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).
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Spirited
Kimberly
2022
The Quest for Sleep
Narrator
2022
Fathers and Daughters
Dr. Corman
2015
Black or White
Rowena Jeffers
2014
Get on Up
Aunt Honey
2014
Jesus People
Angel Angelique
2013
Paradise
Loray
2013
Lost on Purpose
Nurse Keller
2013
Snowpiercer
Tanya
2013
Fruitvale Station
Wanda
2013
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy
Narrator (voice)
2013
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
Dr. Nance
2013
Smashed
Jenny
2012
Flypaper
Madge Wiggins
2011
The Help
Minny Jackson
2011
Dinner for Schmucks
Madame Nora
2010
Small Town Saturday Night
Rhonda Dooley
2010
Herpes Boy
Rochelle
2009
Halloween II
Nurse Daniels
2009
Drag Me to Hell
Bank Co-Worker
2009
Love at First Hiccup
Mrs. Hambrick
2009
Seven Pounds
Kate the Home Health Care Nurse
2008
Pretty Ugly People
Mary
2008
The Spleenectomy
Nurse
2008
The Nines
Streetwalker
2007
Pulse
Landlady
2006
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School
Ayisha Lebaron
2006
Beauty Shop
Big Customer
2005
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
Middle-Aged Woman
2005
Coach Carter
Mrs. Battle
2005
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
Janine
2004
Sol Goode
Unemployment Clerk
2003
Little John
Waitress
2002
Spider-Man
Check-In Girl
2002
American Virgin
Agnes Large
2000
Big Momma's House
Twila
2000
Being John Malkovich
Woman in Elevator
1999
Nobody Nothing Nowhere
Smurfs
Asmodius (voice)
2025
Tow
2025
Becoming bell hooks
Self
2024
Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter
Self
2022
Luce
Harriet Wilson
2019
A Kid Like Jake
Judy
2018
Small Town Crime
Kelly Banks
2018
The Shape of Water
Zelda Fuller
2017
Gifted
Roberta Taylor
2017
Car Dogs
Mrs. Barrett
2017
The Shack
Papa / Elouisa
2017
Hidden Figures
Dorothy Vaughan
2016
Bad Santa 2
Opal
2016
The Free World
Linda Workman
2016
Allegiant
Johanna Reyes
2016
Zootopia
Mrs. Otterton (voice)
2016
The Great Gilly Hopkins
Miss Harris
2015
Insurgent
Johanna Reyes
2015
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
Martha (voice)
2013
Blues for Willadean
LeSonia Robinson
2012
Just Peck
Detention Teacher
2011
Peep World
Alison
2010
The Soloist
Troubled Woman
2009
Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School
Dr. Evilini
2008
Pretty Persuasion
Woman
2005
Breakin' All the Rules
Stylist
2004
S.W.A.T.
Neighbor in Alley
2003
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
Security Guard
2003
Everything Put Together
Nurse B
2001
The Sky is Falling
Nurse #2
2001
Follow the Stars Home
Hildy
2001
The Journeyman
Black Belly
2001
Missing Pieces
Elegant Guest (as Octavia L. Spencer)
2001
Four Dogs Playing Poker
Waitress
2000
What Planet Are You From?
Baby Nurse
2000
Blue Streak
Shawna
1999
Never Been Kissed
Cynthia
1999
Lansky
Evelyn
1999
Sparkler
Wanda
1997
The 6th Man
Nativity Watson
1997
A Time to Kill
Roark's Nurse
1996
Untitled Holiday Comedy Project
Encounter
Hattie Hayes
2021
Thunder Force
Emily Stanton
2021
Superintelligence
Octavia Spencer (voice)
2020
Roald Dahl's The Witches
Grandma
2020
Onward
The Manticore (voice)
2020
Dolittle
Dab-Dab (voice)
2020
Ma
Sue Ann
2019
HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé
Self
2019
Instant Family
Karen
2018
The Heart
Love and Distrust
Rhonda (segment "Auto Motives")
2010
Wizards of Waverly Place
Dr. Evilini · (2 episodes)
2007
Cavemen
(1 episode)
2007
The Big Bang Theory
Octavia · (1 episode)
2007
Halfway Home
(10 episodes)
2007
Ugly Betty
Constance Grady · (4 episodes)
2006
The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman
(1 episode)
2006
Medium
Jurist · (1 episode)
2005
CSI: NY
Child Welfare Rep · (1 episode)
2004
LAX
Flight Attendant · (6 episodes)
2004
Bad Santa
Opal
2003
Chicken Party
Laqueta Mills
2003
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self · (1 episode)
2003
Presidio Med
(1 episode)
2002
The Chronicle
Ruby Rydell · (22 episodes)
2001
Grounded for Life
(1 episode)
2001
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Sherry · (1 episode)
2000
Titus
(2 episodes)
2000
Malcolm in the Middle
Cashier · (1 episode)
2000
Becker
Ticket Woman · (1 episode)
1998
Valley Girls
Cheerleader
1996
Ma 2
Sue Ann
Family Recipe Showdown
Host · (1 episode)
2025
My Happy Place
Self · (6 episodes)
2025
Number One on the Call Sheet
Self · (1 episode)
2025
The Santa Stories
Detective Grinchauser · (1 episode)
2023
Lost Women of Highway 20
Host · (3 episodes)
2023
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Self · (2 episodes)
2022
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
Madam C. J. Walker · (4 episodes)
2020
Truth Be Told
Poppy Parnell · (18 episodes)
2019
Truth Be Told
Poppy Scoville · (10 episodes)
2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
(1 episode)
2019
Young Sheldon
Officer Rhonda Tomasson · (1 episode)
2017
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
Team Martha · (1 episode)
2016
To Tell the Truth
Self - Panelist · (1 episode)
2016
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self · (1 episode)
2014
black-ish
Octavia Spencer · (1 episode)
2014
Red Band Society
Nurse Jackson · (13 episodes)
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · (1 episode)
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self · (1 episode)
2014
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Self · (1 episode)
2014
Mom
Regina Tompkins · (9 episodes)
2013
Drunk History
Harriet Tubman · (1 episode)
2013
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2009
Dollhouse
Professor Janack · (1 episode)
2009
Raising the Bar
Arvina Watkins · (5 episodes)
2008
30 Rock
Octavia Spencer · (1 episode)
2006
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self · (1 episode)
2005
The Daily Show
Self · (1 episode)
1996
Ride or Die
Debbie · (2 episodes)
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (4 episodes)
2007
Standoff
Rapid Air Clerk · (1 episode)
2006
American Dad!
Shonteeva (voice) · (1 episode)
2005
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self · (2 episodes)
2003
Roswell
Nurse · (1 episode)
1999
Brimstone
Duty Nurse · (1 episode)
1998
L.A. Doctors
(1 episode)
1998
Dharma & Greg
Gloria · (1 episode)
1997
Just Shoot Me!
Nurse · (1 episode)
1997
Moesha
(1 episode)
1996
ER
Maria Jones · (1 episode)
1994
Chicago Hope
(1 episode)
1994
The X-Files
Nurse · (1 episode)
1993
Entertainment Tonight
Self · (1 episode)
1981
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1975
The Oscars
Self - Presenter · (1 episode)
1953
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Elegant guest · (1 episode)
1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Waitress · (1 episode)
1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hildy · (1 episode)
1951