I'm an actor and I am looking for roles where I can continue to evolve, and things that are challenging. I gravitate to the roles, not necessarily television or film. It's just the fact that, for me, the most interesting roles have been in television.

Octavia Spencer

The way to bring about change is to be proactive and active.

Octavia Spencer

proactive active way

I can only be the best version of myself and understand that the only way that we as a people can heal is to understand that the next person's journey may not be your own, but it doesn't mean that you have to marginalize them in any way.

Octavia Spencer

journey mean people

I can only live in my truth.

Octavia Spencer

my-truth i-can

One thing I've learned is be comfortable in your skin, and more importantly, be comfortable in your shoes.

Octavia Spencer

ive-learned shoes skins

You cannot live to please everyone else. You have to edify, educate and fulfill your own dreams and destiny, and hope that whatever your art is that you're putting out there, if it's received, great, I respect you for receiving it. If it's not received, great, I respect you for not.

Octavia Spencer

destiny dream art

As you make your way along life's tumultuous highways, it's important to note that you should always carry a map, have plenty of fuel in the tank, and take frequent rest stops.

Octavia Spencer

tanks fuel important

I just know that the one thing that we all have in common is challenges. No one lives a challenge free life.

Octavia Spencer

free-life challenges common

To be silent is to be passive.

Octavia Spencer

passive silent

At 21, you can live life with reckless abandon, as reckless as your abandon is. Then, at 30, there's something there are the supposed to be's. You're like, "I'm supposed to be doing this. I'm supposed to be doing that." You start measuring your life by what you think you're supposed to be doing. Having recently turned 40, it's like, "What the hell?! Why am I worried about what I'm supposed to be doing? What do I want to do?" You become fine with wherever the road takes you.

Octavia Spencer

live-life want thinking

There are enough negative images of Black women out there and I did not want to portray Dorothy Vaughn in any stereotype. I wanted to make sure that her integrity was preserved.

Octavia Spencer

black integrity negative

The things that scare you only make you better and stronger.

Octavia Spencer

stronger scare

You just keep moving forward and doing what you do, and hope that it resonates with people. And if it doesn't, you just keep moving on until you find a project that does.

Octavia Spencer

doe people moving

You have to create your own path and I'm up to the challenge.

Octavia Spencer

path challenges

I think that young women and little girls need to see that they don't have to be the damsel in distress. They don't have to not show their strength. They don't have to be whatever the stereotype is or the tropes that we go to in our minds.

Octavia Spencer

girl mind thinking

I'm an Oscar nominee. I love saying that. Whatever happens, I'm going to sing that 'I'm an Oscar nominee' part.

Octavia Spencer

whatever-happens oscars happens

I don't think you learn as much about yourself when you are moving forwards as when you have fallen backwards. That's when you really learn who you are. And reach for the things that have propelled you forward and made you a better person.

Octavia Spencer

better-person moving thinking

You have to get out of your comfort zone in order to grow.

Octavia Spencer

grows comfort order

Because we all come from different circumstances, our life experiences really color how we view things.

Octavia Spencer

color different views

Everything happens when it's supposed to.

Octavia Spencer

things-happen happens

Unfortunately, there's a lack of roles for women of color, so you actually have to be the engineer creating some of those roles.

Octavia Spencer

creating roles color