613 E 400 S Suite D, Salt Lake City, UT 84102, Utah
Octavia Spencer poses for a portrait during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival at the Getty Images Portrait Studio at T-Mobile Village at the Lift on January 22, 2012 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
School period
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
3420 Carter Hill Rd, Montgomery, AL 36111, United States
Octavia Spencer graduated from Jefferson Davis High School in 1988. A
College/University
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
351 W Thach Concourse, Auburn, AL 36849, United States
Octavia Spencer studied drama for two years (1988-1989) at Auburn University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts. She majored in English with a double minor in journalism and theater.
Career
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2012
277 N Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs, CA 92262, United States
Actress Octavia Spencer arrives at the 2012 Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala at Palm Springs Convention Center on January 7, 2012 in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2012
11272 Santa Monica Boulevard just west of the 405 Freeway, West Los Angeles, CA 90025, United States
Octavia Spencer arrives to "The Power Of Film To Create Social Change" Panel Discussion at Landmark Nuart Theatre on February 7, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2012
613 E 400 S Suite D, Salt Lake City, UT 84102, Utah
Octavia Spencer poses for a portrait during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival at the Getty Images Portrait Studio at T-Mobile Village at the Lift on January 22, 2012 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2013
13400 Maxella Ave, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292, United States
Octavia Spencer signs copies of her children's book "The Case Of The Time Capsule Bandit" at Barnes & Noble 3rd Street Promenade on November 1, 2013 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/WireImage)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2014
777 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on August 25, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2014
9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States
Octavia Spencer poses for a portrait during Fox's 2014 Summer TCA Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 20, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/FOX/FOX Collection/Getty Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2014
Reitman Square, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5, Canada
Octavia Spencer is photographed for a Portrait Session at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival on September 7, 2014 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Jeff Vespa/Contour by Getty Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2015
961 Broxton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States
Octavia Spencer attends Warner Bros. Pictures' "Creed" Premiere at Regency Village Theatre on November 19, 2015 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2015
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 22, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2015
141 W 54th St, New York, NY 10019, United States
Octavia Spencer arrives at the "The Divergent Series: Insurgent" New York premiere at Ziegfeld Theater on March 16, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2015
3934 Washington Blvd, Ogden, UT 84403, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the "The Divergent Series: Insurgent" New York premiere at Ziegfeld Theater on March 16, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Jim Spellman/WireImage)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2015
189 The Grove Dr Suite K 30, Los Angeles, CA 90036, United States
Octavia Spencer signs and discusses her new book "The Sweetest Heist In History" at Barnes & Noble bookstore at The Grove on April 2, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Vincent Sandoval/WireImage)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2016
550 Wellington St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2V4, Canada
Octavia Spencer attends Entertainment Weekly's Toronto Must List party at the Thompson Hotel on September 10, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2016
1697 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, United States
Octavia Spencer enters "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" taping at the Ed Sullivan Theater on December 08, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/GC Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2017
665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Expo Hall on January 29, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2017
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2017
300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 48th NAACP Image Awards at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 11, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2017
9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2017
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Octavia Spencer performs onstage at the The Hasty Pudding Theatricals Celebration Honoring Octavia Spencer as 2017 Woman Of The Year on January 26, 2017 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images for for Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2017
100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275, United States
Octavia Spencer speaks on stage at The 2017 MAKERS Conference at Terranea Resort and Spa on February 6, 2017 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2017
30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112, United States
Octavia Spencer poses in Saturday Night Live Studio 8H on February 28th, 2017 - (Photo by: Rosalind O'Connor/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2017
6840 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028, United States
Octavia Spencer is seen at 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' on December 07, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2018
3021 Airport Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405, United States
Octavia Spencer attends The 23rd Annual Critics' Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on January 11, 2018 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2018
328 Main St, Park City, UT 84060, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the Power Of Story Panel: Culture Shift during the 2018 Sundance Film Festival at Egyptian Theatre on January 19, 2018 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2018
Park City, Utah, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the Sloane Panel: Ways Of Seeing during the 2018 Sundance Film Festiva at Filmmaker Lodge on January 23, 2018 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2018
60 Simcoe St, Toronto, ON M5J 2H5, Canada
Octavia Spencer attends the "Green Book" premiere during 2018 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 11, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TIFF)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
2019
300 Doheny Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 19th Annual AFI Awards at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 4, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Gallery of Octavia Spencer
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
Achievements
Membership
Awards
Academy Award
2012
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, United States
Octavia Spencer accepts the Best Supporting Actress Award for 'The Help' onstage during the 84th Annual Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
BAFTA Award
2012
86-90 Park Ln, Mayfair, London W1K 7TN, United Kingdom
Octavia Spencer arrives at the after party of Orange British Academy Film Awards 2012 at Grosvenor House, on February 12, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart Wilson/Getty Images)
Golden Globe Award
2012
9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States
Octavia Spencer arrives at 13th Annual Warner Bros. And InStyle Golden Globe Awards After Party at The Beverly Hilton hotel on January 15, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Screen Actors Guild Award
2012
665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007, United States
Octavia Spencer accepts the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role award for "The Help" onstage during the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 29, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
NAACP Award
2012
665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007, United States
Octavia Spencer accepts the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for "The Help" onstage at the 43rd NAACP Image Awards held at The Shrine Auditorium on February 17, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards)
Critics Choice Film Award
Octavia Spencer poses with her Critics Choice Film Award.
