Octavia Spencer
Acting • Born 1970-05-25
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
163 credits
Being John Malkovich
Movie • 1999
Woman in Elevator
Spider-Man
Movie • 2002
Check-In Girl
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
Movie • 2005
Middle-Aged Woman
Nobody Nothing Nowhere
Movie
Never Been Kissed
Movie • 1999
Cynthia
Seven Pounds
Movie • 2008
Kate the Home Health Care Nurse
Halloween II
Movie • 2009
Nurse Daniels
Sol Goode
Movie • 2003
Unemployment Clerk
Coach Carter
Movie • 2005
Mrs. Battle
Pretty Ugly People
Movie • 2008
Mary
The Nines
Movie • 2007
Streetwalker
Big Momma's House
Movie • 2000
Twila
Pulse
Movie • 2006
Landlady
Spirited
Movie • 2022
Kimberly
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
Movie • 2004
Janine
Beauty Shop
Movie • 2005
Big Customer
Love at First Hiccup
Movie • 2009
Mrs. Hambrick
American Virgin
Movie • 2000
Agnes Large
Flypaper
Movie • 2011
Madge Wiggins
Dinner for Schmucks
Movie • 2010
Madame Nora
Drag Me to Hell
Movie • 2009
Bank Co-Worker
Small Town Saturday Night
Movie • 2010
Rhonda Dooley
The Help
Movie • 2011
Minny Jackson
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School
Movie • 2006
Ayisha Lebaron
Smashed
Movie • 2012
Jenny
The Spleenectomy
Movie • 2008
Nurse
Snowpiercer
Movie • 2013
Tanya
Little John
Movie • 2002
Waitress
The Quest for Sleep
Movie • 2022
Narrator
Paradise
Movie • 2013
Loray
Fruitvale Station
Movie • 2013
Wanda
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
Movie • 2013
Dr. Nance
Herpes Boy
Movie • 2009
Rochelle
Lost on Purpose
Movie • 2013
Nurse Keller
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy
Movie • 2013
Self - Narrator (voice)
Black or White
Movie • 2014
Rowena Jeffers
Get On Up
Movie • 2014
Aunt Honey
Sparkler
Movie • 1997
Wanda
Fathers and Daughters
Movie • 2015
Dr. Corman
Jesus People
Movie • 2013
Angel Angelique
Blues for Willadean
Movie • 2012
LeSonia Robinson
Insurgent
Movie • 2015
Johanna Reyes
Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter
Movie • 2022
Self
Becoming bell hooks
Movie • 2024
Self
The Shack
Movie • 2017
Papa / Elouisa
Tow
Movie • 2026
Barb
Smurfs
Movie • 2025
Asmodius (voice)
Zootopia
Movie • 2016
Mrs. Otterton (voice)
The Great Gilly Hopkins
Movie • 2015
Miss Harris
The Free World
Movie • 2016
Linda Workman
Allegiant
Movie • 2016
Johanna Reyes
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
Movie • 2003
Security Guard
Hidden Figures
Movie • 2016
Dorothy Vaughan
Gifted
Movie • 2017
Roberta Taylor
Small Town Crime
Movie • 2018
Kelly Banks
Blue Streak
Movie • 1999
Shawna
The Shape of Water
Movie • 2017
Zelda Fuller
Just Peck
Movie • 2011
Detention Teacher
Bad Santa 2
Movie • 2016
Opal
Four Dogs Playing Poker
Movie • 2000
Waitress
Follow the Stars Home
Movie • 2001
Hildy
The Sky is Falling
Movie • 2001
Nurse #2
Pretty Persuasion
Movie • 2005
Woman
Lansky
Movie • 1999
Evelyn
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
Movie • 2013
Martha (voice)
Missing Pieces
Movie • 2001
Elegant Guest (as Octavia L. Spencer)
What Planet Are You From?
Movie • 2000
Baby Nurse
S.W.A.T.
