‘I loved the story’: 4 The Record visits the set of the upcoming ‘Hershey’ movie
Host Shannon Perrine spoke with several people involved in the film, including actress Alexandra Daddario
FOR THE RECORD, I’M SHANNON PERRINE. PITTSBURGH IS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT IN 2026 WITH MOVIES AND TV SERIES SHOT IN OUR REGION SET TO MAKE THEIR DEBUTS, AMONG THEM THE EMMY AWARD WINNING MEDICAL DRAMA THE PIT, WHICH INCLUDES SCENES SHOT IN PITTSBURGH AND JUST SAW ITS SECOND SEASON PREMIERE ON HBO MAX LAST WEEK. OTHER PRODUCTIONS SHOT IN OUR CITY IN THE PAST YEAR INCLUDE THE PARAMOUNT+ STREAMING SERIES MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN, THE UPCOMING AMAZON MGM THRILLER HOW TO ROB A BANK, AND UNTITLED SERIES FOR APPLE TV, AND THE MOVIE HERSHEY, BASED ON THE LIFE OF LEGENDARY PENNSYLVANIA CHOCOLATIER MILTON S HERSHEY. I VISITED THE SET OF THE HERSHEY PRODUCTION BEFORE FILMING WRAPPED UP. LET’S GO NOW TO MY INTERVIEWS, INCLUDING ONE WITH ONE OF THE MOVIE’S STARS, ALEXANDRA DADDARIO, WHO PLAYS HERSHEY’S WIFE KITTY, IN THE FILM. I LOVE PITTSBURGH, I HAD I’VE BEEN HERE, BUT I HADN’T WORKED HERE OR SPENT A LOT OF TIME HERE, SO I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. AND I LOVE IT. I LOVE THE PEOPLE. THE ONLY THING THAT BOTHERS ME IS I’M STRUGGLING WITH THE DRIVING BECAUSE IT’S NOT ALL IN PITTSBURGH. NO, BECAUSE THERE’S SO MANY BRIDGES. OH, YOU’RE NOT A BRIDGE FAN. ON AND OFF. BRIDGES AND HIGHWAYS. AND. BUT THE PEOPLE ARE WONDERFUL. THE FOOD’S WONDERFUL. IT’S A REALLY, REALLY INCREDIBLE CITY. I GET IT, I GET IT ABOUT THE BRIDGES, FOR SURE. OKAY, SO WHAT DREW YOU TO WANT TO BE PART OF THIS PROJECT, THE HERSHEY MOVIE. I LOVED THE STORY, AND I THINK TELLING A IT’S A VERY AMERICAN STORY, BUT IT’S ALSO JUST A STORY OF PEOPLE BUILDING SOMETHING. AND CREATING A DREAM. AND IT’S AN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL STORY OF OF HELPING OTHER PEOPLE. SO I WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN TELLING THAT STORY. I ALSO I HAD JUST HAD A BABY, SO IT’S A REALLY JOYFUL MOVIE TO WORK ON IN A LOT OF WAYS, AND I’M HAVING A LOT OF FUN. OKAY, SO THAT BEING SAID, WHEN PEOPLE SEE THIS MOVIE AND YOU PROBABLY GET A TON OF SCRIPTS, WHAT MADE YOU SAY YES TO THIS AS OPPOSED TO ANOTHER SCRIPT THAT COMES YOUR WAY? SEEMS LIKE FUN AND GOOD PEOPLE AND A GREAT DIRECTOR AND AND IT JUST SEEMED LIKE A GREAT TIME AND A GREAT STORY. I THINK AT THIS STAGE IN MY LIFE, YOU KNOW, I’M, I WANT TO HAVE GREAT EXPERIENCES AND THE WHOLE STORY AND THE WHOLE ALL THE PIECES WORKED TO ME TO SHOW ME THAT I WOULD HAVE A GOOD TIME. IT’S THE PERIOD, COSTUMING AND THE TIME FRAME THAT THIS IS SET IN. HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HOW MUCH YOU LIKE IT? YES, I YOU KNOW, I DIDN’T REALIZE HOW EXTENSIVE THE COSTUMES WERE GOING TO BE. THEY HAVE ARCHIVAL PIECES AND THEY CUSTOM MADE A LOT OF PIECES, AND IT’S JUST THE CLOTHING IS STUNNING. YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE COSTUMERS? THEY’RE FINE. THE COSTUMERS. CORSET. IS THAT A PROBLEM? THE COSTUMERS ARE AMAZING. THEY’RE BRILLIANT. THEY THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF PERIOD COSTUMES. I’VE LEARNED A TON ABOUT. LIKE THERE’S EVEN DIFFERENT CORSETS THAT WERE WORN DURING DIFFERENT DECADES. THERE’S DIFFERENT SILHOUETTES THAT WERE POPULAR DURING DIFFERENT DECADES. SO EVEN THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE FILM, GOING FROM THE LATE 1800S TO THE EARLY 1900S, THERE’S DIFFERENT CORSETS, THERE’S DIFFERENT LOOKS, THERE’S DIFFERENT ALL KINDS OF STUFF. SO I, I’VE LEARNED A TON ABOUT HOW ALL OF THAT WORKS. DO YOU SO YOU’RE TRYING TO RELATE TO KITTY, RIGHT. AND SHE HAD TO WEAR A CORSET LIKE ALL THE WOMEN DID BACK THEN. WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO KNOW ABOUT THIS CHARACTER YOU’RE PLAYING? I THINK SHE WAS A REALLY WONDERFUL WOMAN. SHE WAS VIBRANT. I THINK I’M PLAYING. I THINK SHE WAS A LITTLE BIT. SHE DIDN’T. SHE LIKED NICE THINGS. BUT SHE ALSO HAD THE ABILITY TO. SHE COULD BE A LITTLE BIT SILLY AND SHE DIDN’T HAVE TO BE AS CONFORMIST. SHE WASN’T. SHE WAS FUNNY AND SHE WAS VIBRANT AND OUTGOING AND AND SHE WAS FUN. AND THAT’S REALLY WONDERFUL. AND SHE WAS SUCH A CARING, CARING WOMAN AND SHE COULDN’T HAVE CHILDREN. SO IT’S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO HER FINANCING AND SUPPORTING THE SCHOOL. THE HERSHEY SCHOOL, TO HELP CHILDREN BECAUSE SHE COULDN’T HAVE ANY. SO IT’S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF TURNING SOMETHING SAD INTO SOMETHING WONDERFUL. SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE FILM’S STARS. NOW I SPEAK WITH THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES WHO BROUGHT THAT HOLLYWOOD MAGIC TO THE PITTSBURGH REGION, INCLUDING HERSHEY, PRODUCER MARK TILLMAN. HOW IS EVERYTHING GOING? IT’S GOING REMARKABLY WELL. FIRST OF ALL, WE LOVE IT HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA. THE LOCATIONS HAVE BEEN AMAZING. THE PEOPLE HERE ARE AMAZING. THE CREWS ARE SO TALENTED AND AND WE’RE ON SCHEDULE. DESPITE SOME WEATHER THAT YOU HAVE HERE. BUT BUT WE ARE ON SCHEDULE, SO WE’RE VERY. THINGS ARE GOING VERY WELL. THANKS. I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WEATHER. I APOLOGIZE. OH, I DIDN’T KNOW WHO TO BLAME. YOU CAN SEND YOUR COMPLAINTS MY WAY. HOW DID YOU MAKE YOUR WAY TO THIS PROJECT? SO MY BUSINESS PARTNER AND CO-PRODUCER ON THE THING IS, SHARON. PAUL. WE’RE BOTH. WE’VE BEEN WE’VE BEEN CHAMPIONING THIS PROJECT TOGETHER SINCE FOR THE LAST ABOUT FIVE YEARS. AND WE HAD MADE OUR WAY INTO THE HERSHEY ORGANIZATION THROUGH SOME CONNECTIVITY THAT WE HAD THERE. AND, YOU KNOW, SHE IS THE SCREENWRITER AND WE YOU KNOW, IT’S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL STORY. WE DECIDED WE NEEDED TO PRIORITIZE IT, MAKE IT OUR THE THING THAT WE WERE CHASING. AND SO WE’VE BEEN AT IT FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND WE’RE SO HAPPY TO BE IN THIS MOMENT. SO DOES IT KIND OF START WITH THE STORY? IT STARTS WITH SCREENWRITING, CONNECTING WITH THE HERSHEY FOLKS AND THE HERSHEY SORT OF INSTITUTION HAS LOTS OF DIFFERENT PRONGS, RIGHT? I USED TO LIVE OUT THAT WAY. THERE’S FIVE DIFFERENT ENTITIES INVOLVED WITH