Michael Peña stars in the film inspired by the real-life story of NASA flight engineer José Hernández.
There were five key “ingredients” that shaped José M. Hernández’s life and helped him become one of the few Latino NASA astronauts.
“My mom grew up not too far from where we shot in Mexico,” Peña said in the production notes about relating to the story. “Neither of my parents had a lot of opportunities. Each of them worked two full-time jobs so we could go to good private schools, which turned my attitude around as to what was possible. Becoming an actor is not the same as being an astronaut, but it is a nearly insane dream for anyone.”Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
Read on to learn more about his decades-long journey from the fields to more than 200 miles above the Earth in the International Space Station. “I had written a couple of books and was giving motivational talks,” Hernández said in the film's production notes. “My purpose is to encourage kids of any culture or race to reach their maximum potential. I saw the slate of movies this team has produced and knew these guys were serious filmmakers who could help bring my message to a wider audience.”
Hernández only spoke Spanish until he was 12 years old and sporadically attended school. The film shows his Second Grade teacher Miss Young visiting his home and talking to his parents about the importance of settling in one place so their kids could have a good education.
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