Octavia Spencer

Octavia Spencer
Background information
Born	Octavia Lenora Spencer May 25, 1970 (age 49) Montgomery, Alabama, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actress, voice actress, comedian
Years active	1996-present

Octavia Lenora Spencer is an American actress, voice actress, and comedian. She is best known for her role as Minny Jackson in the Touchstone Pictures film The Help. For the role, she received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and was nominated in the same category for her roles as Dorothy Vaughan in the biographical drama film Hidden Figures and as Zelda Fuller in Guillermo del Toro's fantasy film The Shape of Water, both of which she received Best Supporting Actress nominations, simultaneously.

For Disney, she played Dr. Evilini in Wizards of Waverly Place and the voice of Mrs. Otterton in Zootopia. She also played Minny Jackson in the 2011 Touchstone Pictures adaptation of The Help. She voiced Corey the Manticore in the Pixar film Onward.

Disney Roles

Dr. Evilini
(Wizards of Waverly Place)

Mrs. Otterton
(Zootopia)

Corey the Manticore
(Onward)

Gallery

Octavia Spencer at premiere of The Help in October 2011.

Octavia Spencer attending the 65th annual Cannes Film Fest in May 2013.

Octavia Spencer speaks at the Red Band Society panel at the 2014 Summer TCA Tour.

Octavia Spencer visiting The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in September 2016.

Octavia Spencer arrives at the 89th annual Academy Awards in February 2017.

Octavia Spencer attending the 2018 Toronto International Film Fest.

Octavia Spencer speaks onstage during the 22nd annual Hollywood Film Awards in November 2018.

Octavia Spencer attending the 2019 Sundance Film Fest.

Octavia Spencer at premiere of Onward in February 2020.

Trivia

• At the 2012 BAFTA Awards, Spencer and director Tate Taylor talked with Miss Piggy for the latter's Orange Film red carpet show. Piggy told Spencer she was "splendid as Ringo [Starr]" in The Help, referring to The Beatles' song "Help!" Going along with the joke, Spencer corrected the pig, saying that she was actually "going more towards John [Lennon]," and felt as though she must've failed miserably.