HERSHEY, AND YEAH, IT STARTS WITH A STORY. AND I THINK CHOOSING THE STORY STARTS WITH THE MOMENT. YOU KNOW WHAT WHAT WHAT DOES THE ZEITGEIST TELL YOU? IT NEEDS AND IT NEEDS A STORY LIKE THIS RIGHT NOW. A STORY OF HOPE. STORY ABOUT ENDURANCE. IT’S A STORY ABOUT THE AMERICAN DREAM, A STORY THAT BUSINESS CAN BE KIND. SUCCESS CAN SERVE OTHERS. IT’S A IT’S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD USE IN THIS MOMENT. ABSOLUTELY. WHAT? PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA PROBABLY KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MILTON HERSHEY, THE PERSON THAT HE’S IN CHARGE OF THIS, REALLY THE FOUNDER OF THIS CANDY COMPANY. BUT WHAT DON’T WE KNOW ABOUT HIM? IT’S AMAZING, ACTUALLY. EVERYONE ON THE PLANET SEEMS TO KNOW HERSHEY AND LOVE HERSHEY. IT’S ONE OF THE TOP TEN TRUSTED BRANDS IN THE IN THE COUNTRY. PEOPLE KNOW THE BRAND, BUT THEY DON’T KNOW THE STORY. AND THAT’S WHAT MAKES THIS REMARKABLE. AND A RECIPE, IF YOU WILL, FOR SUCCESS. BUT THE STORY IS POWERFUL. IT’S HIS JOURNEY, BUT IT’S ALSO, I THINK WE FEEL THE HEART OF THE STORY IS THE LOVE STORY BETWEEN HE AND HIS WIFE. SO SHE’S KIND OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE REASON THAT THINGS TURN OUT THE WAY THEY DO NOT TO GIVE AWAY ENDINGS WHICH YOU COULD LOOK UP, BUT. WELL, I THINK PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE THE MOVIE AND OF COURSE, WATCH THE STORY UNFOLD. RIGHT? YEAH, EXACTLY, EXACTLY. BUT IT’S INTERESTING. SO I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MILTON HERSHEY, REALLY. I, I REMEMBER WORKING OUT IN THE HARRISBURG AREA AND SEEING SOMETHING ABOUT THE TITANIC AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BUT BUT. I DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE MAN HIMSELF. IT’S A RICH STORY BECAUSE THERE’S SO MUCH DEPTH TO IT. WE COULD CHOOSE TO DO THE FATHER SON STORY. WE COULD CHOOSE TO DO THE LOVE STORY. WE COULD CHOOSE TO DO THE ENTREPRENEURIAL, YOU KNOW, OVERCOMING HARDSHIP STORY BECAUSE THEY’RE ALL IN THERE. AND SO AND ALL OF IT IS IN THERE. BUT WE’RE REALLY LEANING INTO THE LOVE STORY BECAUSE THE LOVE STORY CREATED THE LEGACY THAT IS NOW THE MILTON HERSHEY SCHOOL. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE AS A BUSINESSMAN, HE WASN’T A JERK. NO, EXACTLY. HE WAS A GOOD DUDE. YEAH. SO WHAT HE DID WAS HE BUILT AN ENTIRE TOWN TO TO TO. YES. CREATE LOYALTY TO THE BUSINESS. BUT TO REALLY CARE FOR THE PEOPLE. BECAUSE LOYALTY COMES FROM THAT GENUINE CARING THAT’S THERE. AND SO WE DURING THAT ERA, WE HEAR ABOUT THE ROBBER BARONS A LOT. AND HE’S NOT IN THAT MIX AT ALL. HE’S HE WAS JUST THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF THAT. YEAH, WE WE’RE FROM PITTSBURGH. WHERE WAS THE BIRTHPLACE OF U.S. STEEL AND ANDREW CARNEGIE AND HENRY CLAY FRICK, AND SOME PEOPLE HAD AMAZINGLY TALENTED BUSINESSMEN, FOR SURE, BUT THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT STORYLINE, FOR SURE. WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESSES. BUT. SO I’LL LEAVE THAT. I’LL LEAVE. OURS IS ABOUT MILTON. I WANT TO ASK YOU JUST ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING