Octavia Spencer

Actor, Producer, Director

Birthdate: May 25, 1970

Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama, USA

Spencer is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, which she claims is the proverbial buckle of the Bible belt. She's the sixth of seven siblings and holds a BS in Liberal Arts from Auburn University. A "closet" lover of acting, this practical Alabamian knew that she'd someday work in the film industry, but never dreamed it would be in front of the camera. In 1995, acclaimed director Joel Schumacher changed all that by giving her a small part opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit film A Time to Kill, and Spencer was on her way. In 1996, she teamed up with Bullock again in Bullock's directorial debut of Making Sandwiches, a short film that premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.

Spencer made her stage debut in Los Angeles and originated the role of "LaSonia" (pronounced lasagna) in famed writer/director Del Shore's, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, starring opposite veteran actors Beth Grant, Dale Dickey and David Steen (2003). The play garnered Spencer and her fellow cast mates critical acclaim and a bevy of awards. Since then, Spencer has continued to see success as an actor in both film and television, working alongside Hollywood's elite. In February 2009, she was lauded by Los Angeles Times publication: The Envelope, for her brief but memorable performance in the Will Smith drama Seven Pounds.

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2025 |
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Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Musical
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Previous (33)

2022 |
Spirited
2022 |
The Heart
2022 |
The Quest for Sleep
2021 |
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2021 |
Encounter
Encounter
2021
R
1h 48m
Sci-Fi, Thriller
Two brothers embark on a journey with their father, who is trying to protect them from an alien threat.
2021 |
Thunder Force
Thunder Force
2021
PG-13
1h 45m
Action, Adventure, Comedy
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2020 |
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2020 |
The Rhinelander Affair
2020 |
The Witches
2020 |
Onward
Onward
2020
PG
1h 42m
Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy
7.4
In a magical world full of technological advances, elven brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot set out on an adventure to resurrect their late father for a day.
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2020 |
Dolittle
Dolittle
2020
PG
1h 41m
Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
5.6
A physician who can talk to animals embarks on an adventure to find a legendary island with a young apprentice and a crew of strange pets.
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2019 |
Fairy Tale Ending
2019 |
Luce
Luce
2019
R
1h 49m
Drama, Mystery
6.6
A married couple is forced to reckon with their idealized image of their son, adopted from war-torn Eritrea, after an alarming discovery by a devoted high school teacher threatens his status as an all-star student.
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2019 |
Ma
Ma
2019
R
1h 39m
Horror, Mystery, Thriller
5.6
A lonely woman befriends a group of teenagers and decides to let them party at her house. Just when the kids think their luck couldn't get any better, things start happening that make them question the intention of their host.
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2018 |
Instant Family
Instant Family
2018
PG-13
1h 58m
Comedy, Drama
7.3
A couple find themselves in over their heads when they foster three children.
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asKaren
2018 |
A Kid Like Jake
A Kid Like Jake
2018
R
1h 32m
Drama
5.6
Loving parents of a four-year-old must come to terms with their child being transgender.
2017 |
Small Town Crime
2017 |
The Shape of Water
The Shape of Water
2017
R
2h 3m
Drama, Fantasy, Romance
7.3
At a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.
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asZelda Fuller
2017 |
Gifted
Gifted
2017
PG-13
1h 41m
Drama
7.6
Frank, a single man raising his child prodigy niece Mary, is drawn into a custody battle with his mother.
2017 |
The Shack
The Shack
2017
PG-13
2h 12m
Drama, Fantasy
6.3
A grieving man receives a mysterious, personal invitation to meet with God at a place called "The Shack."
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asPapa
2016 |
Car Dogs
2016 |
The Free World
2016 |
Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures
2016
PG
2h 7m
Biography, Drama, History
7.8
Three female African-American mathematicians play a pivotal role in astronaut John Glenn's launch into orbit. Meanwhile, they also have to deal with racial and gender discrimination at work.
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asDorothy Vaughan
2016 |
Bad Santa 2
Bad Santa 2
2016
R
1h 32m
Comedy, Crime, Drama
5.6
Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred, Willie teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus, to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve.
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asOpal
2015 |
The Great Gilly Hopkins
2014 |
Black or White
2013 |
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2013 |
Fruitvale Station
Fruitvale Station
2013
R
1h 25m
Biography, Crime, Drama
7.5
The story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008.
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2012 |
Blues for Willadean
2011 |
The Help
The Help
2011
PG-13
2h 26m
Drama
An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.
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asMinny Jackson
2007 |
Coffee Will Make You Black
2006 |
Confessions in B-Flat
2005 |
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