Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer who grew up in Montgomery, Alabama says she came across more racism in Los Angeles than she did growing up in the South. The “Pretty Woman” star said this on a podcast with Comedian Marc Maron — “WTF with Marc Maron.”
The actress said that she expected LA to be a “free and liberal thinking place,” but instead experience more racism than she did down south in Alabama.
Spencer spoke fondly of her childhood in Alabama,“You can’t deny that Southern history is intense,” however, the dark period of Alabama’s history, she says, preceded her and she did not experience much racism growing up. “Well, what’s beautiful for me is, that stuff preceded me. You know, I was a child of the ‘70s. You know, as you grow older and the things that you can remember. That wasn’t part of history. I learned about it. It’s not everything —anything that I experience.”
“But growing up in Alabama, I’m going to be honest, I felt more racism when I first moved here than I ever, ever had in Alabama,” she added. “I remember going into a shop and being followed, like, at first, I didn’t even — I was just like so excited, like just walking around, then I realized that I was being followed.”
Spencer shot to fame with her career-defining role of a main in the super-hot movie “The Help” (2011). Since then, she has featured in a string of other hit movies including “Ma” (2019), “The Shack” (2017), and “Luce” (2019).
“But growing up in Alabama, I’m going to be honest, I felt more racism when I first moved here than I ever, ever had in Alabama,”
-Octavia Spencer
Sixth of seven child, brought up by a single mother, Spencer went to Auburn University, Alabama and now lives in California.
