Octavia Spencer’s Beach Reads Come From the Children’s Section
The Oscar-winning actress tells us about her happy place, why she overpacks, and the books she reads on vacation
After winning an Oscar for serving up a shit pie as Minny Jackson in The Help, Octavia Spencer became a household name and that scene became the stuff of movie legend. Spencer went on to become the first Black woman to earn consecutive Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in Hidden Figures and The Shape of Water, and a leading lady in her own right in films like Self Made.
Most recently, Spencer was featured in the new CNN travel series My Happy Place, where celebrities share the city that is most special to them (spoiler alert: hers is New Orleans), and Blumhouse announced that the actress will be reprising the role of Ma in the followup to the highly memed 2019 thriller of the same name.
Fresh off a trans-Atlantic flight from Prague, where she's filming the new Prime spy series Ride or Die, Spencer spoke with associate editor Annie Harrigan about her love of New Orleans, the little piece of home she brings on every trip, and what she likes to read on vacation.
Thrillist: You recently shared with the world that New Orleans is your happy place. What makes this city special to you?
Octavia Spencer: What makes New Orleans special to me is the vibrant mix of the cultures that you get a glimpse into there. There are so many famous authors who call or have called New Orleans home. The cuisine is the best in the world because it's influenced by so many different cultures. There's something for everyone. I think it's an exciting city. If my job didn't mean that I need to be close to LA, I think New Orleans would be a city that I could call home.
What's one thing you do every time you go to New Orleans?
OS: I love to go to Dooky Chase Restaurant. It’s a famous restaurant that has been there for a hundred years. I also like to go to this little diner called Mother's. If I’m traveling with my girlfriends, we go to Harrah’s Casino and play penny slots. Also, I have to get beignets.
Do you pack light or overpack?
OS: I am an overpacker. I just flew from Prague to Texas for a wedding and I was only on the ground for 13 hours. I took a suitcase, a roller bag, and my work bag, even though I only needed the one dress. But, of course, you want to lounge in your pajamas and you also might need a backup outfit. I was glad I took extra shoes because I found out we weren't going to be in a church; the wedding was going to be at the lakeside. So I was lucky I had casual flats with me.
What are some things that you always make sure to have in your suitcase?
OS: Well, you can never have too many pairs of underwear and you can never have too many pairs of socks. You always need your bug repellent, especially if you're traveling in the summer. And, of course, I need to have my moisturizer and lotions. I also like to have candles, that way I can always bring a little bit of home with me.
You also need snacks because you don't know how late or how early it's going to be when you land. You don't know if you're going to be delayed in transit. So you want to be able to have water and some nuts. I also like salami—anything you can nosh on in case you’re delayed.
Do you bring a book with you on vacation?
OS: I try to bring several books because that's the only time that I get to read these days. If everybody leaves me alone and stops making plans, I can just sit in a cabana or a screened-in porch and just read some books.
What’s the last one you read on a trip?
OS: The last book I read was Tina Knowles’ book Matriarch. I also spend a lot of time reading children's books because I love to know what's going on in that world since I have a lot of young nieces and nephews. I want to read to see what they're reading or what I could introduce to their young, impressionable minds.
What’s your favorite way to pass time on a plane?
OS: Because I'm on production and I'm the lead of this show [Ride or Die], these days I am working. But normally, when I'm not working, the last thing I want to do is read on a plane. I want to watch movies that I haven't seen. I want to just give myself a little time to decompress. That's why sometimes it's good to just be on a plane. It used to be great when no one could reach you on the plane. Now there's in-flight wifi, emails, and texts.
How do you deal with jet lag?
OS: I just got off a trans-Atlantic flight and I'm not dealing with it very well right now. But the thing I like to make sure of is that, if it’s daylight where I land, I try to stay up no matter how long I’ve been awake. You have to stay up and you have to drink a lot of water. I take a very strong vitamin C and eat a lot of kiwi just to keep everything bright and also hydrated—that way you don't feel so hungover. Right now I'm feeling a little hungover. I'm not as bad as I could be, but I am definitely feeling that trans-Atlantic flight.
Do you get recognized when you travel? What do you do in those moments?
OS: I say hello, but when I travel, I'm not in hair or makeup because I have very sensitive skin that likes to break out, and then I have dark marks for weeks. So I try not to wear a lot of makeup when I don’t have to. Am I vain? Yes. And people want to take pictures and I don't, but what I try to do is just engage and say hello.
What is the weirdest thing you've ever tried to take through security with you?
OS: Probably my theragun for my shoulders. I forget that it actually looks like a gun. When I first started taking it, they stopped me every time. So now I just take it out of the bag and put it into the tray. It’s great, you can just sit and rub your shoulders with it while you're on the flight.