ON THIS PRODUCTION. WE DON’T GET A TON OF MOVIE SHOOTS IN PITTSBURGH AND WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME, AND WE’VE GOT A GOOD HISTORY THERE. HOW HOW HAS IT BEEN? AND HAVE YOU GOTTEN TO KNOW PITTSBURGHERS EMPLOYED BY THIS PRODUCTION? WELL, WELL, EVERYONE ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA THAT WE’VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH HAS BEEN AMAZING. THE CREW HERE IS SO TALENTED, SO GENUINE, SO WARM. I’VE NEVER SEEN SUCH A WARM SET AND CREW. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT’S OBVIOUSLY MAYBE THAT GOOD MIDWESTERN KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SENTIMENT AND HARD WORKING AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. BUT WE ALSO THINK THAT THAT THE THE STORY HAS HELPED TO INFLUENCE THAT A LITTLE BIT. THERE’S AN INSPIRATION BY THIS REALLY GENUINELY POSITIVE AND AMAZING STORY THAT HAS PERMEATED EVERY LEVEL OF THE PRODUCTION. STILL AHEAD ON FOR THE RECORD, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE GREATEST STORIES NEVER TOLD. MORE STORIES FROM THE HERSHEY FILM SET AND HOW THE MILTON HERSHEY LEGACY STILL LIVES ON TODAY. WELCOME BACK TO FOR THE RECORD, AS I CONTINUE THIS LOOK AT MY VISIT TO THE HERSHEY FILM SET, I SPEAK WITH A WOMAN WHO’S BOTH INVOLVED IN THE FILM AND THE LEGACY OF MILTON HERSHEY HIMSELF, SUZANNE JONES, A PRODUCER OF THE FILM WHO IS ALSO THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE HERSHEY EXPERIENCE FOR THE HERSHEY COMPANY. TAKE A LOOK. SO YOU KNOW THIS STORY DEEPLY? YES. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS STORY THAT MAKES SUCH A GOOD FEATURE FILM? WELL, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE GREATEST STORIES NEVER TOLD TYPE OF STORIES, RIGHT? IT’S. I’M SO EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THE STORY BECAUSE THE HERSHEY BRAND IS SUCH A PART OF AMERICANA. IT’S IN SO MANY PEOPLE’S LIVES FOR GENERATIONS, AND THEY’RE GOING TO COME AWAY FROM THIS FILM SAYING, HOW DID I NOT KNOW THAT, THAT NOT ONLY IS THIS INCREDIBLE STORY BEHIND THE BRAND FROM LONG AGO, BUT THAT THAT LEGACY IS ALIVE AND THRIVING TODAY, THAT IT IS A VERY REAL PRESENT THING IN THE WORLD TODAY. AND SO I’M SUPER EXCITED TO HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO HELP TELL THAT STORY. PEOPLE IN PITTSBURGH MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT THE MILTON HERSHEY SCHOOL. I KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY WORKED IN THAT PART OF THE STATE. BUT WHAT IS IT? SO THE MILTON HERSHEY SCHOOL IS A K-12 SCHOOL THAT WAS ESTABLISHED BY MR. HERSHEY AND HIS WIFE, KATHERINE. THEY COULD NOT HAVE THEIR OWN CHILDREN AND SO ESTABLISHED THE HERSHEY INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. BACK THEN. AT THE TIME, TO HELP ORPHAN BOYS. AND OF COURSE, OVER THE TIME, OVER TIME, IT HAS GROWN AND EXPANDED AND NOW HAS CHILDREN FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. EVERYTHING IS TAKEN CARE OF. THEY LIVE IN STUDENT HOMES WITH HOUSEPARENTS, A MOM AND A DAD THAT TAKE CARE OF THEM. EVERY SINGLE NEED IS TAKEN CARE