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.

photos credit: WENN.com