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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
May 25, 1970
Place of Birth
Montgomery, Alabama, USA
Also Known As
- Octavia L. Spencer
- Octavia Lenora Spencer
Octavia Spencer
2.6 Popularity
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.
Known For
10.0
Host
Family Recipe Showdown
2025
5.9
Asmodius (voice)
Smurfs
2025
10.0
Barb
Tow
2025
0.0
Self
My Happy Place
2025
5.3
Self
Number One on the Call Sheet
2025
0.0
Self
Becoming bell hooks
2024
7.0
Detective Grinchauser
The Santa Stories
2023
8.2
Host
Lost Women of Highway 20
2023
6.9
Kimberly
Spirited
2022
8.0
Self
Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter
2022
Credits
Family Recipe Showdown
as Host
2025
10.0
Smurfs
as Asmodius (voice)
2025
5.9
Tow
as Barb
2025
10.0
My Happy Place
as Self
2025
0.0
Number One on the Call Sheet
as Self
2025
5.3
Becoming bell hooks
as Self
2024
0.0
The Santa Stories
as Detective Grinchauser
2023
7.0
Lost Women of Highway 20
as Host
2023
8.2
Spirited
as Kimberly
2022
6.9
Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter
as Self
2022
8.0
The Jennifer Hudson Show
as Self
2022
5.6
The Quest for Sleep
as Narrator
2022
7.0
Encounter
as Hattie Hayes
2021
6.3
Thunder Force
as Emily Stanton
2021
5.5
Superintelligence
as Octavia Spencer (voice)
2020
6.0
Roald Dahl's The Witches
as Grandma
2020
6.3
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
as Madam C. J. Walker
2020
7.4
Onward
as The Manticore (voice)
2020
7.6
Dolittle
as Dab-Dab (voice)
2020
6.6
Truth Be Told
as Poppy Scoville
2019
7.1
The Kelly Clarkson Show
as Self
2019
6.3
Luce
as Harriet Wilson
2019
6.4
Ma
as Sue Ann
2019
5.8
HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé
as Self
2019
8.1
Instant Family
as Karen
2018
7.5
A Kid Like Jake
as Judy
2018
6.0
Small Town Crime
as Kelly Banks
2018
6.4
The Shape of Water
as Zelda Fuller
2017
7.2
Young Sheldon
as Officer Rhonda Tomasson
2017
8.0
Gifted
as Roberta Taylor
2017
8.0
The Shack
as Papa / Elouisa
2017
7.5
Hidden Figures
as Dorothy Vaughan
2016
8.1
Bad Santa 2
as Opal
2016
5.4
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
as Team Martha
2016
8.5
The Free World
as Linda Workman
2016
6.2
To Tell the Truth
as Self - Panelist
2016
6.2
Car Dogs
as Mrs. Barrett
2016
5.5
Allegiant
as Johanna Reyes
2016
6.1
Zootopia
as Mrs. Otterton (voice)
2016
7.8
The Great Gilly Hopkins
as Miss Harris
2015
6.6
Fathers and Daughters
as Dr. Corman
2015
7.1
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
as Self
2015
6.2
Insurgent
as Johanna Reyes
2015
6.4
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
as Self
2014
4.6
black-ish
as Octavia Spencer
2014
7.1
Red Band Society
as Nurse Jackson
2014
7.2
Black or White
as Rowena Jeffers
2014
6.8
Get on Up
as Aunt Honey
2014
6.8
Late Night with Seth Meyers
as Self
2014
5.3
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
as Self
2014
5.9
Off Camera with Sam Jones
as Self
2014
4.0
Jesus People
as Angel Angelique
2013
4.0
Paradise
as Loray
2013
4.9
Lost on Purpose
as Nurse Keller
2013
4.3
Mom
as Regina Tompkins
2013
7.3
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
as Martha (voice)
2013
6.0
Snowpiercer
as Tanya
2013
6.9
Fruitvale Station
as Wanda
2013
7.4
Drunk History
as Harriet Tubman
2013
6.8
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy
as Self - Narrator (voice)
2013
6.6
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
as Dr. Nance
2013
6.9
Blues for Willadean
as LeSonia Robinson
2012
4.5
Smashed
as Jenny
2012
6.5
Flypaper
as Madge Wiggins
2011
6.4
The Help
as Minny Jackson
2011
8.2
Just Peck
as Detention Teacher
2011
5.3
Peep World
as Alison
2010
4.7
Love and Distrust
as Rhonda (segment "Auto Motives")
2010
3.7
Dinner for Schmucks
as Madame Nora
2010
5.7
Small Town Saturday Night
as Rhonda Dooley
2010
5.2
Herpes Boy
as Rochelle
2009
0.0
Halloween II
as Nurse Daniels
2009
5.3
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
as Self - Guest
2009
5.1
Drag Me to Hell
as Bank Co-Worker
2009
6.5
The Soloist
as Troubled Woman
2009
6.7
Dollhouse
as Professor Janack
2009
7.2
Love at First Hiccup
as Mrs. Hambrick
2009
5.4
Seven Pounds
as Kate the Home Health Care Nurse
2008
7.6
Pretty Ugly People
as Mary
2008
4.3
The Spleenectomy
as Nurse
2008
6.3
Raising the Bar
as Arvina Watkins
2008
6.6
Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School
as Dr. Evilini
2008
9.0
Wizards of Waverly Place
as Dr. Evilini
2007
8.6
Cavemen
2007
3.4
The Big Bang Theory
as Octavia
2007
7.9
Halfway Home
2007
6.8
The Graham Norton Show
as Self
2007
7.2
The Nines
as Streetwalker
2007
6.0
30 Rock
as Octavia Spencer
2006
7.5
Ugly Betty
as Constance Grady
2006
6.4
Standoff
as Rapid Air Clerk
2006
5.9
Pulse
as Landlady
2006
5.1
The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman
2006
5.8
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School
as Ayisha Lebaron
2006
5.9
Beauty Shop
as Big Customer
2005
6.3
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
as Middle-Aged Woman
2005
5.7
American Dad!
