Octavia Spencer
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
1970-05-25 (54 years old)
Place of Birth
Montgomery, Alabama, USA
Octavia Spencer
Biography
Octavia Lenora Spencer (born May 25, 1970) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Spencer made her film debut in the 1996 drama A Time to Kill. Following a decade of brief roles in film and television, her breakthrough came in 2011 when she played a maid in 1960s America in the drama film The Help, which won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In ensuing years, she won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Ryan Coogler's biopic Fruitvale Station (2013), had a recurring role in the CBS sitcom Mom (2013–2015), and starred in the Fox drama series Red Band Society (2014–2015).
Spencer's roles as other black women in 1960s America, as Dorothy Vaughan in the biopic Hidden Figures (2016) and a cleaning woman in the fantasy The Shape of Water (2017), earned her two consecutive nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first black actress to achieve such feat, as well as the first, and to date only, to be nominated twice after winning. She has since starred in The Divergent Series (2015–16), The Shack (2017), Gifted (2017), Instant Family (2018), Luce (2019), Ma (2019), Onward (2020), and Spirited(2022). She led the Apple TV+ drama series Truth Be Told (2019–2023). She was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for portraying Madam C. J. Walker in the Netflix miniseries Self Made (2020).
As an author, Spencer created the children's book series Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective. She has published two books in the series: The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit (2013) and The Sweetest Heist in History (2015).
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Acting
(2025)
Smurfs
as (voice)
(2025)
(2024)
Becoming bell hooks
as Self
(2022)
Spirited
as Kimberly
(2022)
(2022)
The Quest for Sleep
as Narrator
(2021)
Thunder Force
as Emily Stanton
(2021)
Encounter
as Hattie Hayes
(2020)
Roald Dahl's The Witches
as Grandma
(2020)
Onward
as The Manticore (voice)
(2020)
Dolittle
as Dab-Dab (voice)
(2020)
Superintelligence
as Octavia Spencer (voice)
(2019)
Ma
as Sue Ann
(2019)
Luce
as Harriet Wilson
(2019)
(2018)
Instant Family
as Karen
(2018)
Small Town Crime
as Kelly Banks
(2018)
A Kid Like Jake
as Judy
(2017)
The Shack
as Papa / Elouisa
(2017)
The Shape of Water
as Zelda Fuller
(2017)
Gifted
as Roberta Taylor
(2017)
Car Dogs
as Mrs. Barrett
(2016)
Zootopia
as Mrs. Otterton (voice)
(2016)
Hidden Figures
as Dorothy Vaughan
(2016)
Allegiant
as Johanna Reyes
(2016)
Bad Santa 2
as Opal
(2016)
The Free World
as Linda Workman
(2015)
Insurgent
as Johanna Reyes
(2015)
Fathers and Daughters
as Dr. Corman
(2015)
The Great Gilly Hopkins
as Miss Harris
(2014)
Get on Up
as Aunt Honey
(2014)
Black or White
as Rowena Jeffers
(2013)
Snowpiercer
as Tanya
(2013)
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
as Martha (voice)
(2013)
Fruitvale Station
as Wanda
(2013)
Paradise
as Loray
(2013)
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
as Dr. Nance
(2013)
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy
as Narrator (voice)
(2013)
Jesus People
as Angel Angelique
(2013)
Lost on Purpose
as Nurse Keller
(2012)
Smashed
as Jenny
(2012)
Blues for Willadean
as LeSonia Robinson
(2011)
The Help
as Minny Jackson
(2011)
Flypaper
as Madge Wiggins
(2011)
Just Peck
as Detention Teacher
(2010)
Dinner for Schmucks
as Madame Nora
(2010)
Peep World
as Alison
(2010)
Small Town Saturday Night
as Rhonda Dooley
(2010)
Love and Distrust
as Rhonda (segment "Auto Motives")
(2009)
Drag Me to Hell
as Bank Co-Worker
(2009)
Halloween II
as Nurse Daniels
(2009)
The Soloist
as Troubled Woman
(2009)
Love at First Hiccup
as Mrs. Hambrick
(2009)
Herpes Boy
as Rochelle
(2008)
Seven Pounds
as Kate the Home Health Care Nurse
(2008)
Pretty Ugly People
as Mary
(2008)
Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School
as Dr. Evilini
(2008)
The Spleenectomy
as Nurse
(2007)
The Nines
as Streetwalker
(2006)
Pulse
as Landlady
(2006)
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School
as Ayisha Lebaron
(2005)
Coach Carter
as Mrs. Battle
(2005)
Beauty Shop
as Big Customer
(2005)
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
as Middle-Aged Woman
(2005)
Pretty Persuasion
as Woman
(2004)
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
as Janine
(2004)
Breakin' All the Rules
as Stylist
(2003)
S.W.A.T.
as Neighbor in Alley
(2003)
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
as Security Guard
(2003)
Bad Santa
as Opal
(2003)
Sol Goode
as Unemployment Clerk
(2003)
Chicken Party
as Laqueta Mills
(2002)
Spider-Man
as Check-In Girl
(2002)
Little John
as Waitress
(2001)
The Journeyman
as Black Belly
(2001)
Follow the Stars Home
as Hildy
(2001)
Missing Pieces
as Elegant Guest (as Octavia L. Spencer)
(2001)
Everything Put Together
as Nurse B
(2001)
The Sky is Falling
as Nurse #2
(2000)
Big Momma's House
as Twila
(2000)
What Planet Are You From?
as Baby Nurse
(2000)
American Virgin
as Agnes Large
(2000)
Four Dogs Playing Poker
as Waitress
(1999)
Being John Malkovich
as Woman in Elevator
(1999)
Blue Streak
as Shawna
(1999)
Never Been Kissed
as Cynthia
(1999)
Lansky
as Evelyn
(1997)
The 6th Man
as Nativity Watson
(1997)
Sparkler
as Wanda
(1996)
A Time to Kill
as Roark's Nurse
(1996)
Valley Girls
as Cheerleader
Crew
Nobody Nothing Nowhere
Producer
(2019)
Ma
Executive Producer
(2018)
Small Town Crime
Executive Producer
(2018)
Green Book
Executive Producer
(2017)
Candid
Executive Producer
(2013)
Fruitvale Station
Co-Executive Producer