277 N Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs, CA 92262, United States
Actress Octavia Spencer arrives at the 2012 Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala at Palm Springs Convention Center on January 7, 2012 in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
11272 Santa Monica Boulevard just west of the 405 Freeway, West Los Angeles, CA 90025, United States
Octavia Spencer arrives to "The Power Of Film To Create Social Change" Panel Discussion at Landmark Nuart Theatre on February 7, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic)
613 E 400 S Suite D, Salt Lake City, UT 84102, Utah
Octavia Spencer poses for a portrait during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival at the Getty Images Portrait Studio at T-Mobile Village at the Lift on January 22, 2012 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, United States
Octavia Spencer accepts the Best Supporting Actress Award for 'The Help' onstage during the 84th Annual Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
86-90 Park Ln, Mayfair, London W1K 7TN, United Kingdom
Octavia Spencer arrives at the after party of Orange British Academy Film Awards 2012 at Grosvenor House, on February 12, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart Wilson/Getty Images)
9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States
Octavia Spencer arrives at 13th Annual Warner Bros. And InStyle Golden Globe Awards After Party at The Beverly Hilton hotel on January 15, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007, United States
Octavia Spencer accepts the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role award for "The Help" onstage during the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 29, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007, United States
Octavia Spencer accepts the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for "The Help" onstage at the 43rd NAACP Image Awards held at The Shrine Auditorium on February 17, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards)
13400 Maxella Ave, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292, United States
Octavia Spencer signs copies of her children's book "The Case Of The Time Capsule Bandit" at Barnes & Noble 3rd Street Promenade on November 1, 2013 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/WireImage)
777 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on August 25, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States
Octavia Spencer poses for a portrait during Fox's 2014 Summer TCA Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 20, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/FOX/FOX Collection/Getty Images)
Reitman Square, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5, Canada
Octavia Spencer is photographed for a Portrait Session at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival on September 7, 2014 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Jeff Vespa/Contour by Getty Images)
961 Broxton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States
Octavia Spencer attends Warner Bros. Pictures' "Creed" Premiere at Regency Village Theatre on November 19, 2015 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 22, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
Octavia Spencer arrives at the "The Divergent Series: Insurgent" New York premiere at Ziegfeld Theater on March 16, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)
3934 Washington Blvd, Ogden, UT 84403, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the "The Divergent Series: Insurgent" New York premiere at Ziegfeld Theater on March 16, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Jim Spellman/WireImage)
189 The Grove Dr Suite K 30, Los Angeles, CA 90036, United States
Octavia Spencer signs and discusses her new book "The Sweetest Heist In History" at Barnes & Noble bookstore at The Grove on April 2, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Vincent Sandoval/WireImage)
Octavia Spencer attends Entertainment Weekly's Toronto Must List party at the Thompson Hotel on September 10, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)
Octavia Spencer enters "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" taping at the Ed Sullivan Theater on December 08, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/GC Images)
665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Expo Hall on January 29, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
Octavia Spencer attends the 48th NAACP Image Awards at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 11, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)
9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Octavia Spencer performs onstage at the The Hasty Pudding Theatricals Celebration Honoring Octavia Spencer as 2017 Woman Of The Year on January 26, 2017 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images for for Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770)
100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275, United States
Octavia Spencer speaks on stage at The 2017 MAKERS Conference at Terranea Resort and Spa on February 6, 2017 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
3021 Airport Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405, United States
Octavia Spencer attends The 23rd Annual Critics' Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on January 11, 2018 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Octavia Spencer attends the Power Of Story Panel: Culture Shift during the 2018 Sundance Film Festival at Egyptian Theatre on January 19, 2018 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Octavia Spencer attends the Sloane Panel: Ways Of Seeing during the 2018 Sundance Film Festiva at Filmmaker Lodge on January 23, 2018 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Octavia Spencer attends the "Green Book" premiere during 2018 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 11, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TIFF)
300 Doheny Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90048, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 19th Annual AFI Awards at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 4, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, United States
Octavia Spencer attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
351 W Thach Concourse, Auburn, AL 36849, United States
Octavia Spencer studied drama for two years (1988-1989) at Auburn University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts. She majored in English with a double minor in journalism and theater.
