Octavia Spencer is an Auburn Tiger, through and through, but her family looks a little more crimson these days.
While promoting the third season of her Apple TV+ series “Truth Be Told,” Spencer recently appeared on the “WTF with Marc Maron” podcast where she discussed her successful career in show business as well as her Alabama upbringing.
She said she is one of seven children, and she is next to the youngest in the family. “I am used to things being done for me,” she quipped to Maron.
To raise and support seven children (and with Spencer’s father not in her life, she said), her mom worked several jobs. “There’s so much that I learned about the resilience of women,” she told Maron.
The proud Auburn graduate talked about her family, most of whom still live in Alabama. She said one sister graduated with a doctorate from the University of Alabama. “I went to Auburn, so it’s kind of funny,” she said. “I’m an Auburn Tiger. If you’re from the South...if you’re from Alabama, you know the rivalry between Auburn and Alabama.
“Oh...,” Maron responded. “So you’ve had fights with your sisters?”
Spencer then opened up about her newly divided household. “I felt like we were pretty much an Auburn family when I was growing up,” she said. “And now it’s like, what is all this Crimson Tide? What is going on?”
The Montgomery-born actress and Auburn alumna has three best supporting actress Oscar nominations to her name for performances in “The Shape of Water,” “Hidden Figures” and “The Help.” She won for the latter. During her speech, she thanked the state of Alabama.
Spencer has barely taken a breath since her debut in 1996′s “A Time to Kill.” In 2020, she earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie thanks to her work in the Netflix show “Self Made: Inspired By The Life Of Madam C.J. Walker,” which she produced with LeBron James.
She co-starred in the Alabama-set re-adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “The Witches” on HBO Max, in collaboration with Oscar-winners Robert Zemeckis and Anne Hathaway. Add the Apple TV+ series “Truth Be Told,” plus the films “Dolittle,” “Onward” and “Superintelligence.” She also appeared in the Apple TV+ film “Spirited,” co-starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds.
Spencer was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 2022, and guess who was in attendance for the ceremony? Aubie, her alma mater’s mascot.
More on Octavia Spencer:
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