Hidden Figures

As ticket prices surge, a night out at the movie theater is increasingly becoming a luxury many families can’t afford. This weekend, Octavia Spencer bought out a screening of Hidden Figures in Los Angeles and invited families who otherwise couldn’t afford to make it to the film to come see it for free. “Tomorrow I’ve bought the 8pm showing of #HiddenFigures [at] the rave Baldwin Hills,” Spencer, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the movie, announced on Instagram Friday. “If you know a family in need that would like to see our movie but can’t afford it have them come. It’s first come, first served. My mom would not have been able to afford to take me and my siblings. So, I’m honoring her and all parents this #MLKweekend Pass the word.”


In a recent interview with Jess Cagle, Spencer discussed her mother Dellsena, who died when Spencer was just 18. “I had a very strong mom who made me and my sisters understand that there were no limitations on our lives except what we placed on ourselves,” Spencer said. “She taught us to see people as people. All people. Taught us to understand our place in the world. And our place in the world is, if you want to be a leader, you can be that. There was no glass ceiling until I got into the real world and realized there are glass ceilings everywhere!”

Spencer’s Hidden Figures co-star and Empire lead Taraji P. Henson reposted Spencer’s MLK weekend announcement on her Instagram. “This is how phenomenal this woman is,” she said, encouraging people to show up for the screening and concluding her post with the hashtags “#blackgirlsrock” and “#realhistory.”


This weekend, Hidden Figures remained in the top spot at the box office, continuing to exceed predictions by earning $20.4 million.

[via Page Six]