Oscar Winner Octavia Spencer Stays Humble

It's so great to have you here. We, there's a lot of females in this studio that are obsessed with your style.

Ah. Well, I love that.

And I just saw on your Twitter something about um an outfit you recently wore. And you were shocked by how many people are like, "Where did she get that?" and Does that still surprise you?

It does surprise me. It does. I, it was, and my style is, it was one of those things where, um normally they, we always have things picked out, and I just went into my closet because I'm thinking, "I don't need a fitting for this. This is festive." So I would do that. I would totally take advantage of every single situation. Oh, trust me. I do when I can. Um but it was just like time. And and I it was this just this little Diane von Furstenberg uh blouse and black jeans and it's like, "Oh my God. I got so many emails." And I thought, "Well, I might need to tweet about this." Cuz and then it'll answer all the questions.

Answer all the questions. Yeah. Tatiana, that baby doesn't deserve this. Oscar. No, he knows what's going on. So I guess that's why she asked me why you love taking your vacations more than you like being with her.

Well, you got to tell her I love her. Tell her, tell her I'm never going to leave.

Tell it yourself. So you know you had the premiere last night for Fruitvale Station. Yes. How was it sort of getting back together with the cast? Are you or there dancing? Are you guys guys kind of like a crazy cast? Or are you more subdued? How would you rate yourselves?

Well, I'm the old lady of that cast. And I'm only 31. Um I said that with a straight face. Um no, I I am the old lady of the group. We're a very, very strong group of people. And and and uh have mutual admiration and love for each other. But I'm not a partier. Uh not that those guys are. I I wave them on their way when they say, "We're gonna go." And know that the last next word out is "out." And I'm like, "You guys do that. I'm going to bed." I'm the

Anything beyond the after party?

Yes.

So I know um the director of this film, Ryan, talked about how when he first read this or first finished writing the script, it was right around the time you won the Oscar. And I think his agent had said to him, "Try to get her." And he said, "No way." He never thought that he'd be able to work with you. And I know when you won the Oscar, you sort of had that same expression. That you were really shocked by all the the success that you've had. And I think with this film in particular, you decided to produce to get the film out there.

Well, I I have to uh be honest. I really had nothing to do with getting the film made. I have to say a huge thank you to Nina Yang Bongiovi and Forest Whitaker because they were the ones who got the funds and everything for us to start the prod uh the process. But while we were filming, we lost some of our our funding. And um I also, you know, shamelessly called a lot of rich friends and said, "We need money." And I know you have it. And

Exactly. Guilted them into it.

And I kicked in some of my own funds. So I they, Nina and Boris offered me an executive producer credit because we were also able to get Anna O'Reilly, Kevin Durant, and Chad Michael Murray um uh involved because I was relentless with our agency, like, "I need them." And uh they signed on. So um I wanted to be a part of it because of what it means socially. The subject matter obviously.

Yeah. Yes. Absolutely. Yeah. It won an award at Sundance. It won the Grand Jury prize. And I know at Cannes there was a 10-minute standing ovation for the film. How would you sort of compare the because they're two very different festivals. Sundance is sort of like the snowy, cold, very laid back. And then people talk about Cannes, it's so huge but a lot of actors talk about it being very nerve-wracking because it's such a grand scale. What is sort of is your experience with both of them?

Well, Sundance is uh our our country's love. We got the audience award and the jury prize, which was unexpected. So to get, you know, validation from our own country from our big film community. And then to be accepted on the world stage is unparallelled, really. And I was so glad that, you know, Ryan got to experience it and Michael, Melanie, all of us got to be there. Anna. It's hard to to articulate how much. Especially when it's like the Little Engine That Could. That becomes bigger and bigger and it and it snowballs.

And I read something about you that you said that when you stop getting starstruck in this business, it's time to retire. And I thought that was so refreshing because so many people in this business play it cool. And I think you talked about when you met Spielberg and Oprah, you cried. And you fawned over Denzel Washington. Sort of who is the last person that you met that you

Uh, oddly enough, every time I see Norman Lear. I love him. His shows from the '70s and '80s are just amazing. So I I saw him last week at a function. I've met him before, but I had to go up to him and say, "Hello again." And and I get real, you know, I start to sweat and and Robert Redford was in the room and I did not have I I I didn't have it in me to go up and and accost him because I I knew that I would have verbal diarrhea and somebody would have to, you know, it wasn't about me and I didn't want to, you know, cloud the whole uh uh night. But um it was I I can't possibly go through life um without being able to be that exuberant. And and last night, Sidney Poitier and Edward James Olmos came to the L. A. um uh premiere. To know that those two men were in the room, it was humbling. It was humbling.

It's wonderful to have you here. Thank you. We're humbled by having you here.

Well, thanks.

Congratulations on a wonderful film.

I appreciate that.

Come back again.

Absolutely. And thanks, girls for loving my style.

We're gonna keep watching. And emulating your style, Octavia.

Oh, please. I'm trying to emulate yours.

Oh my gosh. I'm now I'm speechless.