington, North Carolina.

"We spent all of our time on this one little strip; like, the same restaurants, same little shops, same little clubs," recalls Gabrielle. "It was sweet, and I think it made our relationship even more insular because it was like, ‘Oh, you guys want to take a walk? Let's, like, go down to here.’ So, it informed the world that we were living in very strongly."

And, of course, surrounding the women on-screen is the titular Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, which provides a safe space for the characters in which to be themselves. And Simone — born in Decatur — says the fictional restaurant reminds her of a place every Georgian knows well.

"Being an Atlanta native, we all know about Waffle House," Simone laughs. "It is a chain, but every single location feels like home. I mean, from childhood, we know that that's where we go after church, we know that's where we go after the big football game, and once we got to college, where we went after a party."

"The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat" is streaming now on Hulu — click the video player in this article to hear more of our interviews with the stars.