(Meet Randi Rhodes, the world’s first ninja detective! Dee...)
Meet Randi Rhodes, the world’s first ninja detective! Deer Creek is a small town whose only hope for survival is the success of its Founder’s Day Festival. But the festival’s main attraction, a time capsule that many people believe hold the town’s treasure, has gone missing. Twelve-year-old Randi Rhodes and her best friend, D.C., are Bruce Lee - inspired ninjas and local detectives determined to solve the case. Even if it means investigating a haunted cabin and facing mean old Angus McCarthy, the prime suspect. They have three days to find the treasure…the future of their whole town is at stake! Will these kids be able to save the day?
(A hard-to-prove art heist in New York City becomes a myst...)
A hard-to-prove art heist in New York City becomes a mystery for ninja detective Randi Rhodes in this second book in a series full of humor, adventure, and heart from Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer. Randi Rhodes and her fellow ninja detectives, DC and Pudge, were flying high after solving the Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit. But life in sleepy Deer Creek has begun to feel…a bit boring. There are no crimes to investigate! But a trip to New York City to visit Randi’s aunt changes that! While the ninja detective trio explores Randi’s old neighborhood in Brooklyn, they uncover an art theft. Except no one will believe them. So they’ll just have to catch the criminals in the act.
(Based on the hilarious FunnyorDie web series, Pastor Jerr...)
Based on the hilarious FunnyorDie web series, Pastor Jerry gets potentially bad medical news and decides to start a Christian pop band to keep his son on a "righteous" path. Supported by the best names in improv, this comedy rocks with laughter.
(The thrilling adventures of Percy Jackson, the son of Pos...)
The thrilling adventures of Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, continue with a cross-country quest to find the magical Golden Fleece that will save his world...and save us all!
(Chadwick Boseman is James Brown in Get On Up, based on th...)
Chadwick Boseman is James Brown in Get On Up, based on the life story of the Godfather of Soul. The film gives a fearless look inside the music, moves, and moods of Brown.
(Left to raise his beloved granddaughter, a grandfather fa...)
Left to raise his beloved granddaughter, a grandfather faces a legal battle when the little girl's paternal grandmother seeks custody, forcing the families to confront their true feelings on race, forgiveness and understanding.
(A feisty foster kid's outrageous scheme to be reunited wi...)
A feisty foster kid's outrageous scheme to be reunited with her birth mother has unintended consequences in The Great Gilly Hopkins, an entertaining film for the entire family.
(An incredible & inspiring untold true story about three w...)
An incredible & inspiring untold true story about three women at NASA who were instrumental in one of history's greatest operations - the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit.
(Beyond the wall, Tris and Four face a threat more dangero...)
Beyond the wall, Tris and Four face a threat more dangerous than they ever imagined, fighting for the future of an entire city in this action-packed third Divergent adventure.
(From master storyteller Guillermo del Toro comes an other...)
From master storyteller Guillermo del Toro comes an otherworldly fairy tale set in 1960s America where a woman's life is changed forever after she discovers a secret experiment.
(In this wonderfully moving film, a single man (Chris Evan...)
In this wonderfully moving film, a single man (Chris Evans) strives to give his child prodigy niece (Mckenna Grace) a normal life, despite interference from the girl's grandmother.
(John Hawkes leads an all-star cast in this gritty, darkly...)
John Hawkes leads an all-star cast in this gritty, darkly comic thriller about a disgraced ex-cop taking one last shot at redemption by trying to solve a murder case.
(Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, Priyanka Chopra and Octavia Sp...)
Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, Priyanka Chopra and Octavia Spencer star in this funny and moving look at parents struggling with how to raise their nonconforming child.
(Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) must learn th...)
Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) must learn the ropes of instant parenthood when they bring in three foster children. Inspired by a true story, discover this must see family comedy from the creators of Daddy's Home.
(Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali star in Green Book, a ...)
Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali star in Green Book, a film inspired by a true friendship that transcended race, class, and the 1962 Mason-Dixon line.
Octavia Spencer is an American actress. She is recognized for her role in the film, The Help, as an outspoken maid. For her remarkable performance, she won the prestigious Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Globe Award among other accolades.