as Shonteeva (voice)
2005
7.0
Pretty Persuasion
as Woman
2005
5.8
Coach Carter
as Mrs. Battle
2005
7.6
Medium
as Jurist
2005
7.5
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
as Self
2005
6.7
CSI: NY
as Child Welfare Rep
2004
7.4
LAX
as Flight Attendant
2004
7.1
Breakin' All the Rules
as Stylist
2004
6.0
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
as Janine
2004
5.7
Bad Santa
as Opal
2003
6.5
Chicken Party
as Laqueta Mills
2003
0.0
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
as Self
2003
5.6
S.W.A.T.
as Neighbor in Alley
2003
6.2
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
as Security Guard
2003
5.7
Sol Goode
as Unemployment Clerk
2003
4.0
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self
2003
5.5
Presidio Med
as Sheryl Washington
2002
8.0
Little John
as Waitress
2002
6.2
Spider-Man
as Check-In Girl
2002
7.3
Everything Put Together
as Nurse B
2001
4.8
The Chronicle
as Ruby Rydell
2001
8.4
The Sky is Falling
as Nurse #2
2001
8.0
Follow the Stars Home
as Hildy
2001
6.2
The Journeyman
as Black Belly
2001
5.0
Grounded for Life
as Admitting Nurse
2001
6.8
Missing Pieces
as Elegant Guest (as Octavia L. Spencer)
2001
5.6
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
as Sherry
2000
7.6
Four Dogs Playing Poker
as Waitress
2000
3.5
American Virgin
as Agnes Large
2000
3.2
Big Momma's House
as Twila
2000
5.8
Titus
as Ms. Alice Hays
2000
6.9
🎬
Auto Motives
as Rhonda
2000
5.0
What Planet Are You From?
as Baby Nurse
2000
5.4
Malcolm in the Middle
as Cashier
2000
8.5
Being John Malkovich
as Woman in Elevator
1999
7.4
Roswell
as Nurse
1999
7.7
Blue Streak
as Shawna
1999
6.5
Never Been Kissed
as Cynthia
1999
6.2
Lansky
as Evelyn
1999
5.5
Becker
as Ticket Woman
1998
7.1
Brimstone
as Duty Nurse
1998
7.6
L.A. Doctors
as Bus Driver
1998
7.0
Sparkler
as Wanda
1997
2.3
Dharma & Greg
as Gloria
1997
6.4
The 6th Man
as Nativity Watson
1997
6.1
Just Shoot Me!
as Nurse
1997
6.6
Valley Girls
as Cheerleader
1996
0.0
A Time to Kill
as Roark's Nurse
1996
7.4
The Daily Show
as Self
1996
6.4
Moesha
as Gloria
1996
7.0
ER
as Maria Jones
1994
7.8
Chicago Hope
as Nurse Jane
1994
7.2
The X-Files
as Nurse
1993
8.4
Entertainment Tonight
as Self
1981
4.1
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Host
1975
7.0
The Oscars
as Self - Presenter
1953
7.0
Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Elegant guest
1951
8.6
Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Hildy
1951
8.6
Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Waitress
1951
8.6
🎬
The Heart
N/A
0.0
🎬
Ma 2
as Sue Ann
N/A
0.0
🎬
Nobody Nothing Nowhere
N/A
0.0
🎬
Untitled Holiday Comedy Project
N/A
0.0
🎬
Deck the Y'alls
as Gladys Gibbes
N/A
0.0
🎬
Death of a Salesman
as Linda Loman
N/A
0.0
🎬
Ride or Die
as Debbie
N/A
0.0