An Actress With Southern Roots
When I received my copy in the mail of one of my favorite magazines titled, The Fall Style Issue – Southern Living I immediately sat down and flipped through it for a fast “first look.” What caught my eye at once was an interview with Oscar winner and author, Octavia Spencer who was born and raised in Alabama. Now, I’ve done over 500 interviews in the U.S. and India via phone, Skype and in-person but I have NEVER talked to anyone with these credentials. I was intrigued and noticed that the author of this piece, Allison Glock, had done a masterful job. Hence, my decision to break down this fascinating interview from four pages to 600-plus words for a Rathbone blog. Here goes:
Actress Octavia Spencer has appeared in The Witches with Anne Hathaway, plus a high-profile Netflix series about Madame C. J. Walker, who was the first African-American self-made millionaire. She will also be appearing in a Netflix comedy called Thunder Force with her friend Melissa McCarthy.
Q: Tell us about your childhood. You lost your father when you were very young.
A: We had nothing but we had a very strong mother who had a great work ethic. I was the sixth of seven children.
Q: How did your mother set an example for you and your siblings?
A: She had mouths to feed so she took on jobs to make sure we had everything that we needed.
Q: Do you enjoy cooking and entertaining?
A: No. I’m the entertained. I come over and bring a covered dish or a bagged salad.
Q: What would you say is the most Southern thing about you?
A: My faith. It’s the guiding force in my life. It keeps me grounded. The Golden Rule is my foundation.
Q: How much was church a part of your upbringing?
A: We didn’t have a car, so we only went to church on Sundays. The services were long but there was always some sort of eats afterward. You better feed people if you keep them there all day!
Q: So you headed into the church basement to dig into those casseroles?
A: Exactly. But now that I’m older I realize that our strongest bonds are made over meals.
Q: Do you ever find yourself defending the South?
A: I’ve learned to let people draw their own conclusions. But I hate it when people attribute all of these things ONLY to the South. It’s going on all over our country.
Q: Is there a film or TV show that gets the South right?
A: I can’t say. But I can tell you when the accents are wrong. I cringe at a terrible Southern accent.
Q: You also write mystery books for kids.
A: I grew up dyslexic so I read mysteries constantly to keep from falling behind. That’s when I fell in love with them.
Q: When did you realize that you had dyslexia?
A: Very early on but I had really supportive teachers. My homeroom teacher in the eighth grade, Miss Holly was a favorite.
Q: In your latest movie, Luce, you play a teacher, Harriet Wilson who is not exactly uplifting.
A: That was a really challenging part. Had there been a Harriet in my childhood, I would have languished rather than flourished.
Q: You actively option books and scripts that reflect diversity and voices that aren’t heard enough in Hollywood.
A: I’ve always wanted to create more opportunities for others through my production company.
Q: When you reflect on your life, what makes you the proudest?
A: I’m proud of the fact that I have the loveliest people in my family and friends – we don’t take our relationships for granted.
Q: Are you optimistic about what the future holds?
A: I’m not an optimist – I’m a realist. I see things exactly as they are. It’s not all terrible, but we still have a long way to go.
Shaun Nelson-Henrick