Octavia Spencer decided to kick off Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend by giving back in a major way: Entertainment Weekly reports that the actress bought out Friday night's 8 p.m. screening of her new film Hidden Figures at a theater in Baldwin Hills, California, reserving the seats for families who might not otherwise be able to afford a trip to the movie theater.
Spencer announced the gesture on her Instagram, saying her mother and other single parents were her inspiration for paying it forward.
"Tomorrow I've bought the 8pm showing of #hiddenfigures the rave Baldwin hills," her caption read. "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 single parents this #mlkweekend"
Spencer stars alongside Janelle Monae and Taraji P. Henson in the Golden Globe-nominated film, which is an inspiring true story of the three African American women who were instrumental in the first moon landing - making it the perfect family movie opportunity for Spencer to offer up to those who might not normally have been able to see it.