Acting · Montgomery, Alabama, USA · Born May 25, 1970
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.
TVRide or Die
2026
as Debbie Claybourne
MovieTow
2026
as Barbara
TVFamily Recipe Showdown
2025
as Host
MovieSmurfs
2025
as Asmodius (voice)
TVMy Happy Place
2025
as Self
TVNumber One on the Call Sheet
2025
as Self
TVHollywood Black
2024
as Self (archive footage)
MovieBecoming bell hooks
2024
as Self
TVThe Santa Stories
2023
as Detective Grinchauser
TVLost Women of Highway 20
2023
as Host
MovieSpirited
2022
as Kimberly
MovieNorman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter
2022
as Self
TVThe Jennifer Hudson Show
2022
as Self - Guest
MovieThe Quest for Sleep
2022
as Narrator
MovieEncounter
2021
as Hattie Hayes
MovieThunder Force
2021
as Emily Stanton
MovieSuperintelligence
2020
as Octavia Spencer (voice)
MovieRoald Dahl's The Witches
2020
as Grandma
TVSelf Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
2020
as Madam C. J. Walker
MovieOnward
2020
as The Manticore (voice)
MovieDolittle
2020
as Dab-Dab (voice)
TVTruth Be Told
2019
as Poppy Scoville
TVThe Kelly Clarkson Show
2019
as Self
MovieLuce
2019
as Harriet Wilson
MovieMa
2019
as Sue Ann
MovieHOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé
2019
as Self
MovieInstant Family
2018
as Karen
MovieA Kid Like Jake
2018
as Judy
MovieSmall Town Crime
2018
as Kelly Banks
MovieThe Shape of Water
2017
as Zelda Fuller
TVYoung Sheldon
2017
as Officer Rhonda Tomasson
MovieGifted
2017
as Roberta Taylor
MovieThe Shack
2017
as Papa / Elouisa
MovieHidden Figures
2016
as Dorothy Vaughan
MovieBad Santa 2
2016
as Opal
TVMartha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
2016
as Team Martha
MovieThe Free World
2016
as Linda Workman
TVTo Tell the Truth
2016
as Self - Panelist
MovieCar Dogs
2016
as Mrs. Barrett
MovieAllegiant
2016
as Johanna Reyes
MovieZootopia
2016
as Mrs. Otterton (voice)
MovieThe Great Gilly Hopkins
2015
as Miss Harris
MovieFathers and Daughters
2015
as Dr. Corman
TVClose Up with The Hollywood Reporter
2015
as Self
TVThe Late Late Show with James Corden
2015
as Self - Guest
MovieInsurgent
2015
as Johanna Reyes
MovieBlack or White
2015
as Rowena Jeffers
TVVariety Studio: Actors on Actors
2014
as Self
TVblack-ish
2014
as Octavia Spencer
TVRed Band Society
2014
as Nurse Jackson
MovieGet On Up
2014
as Aunt Honey
TVLate Night with Seth Meyers
2014
as Self
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
as Self
TVOff Camera with Sam Jones
2014
as Self
MovieJesus People
2013
as Angel Angelique
MovieParadise
2013
as Loray
MovieLost on Purpose
2013
as Nurse Keller
TVMom
2013
as Regina Tompkins
MoviePercy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
2013
as Martha (voice)
MovieSnowpiercer
2013
as Tanya
MovieFruitvale Station
2013
as Wanda
TVDrunk History
2013
as Harriet Tubman
MovieLetters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy
2013
as Self - Narrator (voice)
MovieCall Me Crazy: A Five Film
2013
as Dr. Nance
MovieBlues for Willadean
2012
as LeSonia Robinson
MovieSmashed
2012
as Jenny
MovieFlypaper
2011
as Madge Wiggins
MovieThe Help
2011
as Minny Jackson
MovieJust Peck
2011
as Detention Teacher
MoviePeep World
2010
as Alison
MovieLove and Distrust
2010
as Rhonda (segment "Auto Motives")
MovieDinner for Schmucks
2010
as Madame Nora
MovieSmall Town Saturday Night
2010
as Rhonda Dooley
MovieHerpes Boy
2009
as Rochelle
MovieHalloween II
2009
as Nurse Daniels
TVWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
as Self - Guest
MovieDrag Me to Hell
2009
as Bank Co-Worker
MovieThe Soloist
2009
as Troubled Woman
TVDollhouse
2009
as Professor Janack
MovieLove at First Hiccup
2009
as Mrs. Hambrick
MovieSeven Pounds
2008
as Kate the Home Health Care Nurse
MoviePretty Ugly People
2008
as Mary
MovieThe Spleenectomy
2008
as Nurse
TVRaising the Bar
2008
as Arvina Watkins
MovieWizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School
2008
as Dr. Evilini
TVWizards of Waverly Place
2007
as Dr. Evilini
TVCavemen
2007
TVThe Big Bang Theory
2007
as Octavia
TVHalfway Home
2007
TVThe Graham Norton Show
2007
as Self
MovieThe Nines
2007
as Streetwalker
TV30 Rock
2006
as Octavia Spencer
TVUgly Betty
2006
as Constance Grady
TVStandoff
2006
as Rapid Air Clerk
MoviePulse
2006
as Landlady
TVThe Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman
2006
MovieMarilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School
2006
as Ayisha Lebaron
MovieBeauty Shop
2005
as Big Customer
MovieMiss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
2005
as Middle-Aged Woman
TVAmerican Dad!