Movie • 2003
Neighbor in Alley
Everything Put Together
Movie • 2001
Nurse B
Peep World
Movie • 2010
Alison
A Time to Kill
Movie • 1996
Roark's Nurse
Breakin' All the Rules
Movie • 2004
Stylist
The Soloist
Movie • 2009
Troubled Woman
The Journeyman
Movie • 2001
Black Belly
The 6th Man
Movie • 1997
Nativity Watson
Car Dogs
Movie • 2016
Mrs. Barrett
A Kid Like Jake
Movie • 2018
Judy
Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School
Movie • 2008
Dr. Evilini
Luce
Movie • 2019
Harriet Wilson
Untitled Holiday Comedy Project
Movie
Ma
Movie • 2019
Sue Ann
Instant Family
Movie • 2018
Karen
Onward
Movie • 2020
The Manticore (voice)
Roald Dahl's The Witches
Movie • 2020
Grandma
HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé
Movie • 2019
Self
Thunder Force
Movie • 2021
Emily Stanton
The Heart
Movie
Dolittle
Movie • 2020
Dab-Dab (voice)
Chicken Party
Movie • 2003
Laqueta Mills
Encounter
Movie • 2021
Hattie Hayes
Love and Distrust
Movie • 2010
Rhonda (segment "Auto Motives")
Superintelligence
Movie • 2020
Octavia Spencer (voice)
Valley Girls
Movie • 1996
Cheerleader
Bad Santa
Movie • 2003
Opal
Ma 2
Movie
Sue Ann
Death of a Salesman
Movie
Linda Loman
Deck the Y'alls
Movie
Gladys Gibbes
Auto Motives
Movie • 2000
Rhonda
Presidio Med
TV • 2002
Sheryl Washington
Medium
TV • 2005
Jurist
Titus
TV • 2000
Ms. Alice Hays
The Big Bang Theory
TV • 2007
Octavia
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
TV • 2000
Sherry
The Chronicle
TV • 2001
Ruby Rydell
Malcolm in the Middle
TV • 2000
Cashier
CSI: NY
TV • 2004
Child Welfare Rep
Dharma & Greg
TV • 1997
Gloria
Wizards of Waverly Place
TV • 2007
Dr. Evilini
Moesha
TV • 1996
Gloria
Halfway Home
TV • 2007
LAX
TV • 2004
Flight Attendant
Cavemen
TV • 2007
The X-Files
TV • 1993
Nurse
Becker
TV • 1998
Ticket Woman
Roswell
TV • 1999
Nurse
Ugly Betty
TV • 2006
Constance Grady
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV • 2003
Self
Grounded for Life
TV • 2001
Admitting Nurse
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV • 1951
Elegant guest
Just Shoot Me!
TV • 1997
Nurse
Chicago Hope
TV • 1994
Nurse Jane
ER
TV • 1994
Maria Jones
The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman
TV • 2006
Dollhouse
TV • 2009
Professor Janack
Raising the Bar
TV • 2008
Arvina Watkins
Mom
TV • 2013
Regina Tompkins
Red Band Society
TV • 2014
Nurse Jackson
The Daily Show
TV • 1996
Self
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
TV • 2005
Self
Drunk History
TV • 2013
Harriet Tubman
Late Night with Seth Meyers
TV • 2014
Self
30 Rock
TV • 2006
Octavia Spencer
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
TV • 2014
Self
Lost Women of Highway 20
TV • 2023
Host
The Jennifer Hudson Show
TV • 2022
Self
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TV • 2019
Self
Truth Be Told
TV • 2019
Poppy Scoville
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV • 1951
Hildy
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV • 1951
Waitress
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV • 2009
Self - Guest
The Santa Stories
TV • 2023
Detective Grinchauser
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Host
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
TV • 2016
Team Martha
black-ish
TV • 2014
Octavia Spencer
The Oscars
TV • 1953
Self - Presenter
To Tell the Truth
TV • 2016
Self - Panelist
Entertainment Tonight
TV • 1981
Self
The Graham Norton Show
TV • 2007
Self
Young Sheldon
TV • 2017
Officer Rhonda Tomasson
Standoff
TV • 2006
Rapid Air Clerk
American Dad!
TV • 2005
Shonteeva (voice)
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
TV • 2015
Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
TV • 2020
Madam C. J. Walker
Off Camera with Sam Jones
TV • 2014
Self
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
TV • 2014
Self
Number One on the Call Sheet
TV • 2025
Self
L.A. Doctors
TV • 1998
Bus Driver
My Happy Place
TV • 2025
Self
Brimstone
TV • 1998
Duty Nurse
Family Recipe Showdown
TV • 2025
Host
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self - Guest
The Late Late Show with James Corden
TV • 2015
Self - Guest