Hasty Pudding’s 2017 Woman of the Year: Octavia Spencer
By: Ashley Barquin - Monday, Jan 30, 2017 - 6:41pm
Photo by: Andrew DiLeo
Two days after receiving her second Oscar nomination, actress Octavia Spencer was honored Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 67th Woman of the Year award. The Hidden Figures star celebrated by parading through the Cambridge community and accepting a Pudding Pot, of course, only after being put on the spot by Harvard’s student theatre group.
Photo by: Andrew DiLeo
“Octavia, you’ve played no fewer than 22 nurses,” one member teased during the theatre group’s annual roast. Another member prepped a chocolate pie for Spencer to splat on their face, referring to the actress’s major scene in The Help (2011), when her character Minny Jackson feeds Hilly Holbrook (Bryce D. Howard) a poop-filled-pie. Thankfully Spencer survived the roast, laughing the whole way through, and proceeded to thank the theatre company for her golden Pudding Pot.
Spencer later attended a press conference that was live-streamed on the Hasty Pudding’s Facebook page. She answered questions relating to her acting career, stating that her dream role was “that of a producer” and that her most challenging role was playing God in her upcoming movie The Shack (2017). She also addressed questions pertaining to social issues such as the Women’s March on Washington and the importance of inclusion of all women of color in feminism and film positions.
Photo by: Andrew DiLeo
When asked which award was more difficult to earn, the Oscar or the Pudding Pot, Spencer answered, “That pot was hard to get. It was difficult to get, but it is one that will be forever indelibly etched in my memories. This has just been so much fun today.”
On Friday, February 3, Ryan Reynolds will be honored Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 51st Man of the Year award. For more information on tickets and event location click HERE.