Harvard students honor actress

Octavia Spencer, who won an Oscar and several other awards for best supporting actress in The Help, was named Woman of the Year on Wednesday by Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals.

"The Pudding is proud to honor an actress whose depth of talent has captivated audiences with her comedic wit and her graceful portrayals of the underrepresented," the student group said in a statement.

Spencer is scheduled to be honored with a parade through the streets of Cambridge on Thursday, followed by a roast and the presentation of her pudding pot.

"We are humbled by her talent and are so honored that our little pudding pot will be sitting alongside Ms. Spencer's Oscar and Golden Globe on her mantle," Hasty Pudding co-producer Adam Chiavacci says.

In addition to her Academy Award, Spencer won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for her portrayal of Minny Jackson in 2011's The Help.

She is appearing alongside Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae and Kevin Costner in Hidden Figures, a film about the behind-the-scenes contributions of several African-American women in the early years of the NASA program.

The award has been handed out annually since 1951 to people who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment.

Previous Hasty Pudding winners include Meryl Streep, Katharine Hepburn and Helen Mirren.

Hasty Pudding says it is the nation's oldest collegiate theatrical organization, tracing its roots to the late 1700s.