From the lesser-known to the best, there are plenty of her performances
Octavia Spencer is an actress, author, and producer who happen to be one of the two women of colour to have received three Oscar nominations and the first black actress to receive two consecutive nominations. After making her film debut with the 1996 drama A Time to Kill, it was in 2011 that her breakthrough role came along, giving Spencer much-needed recognition. It was the famous role of a maid set in the 1960s of America in the film named The Helps. As a result, Octavia Spencer receives accolades that include the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Here is a list of her best movies to watch.
Being John Malkovich
This 1999 fantasy comedy film by director Spike Jonze stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, and Catherine Keener, with Octavia Spencer having a cameo. It was one of her early movies when she appeared just as a woman in an elevator. Spencer doesn't have many lines in the scene of the movie altogether but is a movie worth mentioning.
The Great Gilly Hopkins
This 2015 comedy-drama film by director Stephen Herek is based on author Katherine Paterson's 1978 children's book of the same name. The film stars Sophie Nélisse, Kathy Bates, Julia Stiles, and Billy Magnussen, besides Octavia Spencer. This film is different from mainstream cinema as it puts out the real heart and soul of the film, showing what it really means to understand a child. The story revolves around Gilly, an outspoken, rebellious girl who lives in a foster home but leads to staging her escape with her birth mother leading to various ups and downs.
Fathers and Daughters
This 2015 drama film by director Gabriele Muccino stars Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Kylie Rogers, and Octavia Spencer. The film is about exploring the family dynamics of a father and a daughter, who, after losing their anchor –one lost his mother the other the love of his life – are out there on their own to build back the relationship.
A few other of her movies are Fruitvale Station, Hidden Figures, The Shape of Water, Halloween II, Smashed, Snowpiercer, Get on Up, The Divergent Series, Gifted, Instant Family, Onward, The Shack, Luce, Paradise, and Ma. A few of Spencer’s television roles are Mom, Red Band Society, Truth Be Told, and Self Made. As for her role as an author, Spencer has created the children's book series Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective, and has published two books in the series, titled The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit and The Sweetest Heist in History.
