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
2025
- Smurfs as Asmodius (voice)
- Tow as Barb
- Number One on the Call Sheet as Self
- My Happy Place as Self
- Family Recipe Showdown as Host
2024
- Becoming bell hooks as Self
2023
- Lost Women of Highway 20 as Host
- The Santa Stories as Detective Grinchauser
2022
- The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self
- 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
- Dolittle as Dab-Dab (voice)
- Superintelligence as Octavia Spencer (voice)
- Roald Dahl's The Witches as Grandma
- Onward as The Manticore (voice)
- Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker as Madam C. J. Walker
2019
- The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self
- Ma as Sue Ann
- Truth Be Told as Poppy Scoville
- 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
- Allegiant as Johanna Reyes
- To Tell the Truth as Self - Panelist
- Car Dogs as Mrs. Barrett
- The Free World as Linda Workman
- Bad Santa 2 as Opal
- Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party as Team Martha
2015
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
- Insurgent as Johanna Reyes
- The Great Gilly Hopkins as Miss Harris
- Fathers and Daughters as Dr. Corman
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
- Black or White as Rowena Jeffers
- Get on Up as Aunt Honey
2013
- Mom as Regina Tompkins
- Snowpiercer as Tanya
- Fruitvale Station as Wanda
- Drunk History as Harriet Tubman
- Paradise as Loray
- Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters as Martha (voice)
- Lost on Purpose as Nurse Keller
- Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Call Me Crazy: A Five Film as Dr. Nance
- Jesus People as Angel Angelique
2012
- Smashed as Jenny
- Blues for Willadean as LeSonia Robinson
2010
- Peep World as Alison
- Dinner for Schmucks as Madame Nora
- Love and Distrust as Rhonda (segment "Auto Motives")
- Small Town Saturday Night as Rhonda Dooley
2009
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- Dollhouse as Professor Janack
- Drag Me to Hell as Bank Co-Worker
- Herpes Boy as Rochelle
- The Soloist as Troubled Woman
- Love at First Hiccup as Mrs. Hambrick
- Halloween II as Nurse Daniels
2008
- Raising the Bar as Arvina Watkins
- Seven Pounds as Kate the Home Health Care Nurse
- Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School as Dr. Evilini
- The Spleenectomy as Nurse
- Pretty Ugly People as Mary
2007
- The Big Bang Theory as Octavia
- The Graham Norton Show as Self
- Wizards of Waverly Place as Dr. Evilini
- The Nines as Streetwalker
- Cavemen
- Halfway Home
2006
- 30 Rock as Octavia Spencer
- Ugly Betty as Constance Grady
- Pulse as Landlady
- Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School as Ayisha Lebaron
- Standoff as Rapid Air Clerk
- The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman
2005
- American Dad! as Shonteeva (voice)
- Medium as Jurist
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as Self
- Coach Carter as Mrs. Battle
- Beauty Shop as Big Customer
- Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous as Middle-Aged Woman
- Pretty Persuasion as Woman
2004
- CSI: NY as Child Welfare Rep
- LAX as Flight Attendant
- Breakin' All the Rules as Stylist
- Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! as Janine
2003
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- Bad Santa as Opal
- S.W.A.T. as Neighbor in Alley
- Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde as Security Guard
- Sol Goode as Unemployment Clerk
- Chicken Party as Laqueta Mills
2002
- Spider-Man as Check-In Girl
- Little John as Waitress
- Presidio Med as Sheryl Washington
2001
- Grounded for Life
- The Journeyman as Black Belly
- Missing Pieces as Elegant Guest (as Octavia L. Spencer)
- The Sky is Falling as Nurse #2
- Follow the Stars Home as Hildy
- The Chronicle as Ruby Rydell
- Everything Put Together as Nurse B
2000
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Sherry
- Malcolm in the Middle as Cashier
- Big Momma's House as Twila
- American Virgin as Agnes Large
- Titus as Ms. Alice Hays
- What Planet Are You From? as Baby Nurse
- Four Dogs Playing Poker as Waitress
- Auto Motives as Rhonda
1999
- Roswell as Nurse
- Blue Streak as Shawna
- Never Been Kissed as Cynthia
- Being John Malkovich as Woman in Elevator
- Lansky as Evelyn
1998
- Becker as Ticket Woman
- Brimstone as Duty Nurse
- L.A. Doctors
1997
- Just Shoot Me! as Nurse
- Dharma & Greg as Gloria
- Sparkler as Wanda
- The 6th Man as Nativity Watson
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
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