Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist - Octavia Spencer

Episode Date: March 22, 2020

Octavia Spencer's rise to fame may seem like overnight success, but she actually worked for over 15 years in Hollywood before her breakout, Oscar-winning performance in The Help. In this week’s “Sunday Sitdown,” Willie Geist talks to the actress about her journey from Production Assistant to three-time Academy Award nominee, and her latest leading role in the Netflix series Self Made about the life of Madam C.J. Walker, America’s first female self-made millionaire. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey guys, Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit Down podcast. My thanks as always for clicking and listening along. I know you guys are cooped up at home right now. I know this hasn't been easy the last couple of days and weeks. Certainly hope you guys are all healthy. Hope your families and friends are healthy. And hope you're taking care of each other looking out for your neighbor. This is not easy, but hopefully this hour or so gives you a little bit of a break from what's been on your mind.

And you can get lost in a good conversation with an Oscar, winning actress, Octavia Spencer. She broke through with an Oscar win in 2012 for the movie The Help. Remember, she played Minnie Jackson, the 1960s era Mississippi Made, who famously made that pie. You know the pie I'm talking about right now. I don't need to get into it. You can Google it if you don't know. The funny thing about Octavia is a lot of people thought that was overnight success for her when that movie came out and when she won that Oscar. But like most overnight success stories, Octavia's story is overnight at all. In fact, she'd been working for about 15 years getting to that moment. She dreamed growing up in Montgomery, Alabama as the sixth of seven children of being an actress. She talks about

practicing her Academy Award speech in the mirror. How many teenagers practice it in the mirror and then actually get to deliver it in real life? She did. Her parents died when she was very young. Her father died when she was 13 years old. Her mother when she was 17 years old in that house full of kids. They had to figure it all out, and she decided the way out for her was to become an actor. And the story goes that there was a movie being shot when she was a teenager in Montgomery. She went over to the set. It was a movie starring Whoopi Goldberg. She knocked on the door enough times that they let her be an intern in the movie. She got Whoopi Goldberg's ear. She sat with her at lunch during certain times, and Whoopi Goldberg became something of a fairy godmother for her.

She went to college at Auburn University and then launched her acting career. all about it. Her buddy, Tate Taylor. Tate Taylor was a director of the help in many other movies that you know. They came up together. They were young production assistants on a film called A Time to Kill. Remember that one based on the John Grisham movie starring Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock? Octavia was a production assistant who then got a small part in the movie which launched her acting career. From there, she and Tate Taylor move out to L.A., working gig-to-gid, making enough money to live. If Octavia's latest project is the Netflix series Self-Made.

She's also the executive producer to go along with being the star playing Madam C.J. Walker, if you don't know, is the first self-made female millionaire in America. Turn of the 20th century. So she was around in about 1900 to 1920 was her peak selling cosmetics and hair products to other African-American women. became very wealthy, was high society. And her story has not been well told until now. She was a hero in the house for the Spencers when Octavia was growing up. And now she's in a position to tell that story to the world. So here now, a great conversation, I think, with Oscar-winning actress, Octavia Spencer.

Octavia, thank you so much for doing this. Oh, thank you for having me. I appreciate it. We gave each other a little salute when we walked in. Yes. No hand-shaking at this time. there it is. Let's talk about happier matters,

which is this amazing Netflix series of yours. I was just telling you, I have to confess, and I bet there are a lot of people who feel this way, they did not know her story. But you say you grew up and she was like an archetype and someone in the world should know about.

My mother used Madam C.J. as the standard bearer in our household because we grew up with meager, humble beginnings and just like madam, well maybe not just like madam, but similarly. And she used her as an example of what we could achieve, especially since she predated us. And at the turn of the century, she was able to achieve insurmountable odds. So for people who don't know her story, what's sort of the thumbnail sketch of who she was born as and who she became over the years? Sarah Bree Love became Madam C.J. Walker.

She built a hair care empire for African-American women. And she became the first self-made, female millionaire in this country of any ethnicity. And how did she do it? Because I don't mean just how did she create a business empire, but given the obstacles that obviously were in front of an African-American woman in those years, how did she get where she got? She had to have this singular focus. And she was also fearless. And she also knew that enterprise and including other black women to sell for her would create a space for them to be their own bosses and not be in servitude as washerwomen or maids.

and they aspire to have a similar life to hers. And I tell you, her story still resonates with me because she was a part. We have a similar date. This is crazy. I was born May 25th. She died, May 25th, 100 years before me. A hundred years. Is that right?

Is that crazy? Yeah, that is crazy. I also, I just wonder for a woman like that in the time, where she started washing clothes, as we see at the beginning of the series, what gave her the audacity in a good way to think she could become this business magnate? She was actually born of slaves. She was born free. And I think it was the ownership of knowing that she was not owned by anyone. She was her own person and knew that her station in life was what she was she actually could build or dream for herself and that she dictated those terms.

And I think that was a person. She was a woman who was born ahead of her time, but she was born at the right time. You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. I know this was a book, but I wanted to bring it to the screen because it was, obviously, as you've explained, a personally significant story to you. Is it nice to be in a position in your career where you can take someone and say,

hey, some people in this country know about this woman, but the rest of the world ought to know about her. Is it nice to be able to lift the story up that way, not just as an actress, but also as an executive producer? I absolutely. I cherish the fact that I get to do that because, you know, when I did Hidden Figures, I didn't know the story of Catherine Johnson

or Dorothy Vaughn, the woman that I got to play who contributed so much for us in the space race. that I had always known about Madam C.J. And I was confounded by the fact that so many young people did not know her story. And if she could achieve what she did at the level that she achieved it, young people, at least who were like me, could also aspire to that. And the fact that I got to work with LeBron James's company and so many wonderful, strong, beautiful women, I feel empowered. I feel very empowered.