OF. EDUCATION, CLOTHING, HEALTH CARE AND REALLY JUST GIVEN EVERY OPPORTUNITY. WHAT I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW WHAT A PRODUCER IS OR WHAT A PRODUCER DOES. SO AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS WORKED FOR THE HERSHEY COMPANY AND THIS MAJOR PENNSYLVANIA INSTITUTION FOR A LONG TIME, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY ABOUT YOUR NEW JOB AND HOW’S THAT GOING? WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YEAH, WELL, IN MY ROLE AS BOTH AN EMPLOYEE OF THE HERSHEY ENTITIES AS WELL AS A PRODUCER, HAS REALLY BEEN TO PROVIDE THAT BRIDGE FROM THE MOVIE MAKING COMMUNITY TO THE THE ENTITIES THAT WE ALL SHARE, OUR FOUNDER. SO IT’S TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BEST, MOST TRUE VERSION OF THE STORY IS BEING TOLD AND STRIKING THAT BALANCE BETWEEN IT’S NOT A DOCUMENTARY, WE WANT TO PULL IN SOME DRAMATIC ELEMENTS TO REALLY BRING THAT STORY TO LIFE, BUT MAKING SURE WE STAY TRUE TO THE TRUE STORY OF MILTON HERSHEY AND YOU FEEL LIKE IT’S GOING WELL. OH, IT’S GOING SO WELL. YOU’VE LOOKED AT THE SCRIPT, YOU’VE SEEN ALL THE YOU’VE SEEN THE STORY AND YOU’RE INTIMATE WITH IT. YOU’RE HAPPY WITH HOW THINGS ARE GOING. ABSOLUTELY. WE’VE WE’VE WORKED ON THIS SCRIPT FOR YEARS, ACTUALLY. SHARON PAUL, THE SCREENWRITER, SAT DOWN IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ARCHIVISTS AND HISTORIANS FROM THE HERSHEY FOUNDATION. THEY WERE SO GIVING IN, GIVING GREAT FEEDBACK, GREAT NOTES THAT THE SCREENWRITER COULD THEN RESPOND TO, AND THEY COLLABORATED TOGETHER ON WHAT ARE ELEMENTS THAT WE REALLY WANT TO BRING TO LIFE? WHAT ARE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAYBE FROM A STORYTELLING STANDPOINT, WE MIGHT REVERSE THE ORDER IN A TIMELINE? ONE EXAMPLE IS WE KIND OF BROUGHT KITTY CATHERINE HERSHEY INTO THE STORY A LITTLE BIT EARLIER THAN SHE DID OTHERWISE, SO THAT WE COULD BEGIN TO GET TO KNOW HER A LITTLE BIT. LITTLE STORYTELLING ELEMENTS LIKE THAT HELP WHEN YOU’RE SITTING TRYING TO CONDENSE AN ENTIRE LIFE INTO 90 MINUTES, REALLY HELP MOVE THE STORY FORWARD FOR A VIEWER. CAN YOU TELL OUR VIEWERS IN PITTSBURGH? ONE LITTLE SURPRISE THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT MILTON HERSHEY OR KITTY HERSHEY THAT WE DIDN’T ALREADY KNOW? WELL, THE THING YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT I KNEW EVERYTHING ABOUT MILTON HERSHEY STORY AND THE THING THAT HAS REALLY BEEN EXPOSED TO ME THROUGH THIS PROCESS IS THE INCREDIBLE PARTNERSHIP AND DEPTH OF PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN MILTON AND CATHERINE. YOU KNOW, THEIR RELATIONSHIP WAS A VERY MODERN ONE THROUGH OUR LENS. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? WELL, IT WAS A SHARED PARTNERSHIP. HE VERY MUCH DEPENDED ON HER PERSPECTIVE, HER OPINIONS, HER IDEAS. SHE ACTUALLY SIGNED THE CHARTER FOR THE MILTON HERSHEY SCHOOL, WHICH WAS NOT SOMETHING WOMEN DID BACK THEN, BUT IT WAS HER IDEA, AND IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HIM THAT SHE WAS PART OF THAT FOUNDATION. AND SEEING THAT UNFOLD, BOTH IN THE SCRIPT AND NOW IN THE FILMING, HAS BEEN SUCH A DELIGHT AND SUCH A WONDERFUL THING AS A AS A PROFESSIONAL WOMAN TODAY, TO BE ABLE TO SEE HER STRENGTH AND PASSION AND AGENCY COME THROUGH. LOVE IT. ALL RIGHT. AND SO I JUST HAVE TO ASK, SO THIS IS ABOUT CHOCOLATE IS AT THE HEART OF WHAT YOU’RE DOING. I MEAN, IS THERE JUST HERSHEY BARS EVERYWHERE? DO YOU EAT HERSHEY BARS EVERY DAY? I MEAN, WHAT IS. I MEAN, IS THERE THIS. EVERYBODY LOVES THIS BRAND. EVERYBODY LOVES THIS. I LIKE A HERSHEY BAR WITH ALMONDS. THAT’S THAT’S MY FAVORITE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY ABOUT THE PRODUCT THAT’S STILL AROUND AFTER ALL THESE YEARS? A PENNSYLVANIA PRODUCT? YES. WELL, YOU KNOW, I AM SPOILED BECAUSE I DO WORK FOR THE HERSHEY COMPANY AND GET TO SIT IN CONFERENCE ROOMS WITH GREAT BIG BOWLS OF CANDY EVERYWHERE, BUT IT’S BEEN SO AWESOME TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT PRODUCT WITH THE CAST AND CREW HERE ON THE SET. WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE WE HAVE GREAT BIG BOWLS OF KISSES EVERYWHERE, AND THAT THERE’S CANDY EVERYWHERE AND SO THAT EVERYONE GETS A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE ALL OF THAT DELICIOUSNESS WHILE THEY’RE HERE FILMING THE MOVIE. STILL AHEAD, I JUST FELL IN LOVE. I JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH MILTON AND CATHERINE. I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE STORY. THE WRITER OF THE HERSHEY FILM ON HOW THIS STORY CAME TOGETHER FOR THE BIG SCREEN. I’M VERY PROUD THAT WE BROUGHT IN VERY, VERY FEW PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OF PENNSYLVANIA TO MAKE THIS PICTURE. I WOULD SAY WELL OVER 90% OF OUR CREW IS FROM PENNSYLVANIA, AND IT’S JUST A TESTAMENT TO HOW TERRIFIC THE PEOPLE ARE HERE, HOW HIGHLY SKILLED THEY ARE, AND THAT THEY BRING NICE PEOPLE WITH THEM. THAT’S HERSHEY, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND UNIT PRODUCTION MANAGER DAN HENKE, TALKING ABOUT THE POWER OF PITTSBURGH IN MAKING THIS UPCOMING MOVIE. AND AS WE HEAD BACK TO THE SET, I SPOKE WITH CO-WRITER AND PRODUCER SHARON PAUL ABOUT WHAT INSPIRED HER TO TELL THIS STORY AND THE VISION THAT DIRECTOR MARK WATERS IS BRINGING TO THIS PROJECT. SHARON, THIS WHOLE PROJECT STARTED WITH YOUR STORY, RIGHT? YOU’RE THE SCREENWRITER ON THIS? YES, YES. SO HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THIS STORY AND START WRITING ABOUT IT? SO GOOD FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE OF MINE, WILL HARDY, WHO’S ALSO A PRODUCER ON THE MOVIE WITH US. HE AND I WERE WORKING ON ANOTHER PROJECT, AND HE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS STORY AND THAT HE’D WANTED TO SORT OF BRING IT TO LIFE FOR A LONG TIME. AND HE ASKED ME TO WRITE A SCRIPT. AND INITIALLY I WAS SORT OF AMERICAN CHOCOLATIER. THAT’S INTERESTING. AND I JUST FELL IN LOVE. I JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH MILTON AND CATHERINE. I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE STORY, YOU KNOW, THE GRIT OF OF MILTON HERSHEY AND, YOU KNOW, JUST THEIR THE LEGACY THAT THEY BUILT TOGETHER. AND THERE WAS JUST THIS IDEA OF TRANSCENDENT LOVE AND