Background
Octavia Spencer was born on May 25, 1972, in Montgomery, Alabama, the United States. Her mother, Dellsena Spencer (1945-1988), worked as a maid. Her father died when she was thirteen. She's the sixth of seven siblings. Growing up as the second youngest of seven children, Octavia Spencer didn't think that she would become an actress. While interested in performing, she was encouraged by her mother to do something more practical.
Education
Octavia Spencer graduated from Jefferson Davis High School in 1988. After graduation, she went on to study drama for two years (1988-1989) at Auburn University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts. She majored in English with a double minor in journalism and theater.
Octavia Spencer initially worked as a maid and later as an intern on the set of ‘The Long Walk Home’, a film starring Whoopi Goldberg. In 1995, acclaimed director Joel Schumacher changed all that by giving her a small part opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit film A Time to Kill, and Spencer was on her way. Originally she was hired to work on film casting, but later she auditioned for a small role in the film. Spencer made quite an impression on Bullock, who later hired Spencer to work in her 1998 Making Sandwiches, a short film that premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.
While making A Time to Kill, Spencer also met Tate Taylor, who worked on the film's crew. The two began good friends. Around this time, Spencer decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. With no professional training, Spencer landed a part in the 1997 comedy The Sixth Man. She was disappointed, however, when much of her performance ended up on the cutting room floor. Undeterred, Spencer took acting classes to improve herself. Her hard work paid off with small film roles and television guest spots on such shows as ER and The X-Files.
In 2000, Spencer appeared in her first television series, City of Angels, with Blair Underwood, Vivica A. Fox, and Viola Davis. The medical drama only lasted for a season. Next Spencer tried science fiction with another short-lived series, The Chronicle.
In 2003, Spencer appeared in Taylor's well-received short comedic film Chicken Party with Allison Janney and Melissa McCarthy. She also earned raves for her stage debut in the Los Angeles production of Del Shore's The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife that same year. The play garnered Spencer and her fellow cast mates critical acclaim and a bevy of awards. More small roles on film soon followed, including her memorable turn in Bad Santa with Billy Bob Thornton. Spencer gave another scene-stealing performance in the comedy series Ugly Betty, playing an INS agent.
Spencer became known as a strong supporting actress, adept at both drama and comedy. Entertainment Weekly named her one of its 25 funniest actresses in Hollywood in 2009, calling her "sassy, smart and wise beyond her years." But it took a personal connection to take her career to the next level.
Through her friend Tate Taylor, Spencer met author Kathryn Stockett. Stockett and Taylor had been friends since childhood, and he bought the film rights to her novel The Help before the book was even published. The Help explores the lives of two very different sets of women in a Southern town in the 1960s - white housewives and their African-American maids. Stockett had drawn inspiration from Spencer for one of the maids, Minny, and Spencer even accompanied Stockett on a book tour. A white writer, Stockett felt uncomfortable reading the black maids' dialogue and brought Spencer along to read those parts.
When it came time to cast the film, however, Spencer had to audition for the part. The novel had become a best-seller and there was some pressure to cast a famous actress as Minny. But Spencer soon won over any doubters that she was the one for the part. Spencer shone in the role, and thenceforward her versatility as an actress was no longer in doubt. In the film, Emma Stone stars as a young white woman who writes a controversial book based on interviews with "the help." Spencer plays Minny, who works for the town's social pariah (Jessica Chastain) after being fired by her previous employer.
Released in summer 2011, The Help proved to be a commercial and critical hit. Spencer herself received largely warm reviews and netted several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award in 2012. In her acceptance speech, Spencer quoted the late Martin Luther King Jr.: "All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance."
Spencer also took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress that February for her work on The Help. Nearly overcome by emotion, Spenser thanked, "my family in Alabama - the state of Alabama. My L.A. family. My Help family," in her acceptance speech. She later said that she, "can be some sort of beacon of hope, particularly because I'm not the typical Hollywood beauty."
Spencer hoped that her newfound fame would lead to greater opportunities in front and behind the camera. "I want to do more ensemble movies like I'm doing now ... I want to work with the best of the best," Spencer told Backstage. "I'm trying to write now and get things I want to produce now that I'm meeting all of these great producers and people with deep pockets."
After her Oscar win, Spencer appeared in Fruitvale Station with Michael B. Jordan in 2013. The following year she appeared in Get on Up, the James Brown biopic, which also featured her Help co-star Viola Davis and was directed by Help director Tate Taylor. In 2014, she also co-starred in Black or White with Kevin Costner, and the next year she played Johanna Reyes in Insurgent, the second film in the Divergent series. She reprised the role in The Divergent Series: Allegiant in 2016.
