This is just a reminder that Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer is awesome. Yesterday Octavia was awarded the Woman of the Year award by the Hasty Pudding Theatrical society of Harvard. This usually includes a parade, lots of drinking (which it doesn’t seem like Octavia partook in) and all sorts of hijinks for the honoree. Before we get into Octavia’s gracious words, I just want to mention that she’s the first African-American Oscar-winning actress to also be nominated for an Academy Award the following year. (She very much deserved a supporting actress nom for Hidden Figures, I only wish that Taraji was nominated too. Hopefully there were be more chances for both of them, especially given the massive success of that film.) Here are some quotes from Octavia at the event. I admire how she so deftly answered the question about our new orange overlord.
On being named the Hasting Pudding Woman of the year
That really touches my heart because I have the luxury now of getting to choose … the characters that I play. One of the things that I like to do is choose movies … that will allow for a little escapism but also educate while entertaining, and I think ‘Hidden Figures’ does that on so many levels.On how the Hasty Pudding pot compares to her Oscar
That pot was hard to get. It was difficult to get, but it was one that will be forever indelibly etched in my memories. This has just been so much fun today.On shoving a “mock poop pie” pie in the face of a woman dressed as that Woody Woodpecker bitch
We have a new president, and I’m waiting for him to demonstrate that he will be president of all of us of these United States, so in that moment of levity, I enjoyed giving her the pie. She’s a woman and she needs to understand why women are speaking out in fear of some of the rights we’ve already litigated being revisited.On Mary Tyler Moore passing
[She changed] how we view women, and how we view independent women. It’s definitely a loss for the entertainment community as well as the public at large because she shaped a generation of independents and she will definitely be missed.”
[From THR, Jezebel and NY Daily News]
The way she talks about Agent Orange sounds similar to how Obama would answer this question. You know what’s behind their remarks, which sound so classy considering whom they’re talking about.
Octavia is also slated to attend the Makers Conference in early February “to talk with Gloria Steinem about the progress of women of color in Hollywood and the recent Women’s March.” Additional attendees include Diane Von Furstenberg, Debra Messing, Gabby Douglas and Eva Longoria. That’s going to be livestreamed and I’m putting it on my calendar now. It’s on February 6 through 8.
Here’s Octavia singing “I Feel Good”:
She’s fabulous. Absolutely wins at life.
I LOVE Octavia! So glad she got the Pudding Pot. Such a fun day and she was a good sport. Well deserved
Love her!
Lover her- talented and classy. She recently bought out an entire theater so low income families could see Hidden Figures.
She was wonderful in Hidden Figures! Love her.
Love her, so beautiful and overall awesome!
She is so awesome!