2005
as Shonteeva (voice)
MoviePretty Persuasion
2005
as Woman
MovieCoach Carter
2005
as Mrs. Battle
TVMedium
2005
as Jurist
TVThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
2005
as Self
TVCSI: NY
2004
as Child Welfare Rep
TVLAX
2004
as Flight Attendant
MovieBreakin' All the Rules
2004
as Stylist
MovieWin a Date with Tad Hamilton!
2004
as Janine
MovieBad Santa
2003
as Opal
MovieChicken Party
2003
as Laqueta Mills
TVThe Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003
as Self
MovieS.W.A.T.
2003
as Neighbor in Alley
MovieLegally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
2003
as Security Guard
MovieSol Goode
2003
as Unemployment Clerk
TVJimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self
TVPresidio Med
2002
as Sheryl Washington
MovieLittle John
2002
as Waitress
MovieSpider-Man
2002
as Check-In Girl
MovieEverything Put Together
2001
as Nurse B
TVThe Chronicle
2001
as Ruby Rydell
MovieThe Sky is Falling
2001
as Nurse #2
MovieFollow the Stars Home
2001
as Hildy
MovieThe Journeyman
2001
as Black Belly
TVGrounded for Life
2001
as Admitting Nurse
MovieMissing Pieces
2001
as Elegant Guest (as Octavia L. Spencer)
TVCSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
as Sherry
MovieFour Dogs Playing Poker
2000
as Waitress
MovieAmerican Virgin
2000
as Agnes Large
MovieBig Momma's House
2000
as Twila
TVTitus
2000
as Ms. Alice Hays
Auto Motives
2000
as Rhonda
MovieWhat Planet Are You From?
2000
as Baby Nurse
TVMalcolm in the Middle
2000
as Cashier
MovieBeing John Malkovich
1999
as Woman in Elevator
TVRoswell
1999
as Nurse
MovieBlue Streak
1999
as Shawna
MovieNever Been Kissed
1999
as Cynthia
MovieLansky
1999
as Evelyn
TVBecker
1998
as Ticket Woman
TVBrimstone
1998
as Duty Nurse
TVL.A. Doctors
1998
as Bus Driver
MovieSparkler
1997
as Wanda
TVDharma & Greg
1997
as Gloria
TVThe View
1997
as Self
MovieThe 6th Man
1997
as Nativity Watson
TVJust Shoot Me!
1997
as Nurse
MovieValley Girls
1996
as Cheerleader
MovieA Time to Kill
1996
as Roark's Nurse
TVThe Daily Show
1996
as Self
TVMoesha
1996
as Gloria
TVER
1994
as Maria Jones
TVChicago Hope
1994
as Nurse Jane
TVThe X-Files
1993
as Nurse
TVEntertainment Tonight
1981
as Self
TVSaturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Host
TVThe Oscars
1953
as Self - Presenter
TVHallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Elegant guest
Nobody Nothing Nowhere
Untitled Holiday Comedy Project
The Heart
MovieMa 2
as Sue Ann
Death of a Salesman
as Linda Loman
Deck the Y'alls
as Gladys Gibbes
