Octavia Spencer’s destiny: ‘To be one of the greatest producers in Hollywood’

Hasty Pudding Names Octavia Spencer 2017 Woman of the Year
I love Octavia Spencer, I really appreciate her ambition and the fact that she’s unapologetic about it. If you’re inclined to just read the title and rag on her for being sure of herself please just take her quotes in context, think about what she’s trying to achieve and realize that we want her to succeed. When Octavia succeeds it will be by creating great entertainment for us telling stories which would otherwise go untold. That’s a win-win. Anyway Octavia was at the 5th annual Makers Conference on a panel along with Gloria Steinem. She was discussing her next career move and her projects include producing a show for HBO about the Jonestown massacre along with a limited series about Madam C.J. Walker, a haircare entrepreneur and the first African American millionaire. She will both produce and star in that series.

“The role I’m destined to play is to be one of the greatest producers in Hollywood,” Spencer told the audience at the 2017 Makers Conference in Terranea in Palos Verdes, California.

“I’m really drawn to stories that haven’t real been told. But I also want the movies I produce to show a broader spectrum of the people in the world. I want to see all shapes and sizes, all ages, all religions because that’s what our society is comprised of.”

“It’s terrifying because it’s a huge undertaking,” Spencer admitted. “But I want to be a conduit for storytellers. Men, women, gay, straight, black, white, Asian, Latino, Indian, native, all of those stories deserve to be told, especially if they’re compelling.”

“I choose things that touch me or resonate within my heart, and that’s what I want to put out into the world — things that will inspire, things that will educate but also allow for some escapism because God knows we need some right now.”

“I never thought that I wouldn’t make it. To me, making it is just being paid to do what you love to do. Now that could have been dinner theater and I would be happy with that,” she said. “I think we have to change the scope of how we dream. If you can dream big, crazy, wild dreams, it’s what I want every child to do. But at the same time, it should be something for you to aspire to and be able to work towards.”

[From People with additional quotes via Fox News]

I appreciate how confident she is and I really love her advice that making it “is just being paid to do what you love” (yay I’m there) and that you should dream big. The massive success of Hidden Figures should help greenlight more shows which tell diverse stories and Octavia is going to bring us some. I’m there.

As you know Octavia probably isn’t going to get her second Oscar for Hidden Figures, the supporting actress category will hopefully go to Viola Davis this year for Fences and she has some competition from Michelle Williams. I’m glad Octavia continues to get nominated though and maybe she’ll create some Oscar vehicles for herself.

Here’s Octavia at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon on Monday.
89th Oscars Nominees Luncheon 2017

89th Oscars Nominees Luncheon 2017

Octavia Spencer departs from LAX

photos credit: WENN.com

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22 Responses to “Octavia Spencer’s destiny: ‘To be one of the greatest producers in Hollywood’”

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  1. QQ says:

    YES YES YES YES YES! Queen! Stay Excellent on this 8th Day Of our Blackest History year!

    Also Her Casual Game I quite like more than her Carpet look

    • ElleBee says:

      All of this black excellence is overwhelming my cocoa spirit. I agree about her casual looks. She dresses very well 5* for her and her stylist

      • QQ says:

        umm hmm I’m basking on hitting my timely for an excellent Black person Tidbit Every day and then saying Mmm mmm Good! to myself with a shimmy

  2. minx says:

    Love her!

  3. Lucy says:

    SO MUCH YES. Let’s make that happen.

  4. ElleBee says:

    She’s so fab. I also want to buy that jacket for my Mum

  5. lucy2 says:

    I love, love, love her.
    She’s doing her part by producing these stories into projects, and we have to do our part in supporting them by going to see them.

  6. Jess says:

    Love her – love her ambition – love her drive – love her confidence – love her work. Go Octavia!

  7. NeoCleo says:

    I think confidence looks good on her.

  8. Greenieweenie says:

    Incideeally, I read a review of Hidden Figured in (i think) and it talked about how the movie was headlined by “three unknowns” and this was part of its appeal. Yeah.

    • JulP says:

      Yeah, two Oscar nominees/winner (one of whom is on a hit network show) and a famous singer-songwriter are definitely “unknowns.” Whoever wrote that review is an idiot.

    • lucy2 says:

      Oh good Lord.

    • Greenieweenie says:

      Sorry, so many typos–but how much do you want to bet the author thought they were unknown because black women are faceless and all blur together?

    • Chinoiserie says:

      Well unknown is a wrong word but none of the women are movie stars.

      I am really glad that she got a nom, she was my favorite from the Help cast even though people kept raving about Viola. She won but I was a bit afraid she would be forgotten.

  9. Beachbelle says:

    I love her! She’s so much of the kind of person I want to be. She’s so strong and absolutely gorgeous! Octavia glows when she speaks and I truly admire her. War Eagle for an Auburn alum!

  10. Nacho_friend says:

    STUNNING black and white outfit. Can’t wait to see more of her productions!!!

  11. Wilma says:

    Why would anyone rag on her for this? I love it when women are plain spoken about their ambitions. We should be able to set the bar high without having people using that as a way to attack us.

  12. Abbess Tansy says:

    Thanks for this story, I adore Octavia Spencer and I hope she can continue to have a successful career.

  13. Margo S. says:

    I just saw hidden figures last night. I love Octavia Spencer even more. Love that shes interested in producing because hollywood is seriously lacking in producers like her. Can’t wait to see what she does. Can I somehow work for her? I feel like she’d be such an amazing mentor/boss!

  14. ash says:

    her and taraji (sp) were the best things of Hidden Figures…. Janelle monae was too much (i felt like I was watching a play with her over zealous and sassy acting at times)
    the look on octavia’s face when she is informing Kirsten Dunst’s character of her credential and STILLL being denied off of color….that exhaustion that understated acting was FLAWLESS and soooo accurate.

    Hollywood would be honored to have her as an executive producer even if she produced indie play… she is a gem.

  15. SwanLake says:

    She’s one of my favorite actresses.