TRANSCENDENT GOODNESS, BECAUSE EVERY TIME, SETBACK, HARDSHIP, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT COME AT ALL OF US IN LIFE. BUT I THINK IN A GREATER SCALE, WHEN YOU ENDEAVOR TO DO SOMETHING THAT’S VERY CHALLENGING, LIKE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS AND TO, IN THAT CASE, BUILD A TOWN AND FOUND A SCHOOL AND JUST EVERYTHING THAT CAME THEIR WAY, INCLUDING KITTY’S HEALTH ISSUES. IT WAS LIKE THEY DOUBLED DOWN AND DOUBLED DOWN AND DOUBLED DOWN WITH GENEROSITY. AND IT JUST WAS A PRINCIPLE THAT I FOUND PERSONALLY EXTREMELY COMPELLING. AND I WANTED TO CAPTURE IN A STORY. SO IT WAS THE ENTREPRENEURISM, THE LOVE STORY, AND ULTIMATELY THE LEGACY WITH THE SCHOOL AND JUST WHAT THAT HAS BECOME TODAY WAS JUST MIND BLOWING. CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR WRITING PROCESS? WAS IT PRETTY SOLITARY? WERE YOU LOCKED IN IN AN OFFICE? HOW DID THAT GO? WELL, LOTS OF ITERATIONS, RIGHT? BECAUSE INITIALLY I WROTE A SCRIPT. JUST JUST JUST ME. AND THEN I BROUGHT IN A CO-WRITER, TIM HAYS, WHO WE’VE WORKED TOGETHER BEFORE, AND HE’S GOT, YOU KNOW, AMAZING STRENGTHS, THAT BALANCE MINE. AND WE HAVE A GREAT SORT OF. BUT WE DON’T SIT THERE AND WRITE TOGETHER. SO I WOULD WHEN I’M WRITING A DRAFT, I BASICALLY GIVE MYSELF ABOUT A MONTH AND IT’S USUALLY AN UNREASONABLE TIME FRAME AND I’LL PROBABLY FAIL AT IT, AND I KNOW THAT. BUT IT MEANS THAT I HAVE THIS SENSE OF SELF-IMPOSED URGENCY WHERE I JUST DON’T EXPERIENCE WRITER’S BLOCK BECAUSE I JUST CRANK OUT PAGES, EVEN IF THEY’RE BAD AND I CAN REWRITE THEM LATER. SO I JUST MY, MY WRITING PHILOSOPHY IS CRANK, CRANK, CRANK, CRANK, CRANK, BECAUSE YOU CAN EDIT IT LATER AND MAKE IT BETTER, BUT YOU HAVE TO GET THE FIRST DRAFT OUT OR THE THIRD DRAFT OUT OR THE FIFTH DRAFT OUT. YOU HAVE TO JUST GET IT DONE, AND THEN YOU CAN MAKE IT BEAUTIFUL ON YOUR OWN TIME. YOU NOW HERE YOU’RE SHOOTING. ARE THERE STILL CHANGES TO THE SCRIPT? YEAH, I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. YES. WELL, I MEAN, CASE IN POINT. SO A FEW NIGHTS AGO, OUR LOCATION WAS WAS JUST FLOODED AND WE LOST OUR FINAL SHOT. AND MARK WATERS HAD ALREADY. I MEAN, HE’S THE ONE REALLY MAKING THESE IMMEDIATE CHANGES BECAUSE THE STORY IS SO LIVING IN HIS BRAIN NOW. AND HE KNOWS THE IMPLICATION OF WHAT WE’RE DOING ON SET AND WHAT’S ABOUT TO HAPPEN FROM THE PAGE. AND SO LITERALLY, I WANT TO SAY TWO HOURS AFTER WE REALIZED WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO LIKE STOP SHOOTING TO GET ALL THE CREW OUT OF THERE BEFORE EVERYONE’S LIKE, FLOODED IN FOR THE WEEKEND. HE HAD ALREADY FIGURED OUT, LIKE, HEY, WE COULD REWORK THIS SCENE ON MONDAY WHERE WE DON’T HAVE TO CAPTURE THAT AND WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, FIGURE THIS OUT. AND SO, I MEAN, HIS AGILITY BLOWS MY MIND. AND I GOT TO EXPERIENCE THAT WRITING, YOU KNOW, DOING THE DIRECTOR’S PASS WITH HIM, JUST HOW CREATIVITY COMES IN MANY FORMS. BUT I’M VERY IMPRESSED AND DRAWN TO AGILITY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH OF FILMMAKING IS THINGS COME AT YOU, YOU’VE GOT TO FIGURE IT OUT. YOU’VE GOT TO PIVOT. YOU’VE GOT TO LIKE, DO SOMETHING ELSE. AND YOU CAN’T BE TOO LOCKED INTO YOUR PRECONCEIVED NOTION OF WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. YOU’RE WATCHING, FOR THE RECORD AHEAD IN JUST TWO MINUTES. THE OTHER PENNSYLVANIA LEGEND WHOSE STORY WILL BE TOLD ON THE BIG SCREEN THIS YEAR. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE A LEGEND, JAMES? IT’S THE BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD. BEFORE WE GO, I WANT TO SHARE THIS BRIEF CLIP FROM ANOTHER MOVIE HITTING SCREENS THIS YEAR ABOUT A PENNSYLVANIA LEGEND. INDIANA COUNTY NATIVE JIMMY STEWART, ACTOR KJ APA, WHO IS FROM NEW ZEALAND, PORTRAYS THE IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE STAR IN THE FILM. SET TO HIT THEATERS IN NOVEMBER. AND WHILE WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE FILM PRODUCTIONS TAKING PLACE IN PITTSBURGH THROUGHOUT THIS HALF HOUR, I SHOULD NOTE THAT DESPITE ITS LOCAL TIES, JIMMY WAS FILMED IN IRELAND. THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY’S. FOR THE RECORD, THANKS FOR JOINING US. WE’LL SEE YOU NEXT SUNDAY MORNING AT 11 A.M. HAVE A GREAT WEEK.
‘I loved the story’: 4 The Record visits the set of the upcoming ‘Hershey’ movie
Host Shannon Perrine spoke with several people involved in the film, including actress Alexandra Daddario
Updated: 11:00 AM EST Jan 11, 2026
4 The Record host Shannon Perrine visited the set of “Hershey,” the upcoming shot-in-Pittsburgh movie about the life of legendary chocolatier Milton S. Hershey.“I loved the story,” said actress Alexandra Daddario, who portrays Hershey’s wife in the film. “I think it’s a very American story, but it’s also just a story of people, building something and creating a dream.”On the subject of making the film in the Pittsburgh area, producer Mark Tilghman said, “Everyone across Pennsylvania that we’ve been in touch with has been amazing. The crew here is so talented, so genuine, so warm. I’ve never seen such a warm set and crew.”He added, “The story has helped to influence that a little bit. There’s an inspiration by this really genuinely positive and amazing story that has permeated every level of the production.”Watch the full episode in the video player above.
PITTSBURGH —
4 The Record host Shannon Perrine visited the set of “Hershey,” the upcoming shot-in-Pittsburgh movie about the life of legendary chocolatier Milton S. Hershey.
“I loved the story,” said actress Alexandra Daddario, who portrays Hershey’s wife in the film. “I think it’s a very American story, but it’s also just a story of people, building something and creating a dream.”
On the subject of making the film in the Pittsburgh area, producer Mark Tilghman said, “Everyone across Pennsylvania that we’ve been in touch with has been amazing. The crew here is so talented, so genuine, so warm. I’ve never seen such a warm set and crew.”
He added, “The story has helped to influence that a little bit. There’s an inspiration by this really genuinely positive and amazing story that has permeated every level of the production.”
Watch the full episode in the video player above.