In the entire 10-year run of comedy sitcom "The Big Bang Theory," Jim Parsons has played the role of science nerd and theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper exceptionally well. In his new movie "Hidden Figures," Parsons takes on the role of another genius. This time, he's an engineer working at NASA.
The movie, however, doesn't center on Parson's character, Paul Stafford. Instead, it tells the story of the Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)-a trio of African-American mathematicians whose massive contributions to NASA led to the success of John Glenn's orbit around Earth and Alan Shepard's travel to space. Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth three times while Alan was the first man in space.
The movie is based on the real lives of these amazing women who helped materialize some of NASA most iconic space missions. According to People, Johnson was one of NASA's most trusted and exceptional mathematicians so much so that Glenn relied on her to check the complex trajectory calculations made by a computer before NASA launched the Friendship 7 in 1962.
Vaughan was NASA's first African-American manager and paved the way for more African-American women to join NASA. Before retiring in 1971, Vaughan contributed to the Scout Launch Vehicle Program. Jackson, on the other hand, was NASA's first African-American female engineer.
Meanwhile, Parsons plays Stafford, the head engineer at NASA's Space Task Group. The character is someone who resists working with Henson's Katherine Johnson. Parsons' role in "Hidden Figures" is closely similar to what he does in "The Big Bang Theory." When asked about being typecast as the genius, Parsons appears to have to have no problem with it.
"I used to get cast frequently as dumb people. Or rather, they were either not bright or had a certain idiot savant quality about them," Parsons told Variety about wanting to play a dumb person. "There is great joy in playing someone who doesn't know what the hell is happening."
"Hidden Figures" is nominated in the 2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.