“The Help” star Octavia Spencer nabbed the prize for Actress in a Supporting Role at the 2012 Oscars, beating out her “Help” co-star Jessica Chastain, as well as “The Artist” star Bérénice Bejo, “Bridesmaids” funny lady Melissa McCarthy and “Albert Nobbs” actress Janet McTeer.
With tears in her eyes, she accepted the Oscar, handed to her by last year’s best supporting actor winner for “The Fighter,” Christian Bale. “Thank you, Academy, for putting me with the hottest guy in the room,” she joked from the stage, clutching her prize. “I have to thank my families. My family in Alabama — the state of Alabama. My L.A. family watching at Steven’s. My ‘Help’ family. I share this with everybody. Thank you [producer] Steven Spielberg for changing my life.”
Spencer plowed through awards season as the frontrunner for Best Supporting Actress, and the veteran character actress didn’t disappoint on Oscar night.She becomes the fifth black actress to win an Oscar in the category; Hattie McDaniel (1940), Whoopi Goldberg (1991), Jennifer Hudson (2006) and Mo’nique (2009) were previous Supporting Actress winners.
While accepting the award Spencer received a standing ovation. “Thank you Academy for giving me the hottest guy in the room,” she said before breaking down in tears. “I share this with everybody.”
In “The Help,” Spencer played Minny Jackson, a brash and outspoken maid in Jackson, Miss., who — pushed by her friend Abileen (fellow Oscar nominee Viola Davis) — helps a young white journalist (Emma Stone) write an expose about the living conditions of the help. In Spencer’s most memorable scene, she does a “terrible awful” to the racist Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard) by giving her a contaminated pie.
Spencer, who also won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award, defeated fellow “Help” star Jessica Chastain, as well as Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”), Berenice Bejo (“The Artist”) and Janet McTeer (“Albert Nobbs”) to win the award — her first Oscar.
She’ll next be seen in “Smashed,” which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
0 Replies to “Spencer Wins Best Supporting Actress”