Biografía

Is one of 8 African-American actresses to win the Oscar in a competitive category. The others in chronological order are Hattie McDaniel for Lo que el viento se llevó (1939), Whoopi Goldberg for Ghost (Más allá del amor) (1990), Halle Berry for Monster's Ball (2001), Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2006), Mo'Nique for Precious (2009), Viola Davis for Fences (2016), and Regina King in El blues de Beale Street (2018).

As a dyslexic, Octavia has to learn her character's lines by acting out the gist of the dialogue.

In 2017, Spencer became the first Black Actress to be nominated for an Academy Award after having already won one. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for a second time in 2017.

A lifelong fan of the horror/fantasy film genre, she claims to have seen every film directed and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro.

Is one of 11 actresses to win the Critic's Choice Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA, and Oscar in the same year, winning for Criadas y señoras (The Help) (2011). The others to achieve this are Julia Roberts for Erin Brockovich (2000), Renée Zellweger for Cold Mountain (2003), Reese Witherspoon for En la cuerda floja (2005), Helen Mirren for The Queen (La reina) (2006), Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2006), Kate Winslet for The Reader (El lector) (2008), Mo'Nique for Precious (2009), Natalie Portman for Cisne negro (2010), Anne Hathaway for Los miserables (2012), Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine (2013), Patricia Arquette for Boyhood. Momentos de una vida (2014) and Julianne Moore for Siempre Alice (2014).

I was not a Girl Scout, but I try to be very prepared. I triple-Spanx!

[on 'Smashed'] To say we did it on a shoestring budget would be putting it mildly. We did it on a dental-floss budget.

I was always a closet lover of acting. My mom was very practical. She never, ever restricted our dreams, always told us we could do or be anything. Then I said, 'Maybe I want to be an actor'. And she said, 'Maybe not that'.

[on her role as an alcoholic teacher in 'Smashed'] The subject matter is so relevant.People have been having issues with substance abuse since the dawn of time, I imagine, since they started fermenting fruit and vegetables, for God's sake. It was definitely an enlightening part to play. I'll say that I don't think you can throw a stone and not come in contact with someone who knows someone or has problems with substance abuse.

You can't rest on your laurels. Because if you go in there and stink up the room, they go, 'They gave that one an Oscar?'