00:00Next up, we're very excited to have Octavia Spencer with us here today, who is one of our
00:09black women in Hollywood honorees, as well as an Oscar nominee. Well, Octavia, thank you for
00:14joining us here today. Thank you. I'm happy to be here. So how does it feel to be honored by
00:20Essence today at this luncheon? Well, Essence to me has always been the epitome of excellence
00:26and beauty with regard to African-American women. And in one of the few outlets that we
00:31got to see images of ourselves and positive images of ourselves in the media. So
00:37to be honored by them alongside these women that I, come on, Pam Greer, Kerry Washington,
00:46Paula Patton, it just doesn't get any better than that. What is it like to be a black woman in
00:51Hollywood? Well, it's difficult being a woman, period. And to be a black woman in Hollywood
00:57is even more difficult to be a woman of color. There just aren't enough roles out there for us.
01:03But at this stage of my life, I believe you should always turn the negatives into a positive.
01:11If there aren't enough roles, then you create. And so that's what I'm doing. I'm creating,
01:16but not just for African-Americans, for women of color. It's hard for all of us.
01:21When you were growing up, did you always want to be an actress?
01:25I actually, more than anything, wanted to be a film producer. But before that, I wanted to work
01:35as a journalist. And then I saw Oprah Winfrey and realized that I could, you know, be an actress
01:43and do everything. And then that's what I, she changed the way I dreamed.
01:49This season has been stunning for you. I mean, you just have won every supporting actress award.
01:56What is that like for you right now? It's very humbling. And it's one of those things that I
02:04can't really process because you leave one thing and then, you know, right next to it,
02:09you have something else. It actually dawned on me last night that I was nominated for an Oscar.
02:15So I think the nominations have been out for a month now. So I think there's a delayed response.
02:22And I, I don't think I've really processed these, the wins yet. I think that'll be the summer when
02:27all of this is quiet. And I'm, you know, in my hotel room working or something that I
02:33really understand the gravity of, of, of what I've been able to, um, achieve this award season.
02:39So you've really kind of blossomed into this glamour girl this season.
02:44I mean, I've always been a glamour girl. Nobody was paying attention.
02:48I love that. You know, I, I like, I like dressing. I like dressing for my body. I like,
02:53you know, this is the woman that I am. I'm not trying to be anything for anyone other than me,
02:58because you know, you're the person that you go to sleep with at night. And if you're not happy with
03:04you, then you're not ever going to be happy because you can't make anyone else happy.
03:08Well, it was amazing for Joan Rivers to give you, you know, such great kudos at SAG. I mean,
03:14how does that feel? Like just on, you know, you're just more and more outfits and glam.
03:19Well, I, let me tell you, you, you, you have to take it all with a grain of salt. I am thrilled
03:24that people like what I wear, but, um, there are going to be days that they don't. And I think
03:29it's important that you are happy with how you look and that you feel comfortable in what you wear.
03:33And you can only please yourself because there are going to be days that you, you know,
03:37how, what is she wearing? It's terrible. But I'm thrilled that, that people have been liking
03:41my choices thus far. But again, you, you take it all with a grain of salt. And at the end of the day,
03:46just, you know, do enough to get by for you.
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