Where Are They Now? The Hidden Figures Cast's Explosive New Projects In 2025

The incredible story of *Hidden Figures*, which brought the vital contributions of three African-American women at NASA to the forefront, continues to resonate globally. Released in 2016, the film illuminated the lives of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson—the brilliant "human computers" who helped launch astronaut John Glenn into orbit. Today, December 13, 2025, the ensemble cast that portrayed these pioneers remains one of the most in-demand groups in Hollywood, with their careers hitting new peaks across film, television, and music. The movie’s success, including its three Academy Award nominations, catapulted the already-established stars to a new level of acclaim, cementing their status as industry powerhouses. From major blockbuster franchises to deeply personal passion projects, here is an up-to-the-minute look at the explosive new and upcoming work from the main cast of *Hidden Figures* in 2025 and beyond.

The Core Trio: Katherine, Dorothy, and Mary

The heart of *Hidden Figures* lay with the trio of mathematicians who overcame racial segregation and gender bias at the Langley Research Center. Their on-screen portrayers—Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe—have continued to take on challenging and diverse roles.

1. Taraji P. Henson (Katherine Johnson)

Taraji P. Henson, who masterfully played the central figure, mathematical genius Katherine Johnson (née Goble), has maintained a busy schedule since the film's release. Her portrayal of Johnson, whose hand-calculated trajectories were critical for the early US space missions, earned widespread praise.

• Recent Highlights: Henson delivered a critically acclaimed performance as Shug Avery in the 2023 musical film adaptation of *The Color Purple*.
• Upcoming Film Projects (2025): She is set to star in the psychological crime drama *Straw*, a new film written and directed by Tyler Perry, slated for a 2025 release.
• Television/Streaming: Henson is also headlining the motivational Netflix drama *'Tis So Sweet'*, another project that highlights her commitment to impactful, true-story narratives.
• Topical Authority Entity: Henson has become a prominent advocate for mental health awareness, launching the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation (named after her father) to combat stigma in the African-American community.

2. Octavia Spencer (Dorothy Vaughan)

Octavia Spencer's Oscar-nominated performance as Dorothy Vaughan, the brilliant mathematician who became NASA’s first African-American supervisor and a self-taught programmer, remains a career highlight. Spencer continues to be one of the most reliable and versatile actors working today.

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• New Film Project: Spencer is currently in production on the film *Tow*, where she stars alongside Ariana DeBose in a dramatic role.
• Franchise Return: Fans of the horror-thriller genre will see Spencer reprise her chilling role as Sue Ann in the highly anticipated sequel to the 2019 cult-favorite *Ma*. The Blumhouse sequel is officially in the works.
• Producer Role: Beyond acting, Spencer is actively developing new material through her production company, Orit Entertainment, including the adaptation of the novel *First Lie Wins* for Hulu, demonstrating her growing influence behind the camera.

3. Janelle Monáe (Mary Jackson)

Janelle Monáe, the Grammy-nominated recording artist and actress, made a significant acting debut as Mary Jackson, the engineer who successfully fought a court battle to attend segregated classes and become NASA's first female African-American engineer.

• Music Career: Monáe’s focus has recently been on music, releasing the album *“The Age of Pleasure”* in June 2023, which debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200.
• Public Appearances (2025): The visionary artist is slated to appear at major cultural events in 2025, including a panel presentation at Blerdcon 2025 and an appearance at the 2025 Met Gala, showcasing her unique style and advocacy for identity and freedom.
• Topical Authority Entity: Monáe is a leading figure in Afrofuturism, with her work exploring themes of identity, freedom, and technology, much like the progressive spirit of Mary Jackson.

The NASA Leadership: Al Harrison and Jim Johnson

The supporting cast of *Hidden Figures* included two of Hollywood’s biggest names, whose characters represented the men in the mission control room—one a pragmatic director and the other a supportive military officer.

4. Kevin Costner (Al Harrison)

Kevin Costner played Al Harrison, the fictional director of the Space Task Group, a character based on several real-life NASA leaders, who eventually championed Katherine Johnson’s work. Costner's career continues to be defined by his love for epic, American-themed storytelling.

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• Passion Project: Costner has poured his creative energy into the massive Western saga, *Horizon: An American Saga*.
• Film Releases (2024-2025): The first two chapters of *Horizon: An American Saga* premiered in 2024, with the highly anticipated Chapter 3 expected to continue the multi-part epic in 2025.
• Major Entity: Costner's commitment to the project is total, as he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the series, cementing his legacy as a filmmaker dedicated to the American frontier.

5. Mahershala Ali (Jim Johnson)

Mahershala Ali, an Oscar winner for *Moonlight* and *Green Book*, played Jim Johnson, a military officer who becomes Katherine Johnson's second husband. Ali's career has skyrocketed with a focus on prestige projects and major franchises.

• Recent Success: Ali starred in the 2023 apocalyptic thriller *Leave the World Behind* as George H. Scott, which was a massive hit on Netflix.
• Upcoming Film Projects (2025): He is slated to appear in the highly anticipated film *Jurassic World Rebirth* in 2025 as Duncan Kincaid.
• Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU): The biggest news for Ali is his long-awaited debut as the titular character in the Marvel film *Blade*, a role that has been the subject of intense speculation and excitement among fans, despite several production delays.

The Lasting Impact and Topical Authority of Hidden Figures

The legacy of *Hidden Figures* extends far beyond the film's box office success and the accolades of its cast. It shone a necessary light on the "West Area Computers," a group of African-American women who worked as human computers at the Langley Research Center of NACA (the predecessor of NASA) starting in 1943.

The film provided a crucial historical context, showing how segregation laws forced these brilliant mathematicians to work in a separate unit. The story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson is a powerful testament to intellect, perseverance, and the fight against systemic racism and sexism.

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Key Entities and LSI Keywords:

To fully appreciate the film's depth, it's essential to understand the real-life entities and concepts it explored:

• NACA/NASA: The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
• Human Computers: The term for the women, mostly with degrees in mathematics, who performed complex calculations before the advent of electronic computers.
• West Area Computers: The segregated unit where African-American women worked, separate from their white counterparts.
• Langley Research Center: The Virginia facility where the women worked, a hub of early American aeronautics and space research.
• John Glenn: The astronaut whose orbital flight calculations were verified by Katherine Johnson.
• Project Mercury: The first human spaceflight program of the United States.
• Kazimierz Czarnecki: The engineer who recognized Mary Jackson's talent and encouraged her to pursue engineering.
• Civil Rights Movement: The broader historical context of the women's struggle for equality and recognition.

The continuing success of the *Hidden Figures* cast in 2025 reflects the film's enduring message: that true brilliance cannot be contained by prejudice. The work of Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, and Mahershala Ali ensures that the powerful story of the West Area Computers remains a touchstone of American history and cinematic excellence.