Taraji P. Henson Snags Movie Role As NASA Mathematician, Katherine Johnson
Fresh off of her historic win at the Golden Globes, Taraji P. Henson has her sights set on another award contending performance.
The Empire actress recently landed the role of famed NASA mathematician, Katherine Johnson, in the film Hidden Figures. The motion picture is based on the true story of a group of African-American women who played a more than pivotal role in the country’s initial space efforts.
It’s also based on the book, Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, Vulture reports.
Henson later took to her Instagram account to share the good news while dropping knowledge on the legacy of Johnson. “This project is so important,” she wrote. “Known for accuracy in computerized celestial navigation, she calculated the trajectory for Project Mercury and the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon.”
This project is so important. Honored to portray #KatherineJohnson Katherine G. Johnson (born August 26, 1918) is an American physicist, space scientist, and mathematician who contributed to America’s aeronautics and space programs with the early application of digital electronic computers at NASA. Known for accuracy in computerized celestial navigation, she calculated the trajectory for Project Mercury and the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon. #blackhistorymonth 💋💋💋