Spencer voiced her first role in an animated film in the 2016 hit Zootopia, playing an otter named Mrs. Otterton. She also received Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for her role in the biopic Hidden Figures, in which she plays Dorothy Vaughan, an African-American mathematician who, along with with other African-American women working at NASA, helped launch American astronauts into space. The film also stars Taraji P. Henson as Katherine Johnson and Janelle Monáe as Mary Jackson.
Spencer cemented her standing as one of Hollywood's premier talents with her performance in the 2017 fantasy drama The Shape of Water, earning Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress. In January 2018, it was announced she would star in a dramatic thriller being developed for Apple's burgeoning streaming service, titled Are You Sleeping.
In 2019, Spencer will appear in Ma, a psychological horror film directed by Tate Taylor and written by Scotty Landes. The story follows Sue Ann (Octavia Spencer), a loner who keeps to herself in her quiet Ohio town. One day, she is asked by Maggie (Diana Silvers), a new teenager in town, to buy some booze for her and her friends, and Sue Ann sees the chance to make some unsuspecting if younger, friends of her own. She offers the kids the chance to avoid drinking and driving by hanging out in the basement of her own, relatively large house. But there are some house rules: One of the kids has to stay sober. Don't curse. Never go upstairs. And call her "Ma." But as Ma's hospitality starts to curdle into obsession, what began as a teenage dream turns into a terrorizing nightmare, and Ma's place goes from the best place in town to the worst place on earth. Ma is scheduled to be released on May 31, 2019.
Among Spencer other future projects are The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, Onward and The Witches, all scheduled to be released in 2020.
As an author, Spencer has started a children's book series, titled Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective. She has published two books in the series, titled The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit (2013) and The Sweetest Heist in History (2015).
Spencer has received three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, including one win. She is the first black actress to receive two consecutive Academy Award nominations in back-to-back years, the first black actress to receive two Academy Award nominations after a win, and is tied with Viola Davis as the most nominated black actress to date. Spencer has also won three Screen Actors Guild Awards, three National Board of Review Awards, two Satellite Awards, two Critics' Choice Movie Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA Award.
(The Help is a timeless story about the ability to create ...)
2011
Religion
Octavia Spencer was raised Catholic and still remains today.
Politics
Spencer isn’t too outspoken on her beliefs but is a huge supporter of Barrack Obama and is a liberal Democrat. When he got elected as President, she said she was in a “state of bliss” and that it was a “huge step forward.”
Spencer is against Donal Trump, America's current president. She stated: “It’s the Trumpites who think people are bending the truth. It’s mind-boggling to me that we have totally regressed to this whole labeling and colorism and just ridiculous racist bigotry that is percolating in society right now. Every now and then I have to turn the news off and guard my space, my home, with solace, with positive energy. We have four years to put up with this.”
Views
"The way to bring about change is to be proactive and active."
"I'm not an optimist. I'm a realist. And my reality is that we live in a multifaceted, multicultural world. And maybe once we stop labeling ourselves, then maybe everyone else will."
"As you make your way along life's tumultuous highways, it's important to note that you should always carry a map, have plenty of fuel in the tank, and take frequent rest stops."
"I hope that in some way that I can be some sort of beacon of hope, especially because I am not the typical Hollywood beauty."
"I prefer doing interviews where people don't have to interpret what you say. I'm going to be real honest."
Personality
As a child, Spencer was diagnosed with dyslexia, a learning disability that can make letters seem to jump around on the page. She has to learn her character's lines by acting out the gist of the dialogue.
On-screen, Spencer is a quiet storm - intense, poised, restrained. In person, she’s whip-smart, quick-witted, sophisticated but unfussy. She once stated: “I’m more opinionated than any of my characters have ever been. I’ve never played a person who remotely resembles me.”
Quotes from others about the person
"Her energy and personality are so infectious that any room she walks into, everyone wants to be her friend, or just hang out with her and be in her space. Now, that doesn't always mean someone like that has a talent for the camera, but in this case it does. When you meet her, you know she is destined to entertain. I know not all people with tremendous talent are given the opportunities that they so deserve, but in this case a lifelong friendship with Tate Taylor brought together two very talented people who deserve success and who are grateful for it. This opportunity will not go wasted or be abused by one fabulous Octavia Spencer." - Sandra Bullock
Interests
antique
Connections
Octavia Spencer is single and has no intentions to create a family of her own. She said motherhood is something she will never experience as she has made the decision not to have children.