Cast & creator
Octavia Spencer
Best known for Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
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.
Also known as: Octavia L. Spencer, Octavia Lenora Spencer
107
film credits
75
television credits
169
1951–2027 · acting roles
6.4
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (182)
Showing 182 of 182 credits
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self
2014The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self - Guest
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self
2014
The Daily Show
Self
1996
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Sherry
2000
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
2019
American Dad!
Shonteeva (voice)
2005
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host
1975
The Graham Norton Show
Self
2007
The View
Self
1997
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Self - Guest
2015
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self
2005
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self
2003Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
2003
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Self - Guest
2022
The X-Files
Nurse
1993
Young Sheldon
Officer Rhonda Tomasson
2017
Chicago Hope
Nurse Jane
1994
CSI: NY
Child Welfare Rep
2004
Medium
Jurist
2005
ER
Maria Jones
1994
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
2003
Malcolm in the Middle
Cashier
2000
30 Rock
Octavia Spencer
2006
Mom
Regina Tompkins
2013
black-ish
Octavia Spencer
2014
The Big Bang Theory
Octavia
2007
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self
2014
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self
2015
Ugly Betty
Constance Grady
2006
Wizards of Waverly Place
Dr. Evilini
2007
Spider-Man
Check-In Girl
2002
Moesha
Gloria
1996
Roswell
Nurse
1999
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Self
2014
Becker
Ticket Woman
1998
Grounded for Life
Admitting Nurse
2001
Just Shoot Me!
Nurse
1997
The Oscars
Self - Presenter
1953
Zootopia
Mrs. Otterton (voice)
2016
Drunk History
Harriet Tubman
2013
To Tell the Truth
Self - Panelist
2016
Dollhouse
Professor Janack
2009
Hidden Figures
Dorothy Vaughan
2016
Dharma & Greg
Gloria
1997
Truth Be Told
Poppy Scoville
2019Truth Be Told
Executive Producer
2019
Green Book
Executive Producer
2018
The Help
Minny Jackson
2011
Ride or Die
Debbie Claybourne
2026Ride or Die
Debbie
2026Ride or Die
Executive Producer
2026
Number One on the Call Sheet
Self
2025
The Shape of Water
Zelda Fuller
2017
Raising the Bar
Arvina Watkins
2008
Snowpiercer
Tanya
2013
Seven Pounds
Kate the Home Health Care Nurse
2008
L.A. Doctors
Bus Driver
1998
Entertainment Tonight
Self
1981
Titus
Ms. Alice Hays
2000
Brimstone
Duty Nurse
1998
Dolittle
Dab-Dab (voice)
2020
Onward
The Manticore (voice)
2020
Instant Family
Karen
2018
Roald Dahl's The Witches
Grandma
2020
Insurgent
Johanna Reyes
2015
A Time to Kill
Roark's Nurse
1996
LAX
Flight Attendant
2004
Gifted
Roberta Taylor
2017
Coach Carter
Mrs. Battle
2005
Blue Streak
Shawna
1999
Smurfs
Asmodius (voice)
2025
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
Team Martha
2016
Drag Me to Hell
Bank Co-Worker
2009
Allegiant
Johanna Reyes
2016
S.W.A.T.
Neighbor in Alley
2003
Big Momma's House
Twila
2000
Being John Malkovich
Woman in Elevator
1999
Presidio Med
Sheryl Washington
2002
The Shack
Papa / Elouisa
2017
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
Security Guard
2003
Halloween II
Nurse Daniels
2009
The Chronicle
Ruby Rydell
2001
Hollywood Black
Self (archive footage)
2024
Never Been Kissed
Cynthia
1999
Red Band Society
Nurse Jackson
2014
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
Middle-Aged Woman
2005
Ma
Sue Ann
2019Ma
Executive Producer
2019
The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman
2006
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
Martha (voice)
2013
Fruitvale Station
Wanda
2013Fruitvale Station
Co-Executive Producer
2013
Dinner for Schmucks
Madame Nora
2010
Bad Santa
Opal
2003
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
Madam C. J. Walker
2020Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
Executive Producer
2020
Cavemen
2007
Pretty Persuasion
Woman
2005
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Elegant guest
1951Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hildy
1951Hallmark Hall of Fame
Waitress
1951
Bad Santa 2
Opal
2016
Spirited
Kimberly
2022
Flypaper
Madge Wiggins
2011
Thunder Force
Emily Stanton
2021
Beauty Shop
Big Customer
2005
Tow
Barbara
2026Tow
Executive Producer
2026
Standoff
Rapid Air Clerk
2006
Fathers and Daughters
Dr. Corman
2015
Halfway Home
2007
Superintelligence
Octavia Spencer (voice)
2020
Pulse
Landlady
2006
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
Dr. Nance
2013
The Soloist
Troubled Woman
2009
Get On Up
Aunt Honey
2014
The Nines
Streetwalker
2007
The Great Gilly Hopkins
Miss Harris
2015
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
Janine
2004
What Planet Are You From?
Baby Nurse
2000
Margie Claus
(voice)
2027
Lansky
Evelyn
1999
HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé
Self
2019
Encounter
Hattie Hayes
2021
My Happy Place
Self
2025
Small Town Crime
Kelly Banks
2018Small Town Crime
Executive Producer
2018
Breakin' All the Rules
Stylist
2004
The 6th Man
Nativity Watson
1997
A Kid Like Jake
Judy
2018
The Santa Stories
Detective Grinchauser
2023
Black or White
Rowena Jeffers
2015
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School
Ayisha Lebaron
2006
The Free World
Linda Workman
2016
The Grass Harp
Extras Casting
1996
Family Recipe Showdown
Host
2025
The Sky is Falling
Nurse #2
2001
Smashed
Jenny
2012
American Virgin
Agnes Large
2000
Follow the Stars Home
Hildy
2001
Luce
Harriet Wilson
2019
Small Town Saturday Night
Rhonda Dooley
2010
Four Dogs Playing Poker
Waitress
2000
Pretty Ugly People
Mary
2008
Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School
Dr. Evilini
2008
The Spleenectomy
Nurse
2008
Love at First Hiccup
Mrs. Hambrick
2009
Love and Distrust
Rhonda (segment "Auto Motives")
2010The Heart
Sol Goode
Unemployment Clerk
2003
Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter
Self
2022
Lost Women of Highway 20
Self - Narrator (voice)
2023Lost Women of Highway 20
Executive Producer
2023
Valley Girls
Cheerleader
1996
Sparkler
Wanda
1997
Lost Women of Alaska
Self - Narrator (voice)
2026
Paradise
Loray
2013
Peep World
Alison
2010
The Journeyman
Black Belly
2001
Just Peck
Detention Teacher
2011
Auto Motives
Rhonda
2000
Lost on Purpose
Nurse Keller
2013
Everything Put Together
Nurse B
2001
Ma 2
Sue Ann
Death of a Salesman
Linda Loman
Death of a Salesman
Producer
Little John
Waitress
2002
Candid
Executive Producer
2017
Car Dogs
Mrs. Barrett
2016Untitled Holiday Comedy Project
Herpes Boy
Rochelle
2009Deck the Y'alls
Gladys Gibbes
Nobody Nothing Nowhere
Nobody Nothing Nowhere
Producer
Jesus People
Angel Angelique
2013
Becoming bell hooks
Self
2024
Chicken Party
Laqueta Mills
2003
Missing Pieces
Elegant Guest (as Octavia L. Spencer)
2001
Blues for Willadean
LeSonia Robinson
2012
The Quest for Sleep
Narrator
2022