WhiteHouse – First Lady Michelle Obama hosts the cast of Fox 2000’s “Hidden Figures” at a White House screening today Thursday December 15th.
“Hidden Figures” stars Taraji P. Henson as Katherine Johnson, while Octavia Spencer portrays Dorothy Vaughan and Janelle Monae plays Mary Jackson – The film portrays the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson – brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.
The film is directed by Theodore Melfi and Allison Schroeder, based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly. Fox opens “Hidden Figures” in limited release on Dec. 25. It will go into wide release on Jan. 6. “Hidden Figures” received two SAG Award nominations for best ensemble cast and for best supporting actress for Spencer.
A panel will be held at the WhiteHouse with the cast hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. Spencer, Henson, Monae, Melfi, and co-star Kevin Costner will be in attendance, along with Pharrell Williams and executives from Fox and producer Chernin Entertainment. Williams wrote original songs for the movie and composed the score with Hans Zimmer.
Johnson will also be in attendance. She was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, last year by President Obama.