The two sides of Octavia Spencer

The two sides of Octavia Spencer

Is she a diva?  Is she a kindhearted children’s author?  Either way, Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer has proven to be a very puzzling character.

Two members of GTV and I left school on a trip to GMS South with some unclear regulations from Octavia’s publicist, making it seem as though we weren’t even going to get close to taking pictures, let alone being granted an interview.  Wary as we were, things turned out better than planned, because I was able to snap plenty of photos and GTV got some nice footage, although they couldn’t zoom in on her face.

At the beginning of the book signing, a wave of excited and nervous sixth graders made their way into the library with their Octavia Spencer mysteries in hand, ready to meet a celebrity at their own school.  All of their books were signed personally and some even were able to take a picture with Octavia.  I was surprised – no diva behavior here!  However, as we watched the book signing take place, I became more and more uncomfortable with her attitude.  She was unusually quiet and, in my opinion, she seemed very phony.  Hoping for an interview, we continued to observe and film as the librarian announced that we were out of time and to proceed to the cafeteria for a presentation.  No luck!

During this presentation, I was surprised at how her demeanor changed.  Octavia’s personal experiences as a child inspired her to become a writer herself.  She never enjoyed reading when she was very young due to her dyslexia, which made it very difficult.  However, one day (I believe she said in middle school) she “fell in love with a young boy [named] Encyclopedia Brown,” and these mysteries changed her outlook on reading forever.  For Octavia, mysteries were the type of book that captured her attention and left her hungry for more. This was one of the reasons she began to write her “Ninja Detective” series.  These short mysteries are aimed towards fourth through sixth graders.  Octavia wanted to encourage young people that are unenthusiastic about reading to give it a try, hopeful that her books will light a spark in them, like Encyclopedia Brown did in her.  The students at the assembly seemed interested and respected what she was saying, and at the end asked great questions, which Octavia answered thoroughly.  Octavia was interactive and established personal connections to the students that made for a well-executed presentation.

Octavia Spencer Pic 2

So are the rumors true?  Possibly.  But the impression Octavia Spencer gave at Geneva Middle School South lets us look at her in a new light, and notice the positive instead of rumors that may or may not be true.