Octavia Spencer
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

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

American Dad!

Medium

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Daily Show

Late Night with Seth Meyers
All Movies (98)
- Tow2026 · as Barbara
- Smurfs2025 · as Asmodius (voice)
- Becoming bell hooks2024 · as Self
- Spirited2022 · as Kimberly
- Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter2022 · as Self
- The Quest for Sleep2022 · as Narrator
- Encounter2021 · as Hattie Hayes
- Thunder Force2021 · as Emily Stanton
- Superintelligence2020 · as Octavia Spencer (voice)
- Roald Dahl's The Witches2020 · as Grandma
- Onward2020 · as The Manticore (voice)
- Dolittle2020 · as Dab-Dab (voice)
- Luce2019 · as Harriet Wilson
- Ma2019 · as Sue Ann
- HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé2019 · as Self
- Instant Family2018 · as Karen
- A Kid Like Jake2018 · as Judy
- Small Town Crime2018 · as Kelly Banks
- The Shape of Water2017 · as Zelda Fuller
- Gifted2017 · as Roberta Taylor
- The Shack2017 · as Papa / Elouisa
- Hidden Figures2016 · as Dorothy Vaughan
- Bad Santa 22016 · as Opal
- The Free World2016 · as Linda Workman
- Car Dogs2016 · as Mrs. Barrett
- Allegiant2016 · as Johanna Reyes
- Zootopia2016 · as Mrs. Otterton (voice)
- The Great Gilly Hopkins2015 · as Miss Harris
- Fathers and Daughters2015 · as Dr. Corman
- Insurgent2015 · as Johanna Reyes
- Black or White2015 · as Rowena Jeffers
- Get On Up2014 · as Aunt Honey
- Jesus People2013 · as Angel Angelique
- Paradise2013 · as Loray
- Lost on Purpose2013 · as Nurse Keller
- Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters2013 · as Martha (voice)
- Snowpiercer2013 · as Tanya
- Fruitvale Station2013 · as Wanda
- Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy2013 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Call Me Crazy: A Five Film2013 · as Dr. Nance
- Blues for Willadean2012 · as LeSonia Robinson
- Smashed2012 · as Jenny
- Flypaper2011 · as Madge Wiggins
- The Help2011 · as Minny Jackson
- Just Peck2011 · as Detention Teacher
- Peep World2010 · as Alison
- Love and Distrust2010 · as Rhonda (segment "Auto Motives")
- Dinner for Schmucks2010 · as Madame Nora
- Small Town Saturday Night2010 · as Rhonda Dooley
- Herpes Boy2009 · as Rochelle
- Halloween II2009 · as Nurse Daniels
- Drag Me to Hell2009 · as Bank Co-Worker
- The Soloist2009 · as Troubled Woman
- Love at First Hiccup2009 · as Mrs. Hambrick
- Seven Pounds2008 · as Kate the Home Health Care Nurse
- Pretty Ugly People2008 · as Mary
- The Spleenectomy2008 · as Nurse
- Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School2008 · as Dr. Evilini
- The Nines2007 · as Streetwalker
- Pulse2006 · as Landlady
- Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School2006 · as Ayisha Lebaron
- Beauty Shop2005 · as Big Customer
- Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous2005 · as Middle-Aged Woman
- Pretty Persuasion2005 · as Woman
- Coach Carter2005 · as Mrs. Battle
- Breakin' All the Rules2004 · as Stylist
- Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!2004 · as Janine
- Bad Santa2003 · as Opal
- Chicken Party2003 · as Laqueta Mills
- S.W.A.T.2003 · as Neighbor in Alley
- Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde2003 · as Security Guard
- Sol Goode2003 · as Unemployment Clerk
- Little John2002 · as Waitress
- Spider-Man2002 · as Check-In Girl
- Everything Put Together2001 · as Nurse B
- The Sky is Falling2001 · as Nurse #2
- Follow the Stars Home2001 · as Hildy
- The Journeyman2001 · as Black Belly
- Missing Pieces2001 · as Elegant Guest (as Octavia L. Spencer)
- Four Dogs Playing Poker2000 · as Waitress
