Anecdotes

Is one of 8 African-American actresses to win the Oscar in a competitive category. The others in chronological order are Hattie McDaniel for Autant en emporte le vent (1939), Whoopi Goldberg for Ghost (1990), Halle Berry for À l'ombre de la haine (2001), Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2006), Mo'Nique for Precious (2009), Viola Davis for Fences (2016), and Regina King in Si Beale Street pouvait parler (2018).

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.

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

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

Between 1996 and 2013, Spencer has played a nurse at least 16 different times, including in movies such as Le Droit de tuer ? (1996) and Sept Vies (2008), as a regular on the television series City of Angels (2000) and in guest spots on series like Chicago Hope, la vie à tout prix (1994), X-Files : Aux frontières du réel (1993) and Roswell (1999).

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 La Couleur des sentiments (2011). The others to achieve this are Julia Roberts for Erin Brockovich, seule contre tous (2000), Renée Zellweger for Retour à Cold Mountain (2003), Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line (2005), Helen Mirren for The Queen (2006), Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2006), Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008), Mo'Nique for Precious (2009), Natalie Portman for Black Swan (2010), Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables (2012), Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine (2013), Patricia Arquette for Boyhood (2014) and Julianne Moore for Still Alice (2014).

As of 2018, she has been in 3 films that were Oscar nominated for Best Picture: La Couleur des sentiments (2011), Les Figures de l'ombre (2016), and La Forme de l'eau (2017). She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in all three of those films. La Forme de l'eau (2017) is a Best Picture winner.

She was named one of the '25 Funniest Actresses in Hollywood' by Entertainment Weekly. (avril 2009)

Has guest-starred on the sitcom Mom (2013) and starred in the movie Ma (2019), this time as the title role. Both productions co-star Allison Janney, who plays the title role in Mom (2013).

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on December 8, 2022. Allison Janney and Will Ferrell were guest speakers at the ceremony. Her Walk of Fame star is located in front of Ballet Hollywood.

In 2017, Octavia's performance in Les Figures de l'ombre (2016) lost the Best Supporting Actress Oscar to colleague and La Couleur des sentiments (2011) co-star Viola Davis' performance in Fences (2016).

The longest she has gone without an Academy Award nomination is the five years between La Couleur des sentiments (2011) and Les Figures de l'ombre (2016).

Her mother, Dellsena (Owens) Spencer (1945-1988), worked as a maid.

Is a lover of antiques.

Good friends with Melissa McCarthy. Friends with Viola Davis.

Founded production company Orit Entertainment.

Was the 139th actress to receive an Academy Award for one of the two actress categories, either Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress; she won the Best Supporting Actress Award for La Couleur des sentiments (2011) at The 84th Annual Academy Awards (2012) on February 26, 2012.

Attended Auburn University at Montgomery, and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Auburn University, where she majored in English with a double minor in journalism and theater.