Octavia Spencer

Her mother, Dellsena Spencer (1945–1988), worked as a maid.

Her father died when she was thirteen.

Spencer received further Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress for playing other women in 1960s America, the mathematician Dorothy Vaughan in the biographical drama, Hidden Figures (2016), and a cleaning woman in the fantasy drama, The Shape of Water (2017).

Octavia Lenora Spencer (born May 25, 1970) is an American actress.

She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award, and is the first black actress to receive two consecutive Oscar nominations.

Spencer graduated from Jefferson Davis High School in 1988.

She studied at Auburn University at Montgomery, and graduated from Auburn University, where she majored in English with a double minor in journalism and theater.

Spencer has dyslexia.

In December 2021 and 2022, Auburn alumna Spencer bought food for students during finals week.

Spencer worked as an intern on the set of The Long Walk Home, a film starring Whoopi Goldberg.

Spencer made her film debut in the 1996 drama, A Time to Kill.

In 1997, she moved to Los Angeles on the advice of her friend Tate Taylor, the future director of The Help, in which Spencer would later star.

Spencer made her film debut as a nurse in Joel Schumacher's A Time to Kill, based on the book by John Grisham.

She was originally hired to work on casting, but asked Schumacher if she could audition for a part.

Other film credits include: Miss Congeniality 2, Never Been Kissed, Big Momma's House, Bad Santa, Spider-Man, Coach Carter, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! and Pretty Ugly People.

She has made a number of guest appearances on television series, including Raising the Bar, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Big Bang Theory, Wizards of Waverly Place, Grounded for Life, ER, Titus, Becker, 30 Rock and Dharma & Greg, plus a recurring role on the sitcom Mom.

She is also known for her starring roles as Serenity Johnson on Comedy Central's Halfway Home, and Constance Grady, the amorous INS caseworker on Ugly Betty.

In 2003, Spencer made her stage debut in Los Angeles, in Del Shores' play, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, starring opposite veteran actress Beth Grant.

It was her first and only play, as, she once explained, she suffers from what she called "intense stage fright".

Later that year, she starred opposite Allison Janney in Tate Taylor's short feature Chicken Party.

In 2008, Spencer's brief appearance in Seven Pounds as Kate, Rosario Dawson's home care nurse, garnered her high praise and media attention.

In April 2009, Entertainment Weekly listed Spencer as among its "25 Funniest Actresses in Hollywood".

In August 2009, Spencer appeared in Rob Zombie's Halloween II. She also had a role in the American remake of the Danish classic Love at First Hiccup, opposite Scout Taylor-Compton.

Spencer starred in the feature film Herpes Boy, alongside Beth Grant, Ahna O'Reilly and Byron Lane.

She played the voice of "Minny" on the audio version of novel The Help, by Kathryn Stockett.

Later that year, Spencer's short film The Captain was honored by the CICFF as a finalist for the REEL Poetry Award.

In August 2010, Spencer joined Viola Davis, Emma Stone and Bryce Dallas Howard in the period drama film The Help, an adaptation of the novel of the same name.

She played the feisty and unflappable maid Minny Jackson.

The film was written, produced and directed by Tate Taylor, and produced by Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan, and Mark Radcliffe.

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, for which she won several awards including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

She also starred in the films Smashed (2012), Snowpiercer (2013), Get On Up (2014), The Divergent Series (2015–16), The Shack (2017), Gifted (2017), Instant Family (2018), Luce (2019), Ma (2019), Onward (2020), and Spirited (2022).

She won the 2012 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for her work in The Help. On February 12, 2012, Spencer won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her Performance in The Help, and on February 26 she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the same performance; it was her first Oscar nomination and first win.

Spencer was given a standing ovation at the ceremony, and was moved to tears during her acceptance speech.

In June 2012, Spencer was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

For her performance in Ryan Coogler's biopic, Fruitvale Station (2013), she won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Spencer had a recurring role in the CBS sitcom, Mom (2013–2015) and a starring role in the Fox teen drama series Red Band Society (2014–2015).

She has published two books in the series, titled The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit (2013) and The Sweetest Heist in History (2015).

Octavia Lenora Spencer was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and has six siblings, including sisters Rosa and Areka Spencer.

She portrayed the lead role in the Apple TV+ drama series Truth Be Told (2019–2023), and received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for her portrayal of Madam C. J. Walker in the Netflix limited series Self Made (2020).

As an author, Spencer created the children's book series Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective.