Octavia Lenora Spencer, born May 25, 1970, is a prolific American actress who has earned recognition and accolades worldwide, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award, along with a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award. She began her film career in 1996 with the drama A Time to Kill. She then had a series of small roles in films and television over a decade, but her breakthrough moment came from 2011's drama film The Help, where she played the role of a maid in 1960s America. Her performance fetched her the well-deserved Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Among her other prominent roles are her character in Ryan Coogler's biopic Fruitvale Station (2013), her recurring role in Mom (2013–2015), and her part in the Fox drama series Red Band Society (2014–2015).

Spencer's other roles included black women from the 1960s America — portraying Dorothy Vaughan in biopic Hidden Figures (2016) and a cleaning woman in the fantasy The Shape of Water (2017). These performances earned her two consecutive nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first black actress to mark this achievement. In her years of active service, she has also been a part of notable projects like The Divergent Series (2015–16) and Truth Be Told (2019–2023). Further, she has displayed her creative side as an author, having created children's book series Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective.