Queen Latifah as 'The Equalizer'
IRVINGTON, NJ — Lately, Irvington High School has been the epicenter for many positive things happening within the township. Most recently, the high school was featured on prime-time TV. Given the huge building’s historic feel and look, the high school served as a filming location for the hit Fox television show “The Equalizer,” starring Queen Latifah.
“‘The Equalizer’ is a reboot of an ’80s show, (now) starring Queen Latifah,” Irvington Superintendent of Schools April Vauss said on March 6. “I was definitely a fan of the show. The show is well written.”
The 1980s show starred Edward Woodward as a retired intelligence agent with a mysterious past who uses the skills from his former career to exact justice on behalf of innocent people who find themselves in dangerous circumstances, helping various threatened clients to equalize the odds. “The Equalizer” got a reboot in 2014 with a film loosely based on the television show and starring Denzel Washington; a sequel was released in 2018.
Revived with a Feb. 7 premiere date, Queen Latifah stars in the reboot, becoming the equalizer herself, aiding anyone who needs her help to even the score. Bringing the action to the township, the show recently filmed an episode within the walls of Irvington High School.
“The filming took place on Feb. 23, from 6 a.m. until midnight,” Vauss said. “Queen Latifah has strong ties to Irvington. Specifically, her mother, Rita Owens, was an outstanding art teacher at Irvington High School, and Queen Latifah graduated from Irvington High School.”
The crew took great measures to avoid the spread of COVID-19. According to Vauss, this isn’t the first time the high school has been thrown into the spotlight, and it won’t be the last.
“I was not present during filming but worked with the production assistant to facilitate the process,” Vauss said. “My staff was on hand to assist, and they were impressed by the system used to avoid COVID exposure and efficiency of filming. In the past, a music video was filmed here by the Irvington Brook. I would definitely be open to Irvington High School being a film location in the future. Also, while I can’t mention any names now, there is an exciting project being filmed in Irvington, and one of our other school buildings will be used. I have not been sent the details for an official air date for this episode, but stay tuned!”
Overall, filming was a success, thus proving another great experience for the township. The fact that Queen Latifah is one of Irvington’s own makes the experience even more special.
“I think this is wonderful exposure for the Irvington community and the high school,” Vauss said. “It is always good to have our locally grown celebrities come home and show love and respect for the community that contributed to their success.”
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