Octavia Spencer Biography

A veteran character actress and one of Hollywood's most sought-after talents, Octavia Spencer has become a familiar fixture on both television and the silver screen. Her critically acclaimed performance as Minny in DreamWork's feature film "The Help" won her the 2012 Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, SAG Award, and Broadcast Film Critic's Choice Award among numerous other honors.

In 2015, Spencer starred as Johanna, the leader of the Amity faction, in "Insurgent", the second installment of Lionsgate/Summit's highly successful franchise, opposite Shailene Woodley, Theo James and Kate Winslet.

Spencer can also be seen in the action-adventure "Snowpiercer" (2013), opposite Tilda Swinton and Chris Evans, in Tate Taylor's "Get On Up" (2014), a chronicle of musician James Brown's rise to fame that also stars Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman, the drama "Black or White" (2014) alongside Kevin Costner, "Fathers and Daughters" (2015) with Quvenzhane Wallis, Diane Kruger, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, and Aaron Paul, and worked opposite Sophie Nelisse, Glenn Close, Kathy Bates and Danny Glover in "The Great Gilly Hopkins", the adaptation of Katherine Peterson's young adult, Newberry Award-winning novel.

In addition to her busy slate on the silver screen, Octavia made her network television debut as a series regular on Fox's highly anticipated drama "Red Band Society". From writer Margaret Nagle (Boardwalk Empire) and Amblin TV thru ABC Studios, Red Band Society is the most unlikely of High School shows. Employing a generous dose of humor, it follows a group of teenagers who meet as patients in the children's wing of a hospital and become unlikely allies and friends. Octavia plays Nurse Jackson, the Head Nurse in the Pediatric ward.

Octavia was also seen in the indie-drama Fruitvale Station which follows the final hours of Oscar Grant's life, a young man whose death sparked national outrage after video footage of his shooting was released to the public on New Year's Eve 2009. Fruitvale Station won several prestigious awards including both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for US Dramatic films at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, the Un Certain Regard Award for Prix de l'avenir at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, was named one of AFI's Films of the Year and received nominations for the 2014 Spirit Awards and NAACP Image Awards. Octavia was awarded "Best Supporting Actress" from the National Board of Review for her performance in the film and received an individual nomination from the NAACP Image Awards. She also served as a producer on the film.

Spencer starred in Diablo Cody's directorial debut, "Paradise", alongside Russell Brand and Julianne Hough, and in "Smashed", an independent film which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival that also starred Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul and Megan Mullally. She co-starred in Bryce Dallas Howard's directed segment of "Call Me Crazy: A Five Film", an anthology of five short films focused on various stories of mental illness. Produced by Jennifer Aniston, the Lifetime Original Movie Event also includes films directed by Laura Dern, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bonnie Hunt, Ashley Judd and Sharon Maguire.

Octavia's acting career began with her big screen debut in 1995 in Joel Schumacher's "A Time To Kill", opposite Sandra Bullock. Since that time, she has built a diverse and impressive resume and in 2009 was lauded by EntertainmentWeekly.com for her comedic timing when she was named to their esteemed list of the "25 Funniest Actresses in Hollywood."

Octavia's extensive feature film credits include Blues for Willadean, Fly Paper, Peep World, Dinner For Schmucks, Small Town Saturday Night, Herpes Boy, Halloween II, The Soloist, Drag Me To Hell, Seven Pounds, Pretty Ugly People, Coach Carter, Charm School, Win A Date With Tad Hamilton, Bad Santa, Spiderman, Big Momma's House, Being John Malkovich and Never Been Kissed. In 2009, Octavia directed and produced a short film entitled The Captain, which was a finalist for the coveted "Poetry Foundation Prize" at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival.

On television, Octavia can be seen guest starring in the CBS series "Mom", a comedy that centers on a newly sober mom attempting to pull her life together. Additionally, she made a memorable guest appearance in the final season of "30 Rock", starred in the Comedy Central series "Halfway Home" and appeared in a five-episode arc as the character Constance Grady on the hit series "Ugly Betty". Octavia has been seen in guest-starring roles on shows including The Big Bang Theory, E.R., CSI, CSI: NY, Raising The Bar, Medium, and NYPD Blue.

Among her many other professional achievements, Octavia has co-authored an interactive mystery series for children called Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective. The first title in the series, Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective: The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit was published by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing in Fall 2013.

Octavia is a native of Montgomery, Alabama and holds a BS in Liberal Arts from Auburn University. She currently resides in Los Angeles.

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