- American Virgin2000 · as Agnes Large
- Big Momma's House2000 · as Twila
- Auto Motives2000 · as Rhonda
- What Planet Are You From?2000 · as Baby Nurse
- Being John Malkovich1999 · as Woman in Elevator
- Blue Streak1999 · as Shawna
- Never Been Kissed1999 · as Cynthia
- Lansky1999 · as Evelyn
- Sparkler1997 · as Wanda
- The 6th Man1997 · as Nativity Watson
- Valley Girls1996 · as Cheerleader
- A Time to Kill1996 · as Roark's Nurse
- Nobody Nothing Nowhere—
- Untitled Holiday Comedy Project—
- The Heart—
- Ma 2— · as Sue Ann
- Death of a Salesman— · as Linda Loman
- Deck the Y'alls— · as Gladys Gibbes
All TV Shows (69)
- Ride or Die2026 · as Debbie Claybourne
- Family Recipe Showdown2025 · as Host
- My Happy Place2025 · as Self
- Number One on the Call Sheet2025 · as Self
- Hollywood Black2024 · as Self (archive footage)
- The Santa Stories2023 · as Detective Grinchauser
- Lost Women of Highway 202023 · as Host
- The Jennifer Hudson Show2022 · as Self - Guest
- Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker2020 · as Madam C. J. Walker
- Truth Be Told2019 · as Poppy Scoville
- The Kelly Clarkson Show2019 · as Self
- Young Sheldon2017 · as Officer Rhonda Tomasson
- Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party2016 · as Team Martha
- To Tell the Truth2016 · as Self - Panelist
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter2015 · as Self
- The Late Late Show with James Corden2015 · as Self - Guest
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors2014 · as Self
- black-ish2014 · as Octavia Spencer
- Red Band Society2014 · as Nurse Jackson
- Late Night with Seth Meyers2014 · as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self - Guest
- Off Camera with Sam Jones2014 · as Self
- Mom2013 · as Regina Tompkins
- Drunk History2013 · as Harriet Tubman
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
- Dollhouse2009 · as Professor Janack
- Raising the Bar2008 · as Arvina Watkins
- Wizards of Waverly Place2007 · as Dr. Evilini
- Cavemen2007
- The Big Bang Theory2007 · as Octavia
- Halfway Home2007
- The Graham Norton Show2007 · as Self
- 30 Rock2006 · as Octavia Spencer
- Ugly Betty2006 · as Constance Grady
- Standoff2006 · as Rapid Air Clerk
- The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman2006
- American Dad!2005 · as Shonteeva (voice)
- Medium2005 · as Jurist
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson2005 · as Self
- CSI: NY2004 · as Child Welfare Rep
- LAX2004 · as Flight Attendant
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show2003 · as Self
- Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self
- Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self - Guest
- Presidio Med2002 · as Sheryl Washington
- The Chronicle2001 · as Ruby Rydell
- Grounded for Life2001 · as Admitting Nurse
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation2000 · as Sherry
- Titus2000 · as Ms. Alice Hays
- Malcolm in the Middle2000 · as Cashier
- Roswell1999 · as Nurse
- Becker1998 · as Ticket Woman
- Brimstone1998 · as Duty Nurse
- L.A. Doctors1998 · as Bus Driver
- Dharma & Greg1997 · as Gloria
- The View1997 · as Self
- Just Shoot Me!1997 · as Nurse
- The Daily Show1996 · as Self
- Moesha1996 · as Gloria
- ER1994 · as Maria Jones
- Chicago Hope1994 · as Nurse Jane
- The X-Files1993 · as Nurse
- Entertainment Tonight1981 · as Self
- Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Host
- The Oscars1953 · as Self - Presenter
- Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Elegant guest
- Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Waitress
- Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Hildy