Will Taraji P. Henson finally get the Oscar she deserves?
Hidden Figures – starring Henson, Janelle Monaé, and Octavia Spencer – received a new limited release date on Christmas Day, which will qualify the film for Oscar consideration.
Rumors that the film may seek Oscar consideration began after its run at the Toronto International Film Festival. This means that Octavia Spencer, who won an Oscar in 2012 for The Help, could land a second, while Henson and Monaé could pick up their first. The cast also includes Mahershala Ali, Kevin Costner, Aldis Hodge, and Kirsten Dunst.
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Hidden Figures tells the story of African-American women who provide essential mathematical data that helps NASA launch its first space mission in 1969. At TIFF, Henson said she hoped the film would “give hope to people to dream a different dream…If I’d known about these women coming up, maybe I’d have aspired to be a rocket scientist.”
Spencer added she felt sad that two of the women, the late Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson (played by Spencer and Monaé, respectively) couldn’t see the film, but was happy that Katherine Johnson, played by Henson, would have the opportunity.
“This movie represents what she should be thinking about right now. We need it right now,” Henson concluded.