Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Entertainment
EntertainmentFilm

Octavia Spencer Buys Out Showing of ‘Hidden Figures’ for Low-Income Families In California

Posted byBy Kiersten Willis | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

Octavia Spencer (@therealoctaviaspencer/Instagram)

“Hidden Figures” star Octavia Spencer gifted low-income California families with a treat when she bought out a theater playing the historical drama.

The actress’s donation for an 8 p.m. showing at Rave Cinemas Friday, Jan. 13 in Baldwin Hills served as a charitable start to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.

“If you know a family in need that would like to see our movie but can’t afford it, have them come,” Spencer wrote on Instagram Thursday, Jan. 12. “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 single parents this #mlkweekend. Pass the word.”

Days earlier, before she appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Spencer revealed she was inspired by Kevin Hart to buy out the theater “for those feeling the post-holiday purse crunch who would really like to see the movie but don’t have the funds.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPMCLodA3Yq/

Fans reacted enthusiastically to the actress’ post.

Spencer’s co-star Taraji P. Henson also acknowledged the actress’s altruism and did her part to spread the word.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPS3lmTl_jG/

The holiday weekend saw “Hidden Figures” remain in the No. 1 spot at the box office for the second weekend in a row. The film raked in $20.8 million for the three-day weekend, according to TheWrap, and made $26 million counting the Dr. King holiday as a four-day weekend.

The movie’s third star, Janelle Monáe, celebrated on Instagram Sunday, Jan. 15. After thanking fans for seeing the film, the singer-actress applauded Henson and Spencer.

“Congratulations to our fearless leader and the lead in this film @tarajiphenson for bringing us all along on this extraordinary ride!” Monáe said. “I am honored to stand alongside your incredible talent and support you and the brilliant @therealoctaviaspencer! You all are my big sis’ and HERoes 4 life. So happy and proud of you. No one more deserving.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPTep6AgPHY/?taken-by=janellemonae

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top