Octavia Spencer, Biography, Movies & News

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Possessing the talent to make even the most minor of roles memorable, Octavia Spencer became a fixture early on, on both the small and big screens, in supporting roles that called for either a caring nurse or a mouthy blue-collar worker. After making her feature film debut in the crime drama A Time to Kill (1996), Spencer went on to appear on such popular programs as Chicago Hope (CBS, 1994-2000), The X-Files (Fox, 1993-2002), and the hit comedy Ugly Betty (ABC, 2006-2010). Spencer's perfect timing and natural sass also helped her land roles in feature comedies such as Big Momma's House (2000) and Beauty Shop (2005), as well as a breakout role on Comedy Central's Halfway Home (2007), appearing as a loudmouthed ex-con who is always picking fights with her housemates. After many years of paying her dues as background or supporting players, Spencer garnered much-deserved praise and an Oscar for her glowing performance in The Help (2011), based on Kathryn Stockett's best-selling novel of the same name. She was pitch-perfect as Minny Jackson, a determined and sharp-tongued maid who secretly helps an aspiring writer accurately chronicle the lives of African-American domestics in racially-charged 1960s Mississippi. The high-profile role finally thrust Spencer's talents into the forefront, earning her recognition as a truly multifaceted actress. Roles in films ranging from true-life tale of violence Fruitvale Station (2013) to dystopian science-fiction thriller Snowpiercer (2013) to animated smash Zootopia (2016) followed, as well as a second Oscar nomination for her supporting role in the biopic Hidden Figures (2016), highlighting a trio of African-American women whose work helped NASA win the Cold War space race.