Octavia Spencer
Born: 1970-05-25 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA
Known For: Acting
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). Description above from the Wikipedia article Octavia Spencer, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
2026
- Tow as Barbara
- Ride or Die ... (Executive Producer)
2025
- Smurfs as Asmodius (voice)
- Number One on the Call Sheet as Self
- Family Recipe Showdown as Host
- My Happy Place as Self
2024
- Hollywood Black as Self (archive footage)
- Becoming bell hooks as Self
2023
- The Santa Stories as Detective Grinchauser
- Lost Women of Highway 20 as Host
2022
- The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self - Guest
- Spirited as Kimberly
- Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter as Self
- The Quest for Sleep as Narrator
2021
- Thunder Force as Emily Stanton
- Encounter as Hattie Hayes
2020
- Onward as The Manticore (voice)
- Dolittle as Dab-Dab (voice)
- Roald Dahl's The Witches as Grandma
- Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker as Madam C. J. Walker
- Superintelligence as Octavia Spencer (voice)
2019
- The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self
- Truth Be Told as Poppy Scoville
- Ma as Sue Ann
- HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé as Self
- Luce as Harriet Wilson
2018
- Green Book ... (Executive Producer)
- Instant Family as Karen
- Small Town Crime as Kelly Banks
- A Kid Like Jake as Judy
2017
- Young Sheldon as Officer Rhonda Tomasson
- Gifted as Roberta Taylor
- The Shape of Water as Zelda Fuller
- The Shack as Papa / Elouisa
- Candid ... (Executive Producer)
2016
- Zootopia as Mrs. Otterton (voice)
- Hidden Figures as Dorothy Vaughan
- To Tell the Truth as Self - Panelist
- Allegiant as Johanna Reyes
- Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party as Team Martha
- Bad Santa 2 as Opal
- The Free World as Linda Workman
- Car Dogs as Mrs. Barrett
2015
- The Late Late Show with James Corden as Self - Guest
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
- Insurgent as Johanna Reyes
- Fathers and Daughters as Dr. Corman
- The Great Gilly Hopkins as Miss Harris
- Black or White as Rowena Jeffers
2014
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- black-ish as Octavia Spencer
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
- Off Camera with Sam Jones as Self
- Red Band Society as Nurse Jackson
- Get On Up as Aunt Honey
2013
- Mom as Regina Tompkins
- Drunk History as Harriet Tubman
- Snowpiercer as Tanya
- Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters as Martha (voice)
- Fruitvale Station as Wanda
- Call Me Crazy: A Five Film as Dr. Nance
- Paradise as Loray
- Lost on Purpose as Nurse Keller
- Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Jesus People as Angel Angelique
2012
- Smashed as Jenny
- Blues for Willadean as LeSonia Robinson
2010
- Dinner for Schmucks as Madame Nora
- Love and Distrust as Rhonda (segment "Auto Motives")
- Small Town Saturday Night as Rhonda Dooley
- Peep World as Alison
2009
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- Dollhouse as Professor Janack
- Drag Me to Hell as Bank Co-Worker
- Halloween II as Nurse Daniels
- The Soloist as Troubled Woman
- Love at First Hiccup as Mrs. Hambrick
- Herpes Boy as Rochelle
2008
- Raising the Bar as Arvina Watkins
- Seven Pounds as Kate the Home Health Care Nurse
- Pretty Ugly People as Mary
- Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School as Dr. Evilini
- The Spleenectomy as Nurse
2007
- The Graham Norton Show as Self
- The Big Bang Theory as Octavia
- Wizards of Waverly Place as Dr. Evilini
- Cavemen
- The Nines as Streetwalker
- Halfway Home
2006
- 30 Rock as Octavia Spencer
- Ugly Betty as Constance Grady
- Standoff as Rapid Air Clerk
- Pulse as Landlady
- The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman
- Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School as Ayisha Lebaron
2005
- American Dad! as Shonteeva (voice)
- Medium as Jurist
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as Self
- Coach Carter as Mrs. Battle
- Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous as Middle-Aged Woman
- Beauty Shop as Big Customer
- Pretty Persuasion as Woman
2004
- CSI: NY as Child Welfare Rep
- LAX as Flight Attendant
- Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! as Janine
- Breakin' All the Rules as Stylist
2003
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- S.W.A.T. as Neighbor in Alley
- Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde as Security Guard
- Bad Santa as Opal
- Sol Goode as Unemployment Clerk
- Chicken Party as Laqueta Mills
2002
- Spider-Man as Check-In Girl
- Presidio Med as Sheryl Washington
- Little John as Waitress
2001
- Grounded for Life as Admitting Nurse
- The Chronicle as Ruby Rydell
- The Sky is Falling as Nurse #2
- The Journeyman as Black Belly
- Follow the Stars Home as Hildy
- Everything Put Together as Nurse B
- Missing Pieces as Elegant Guest (as Octavia L. Spencer)
2000
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Sherry
- Malcolm in the Middle as Cashier
- Titus as Ms. Alice Hays
- Big Momma's House as Twila
- What Planet Are You From? as Baby Nurse
- Four Dogs Playing Poker as Waitress
- American Virgin as Agnes Large
- Auto Motives as Rhonda
1999
- Roswell as Nurse
- Blue Streak as Shawna
- Being John Malkovich as Woman in Elevator
- Never Been Kissed as Cynthia
- Lansky as Evelyn
1998
- Becker as Ticket Woman
- L.A. Doctors as Bus Driver
- Brimstone as Duty Nurse
1997
- Just Shoot Me! as Nurse
- Dharma & Greg as Gloria
- The 6th Man as Nativity Watson
- Sparkler as Wanda
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
- Moesha as Gloria
- A Time to Kill as Roark's Nurse
- Valley Girls as Cheerleader
1994
- ER as Maria Jones
- Chicago Hope as Nurse Jane
1993
- The X-Files as Nurse
1981
- Entertainment Tonight as Self
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
1953
- The Oscars as Self - Presenter
1951
- Hallmark Hall of Fame as Elegant guest