“Hidden Figures” just surpassed $100 million at the box office, and that’s just one of the many reasons Octavia Spencer has to celebrate. Spencer and her “Hidden Figures” costars, who include Taraji P. Henson and Janelle Monáe, took home Best Ensemble in a Film at the SAG Awards last night, and Spencer is up for an Academy Award for her performance in the film. While Spencer has found great success onscreen — “Hidden Figures” marks her second Oscar nod, having won in 2012 for “The Help” — the actress dreams of continuing her work on the other side of the camera.
“My dream role is that of a producer, a woman behind the scenes who creates roles for diversity in film,” Spencer said in a Q&A session after accepting the Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year Award on Thursday. “And when I say diversity, I mean I want to see women of all shapes and sizes, people of all shapes and sizes, people with disabilities. It’s about creating a landscape that demonstrates what our society is as a whole.”
Spencer explained, “As a female who’s African American, who is also a producer, it’s my job to make sure I voice those opinions.” She added, “Women also have to ask for what they want. Sometimes they’re going to say no, but all we need is one yes.”
As a producer, Spencer’s credits include “The Unforgiving,” a short about a boy who is bullied, and “Fruitvale Station,” an award-winning drama based on the life and death of Oscar Grant III, an unarmed black man who was shot by BART Police in Oakland, California on New Year’s Day 2009.
When asked for her thoughts about the late Mary Tyler Moore, Spencer applauded the actress for changing “the face of how we view women, and how we view independent women. It’s definitely a loss for the entertainment community, as well as the public at large, because she shaped a generation of independence,” she observed.
“Hidden Figures” is in theaters now. The drama is inspired by a true story, and shines a well-deserved spotlight on Katherine G. Johnson (Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Monáe), brilliant African American NASA employees who played an instrumental role in the space race.