What was it like to work with LeBron James? You mentioned it was his production company. What's it like collaborating on a film project, a series project like this? Well, let me tell you, I almost didn't. Because I reached a point in the negotiation process where the studio didn't want to give me certain things that I felt that I needed. And I'm always prepared to walk away. And I was prepared. I thanked everyone for, you know, thinking of me.

But there are things that I found necessary to have in my contract. and LeBron and Maverick intervened on my behalf. And I think that type of advocacy is necessary, you know, when you are going to be an equal partner for men and women to do on behalf of each other. So I was very, I have an affinity for him as a basketball player, but I also have an affinity for who he is as a man off the court. You're talking about fighting for equal pay for act, not just for yourself, but for all the women who are in that film. Is it wild to you that even after the last couple of years, we even have to put the word fight before equal play?

You're still fighting for equal play. You've won an Oscar for God's sakes, and you're still fighting for equal pay. It is, it is, it's beyond me that we still have to fight for equal pay. I mean, you know, women in all fields, you know, that athletes are fighting for equal pay. But what's interesting is Madam C.J. Walker paid all of her women equally, you know. And she had that mindset during that time, period. And I don't understand where we sort of lost our way. But, yeah, I owe a lot to Maverick and LeBron.

Have things changed in that regard over the last couple of years now that actresses like yourself have shined a light on the question of equal pay? Do you feel it in Hollywood? Is it different? Oh, absolutely. For me. Because the thing is, I told you I'm from humble beginnings. So I live beneath my means. And when I'm ready to walk away, I can walk away.

And if you don't see my potential as a producer, as an actor, that I'm an equal partner, then you don't understand what I can contribute, then I'm prepared to say, thank you for thinking of me. And I've had to do that several times. And I think if more women understood their worth and value and didn't take what they were being offered just because, and they were able to leave some things on the table, they would understand how powerful their voices are when they say no. And I say no a lot. But I suspect it's easier for you now. It's much easier. Right. You're Octavia Spencer now. You've always been Octavia Spencer, but you're Oscar winner, Octavia Spencer. So for a young actress, how do they have the courage to do that

in a moment where they're not being paid equally if they think, boy, is this going to hurt my career? I think you have to earn your stripes. You know, we can't all be Tom Brady. You know, we've got to earn those stripes. But I think a young woman should know her value and her medal. And you have to be prepared to leave it. And if you're prepared to leave it, if it's meant to be yours, it will be yours. But I think, you know, always stand up for yourself. And now in the negotiating process, I literally, I cut to the chase. What do you have? And if it's something that I can work with, great, but if it's not, then... Right.

Let's start there. Let's not get down the road and then find out that you don't have it. Exactly. Let's not waste our time here. Let's not waste anybody's time. I love that. I love that. What was it like for Madam C.J.

To be who she was at that time, because we're talking about over 100 years ago. And by that, I mean, a self-made millionaire, but also an African-American woman. Who didn't have the right to vote. Exactly. Exactly. So what was that like for her? I think she exemplified the notion that she wasn't waiting for anyone to give her an opportunity. She made her own path and way. And I think that is an example that we should all live by. Create your own path. You don't have to be invited to the party.

You know, I live by that myself. because it's so easy for people to put you in a box and their perceptions of you to be colored in a certain way. And if you allow that to limit you, then the onus is on you. I think Madam CJ, I just, I cannot imagine who she had to be at that time. And the other thing is, think about it,

women really weren't allowed to own property. You know, she became Madam CJ, so that she could become Madam CJ. You know, she was Sarah Breedlove. It's a fascinating and inspirational story that I can't believe that I get to be a part of telling. And she did, we were talking about earlier, she did live large. Let's give her that. She had a nice little house up the river here in Irvington.

It's crazy. I mean, I'm a kid about little, a spread up there. She earned that, you know. She did. She earned that. I think I just can't imagine the pride, the excellence, the sense of community, because she was also a philanthropist. I'm humbled by her story because, you know, my mother would not take any guff, you know, no excuses of what you can and can't do because this woman did this. She was born free.

And she did this at a time when resources were not there for black women. So that was the standard in my house. And I'm glad that we get to hopefully shine a light in a way that will inspire other young people. It's interesting. You talk about your mom. I was thinking about your childhood. Growing up in Montgomery, six of seven children. You lost your father, obviously, at a very young age.

You had dyslexia as a child. what allowed you, and I think you've started to answer this, to dream as big as you did, about being in the movies and things like that? I think my mother, by introducing us to Madam C.J. Walker, she made us realize that there were no limits on who we could dream to be and who I could become. The interesting thing, though, my mom died when I was 17.

And she wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer. And had she live, I probably would have done that. But those weren't the dreams that I had for myself. My dream was to be a part of the entertainment industry. And, you know, you grow up really fast when you don't have your parents. And I'm grateful that I had her as an example of who. I could be. And yeah, I would have been someone different though had she lived. What was it like at the age of 17 to already have lost your father and now suddenly to be without

your mother? What did the future look like for you? I was grateful to have a lot of siblings, you know. Thank God. But it's scary because you really have to find your own voice. There is no one else to speak for you. And I grew up really fast and my siblings grew up really fast and we had to be there for each other to make sure we had college tuition to make sure the household bills were paid. It was a very interesting time and it shaped who I am today. I don't think failure was ever and now that I think back, oh my God, what was I thinking? I'm going to move to Hollywood become an actor.

Oh, my God. I think it's the audacity of that type of dreaming. I mean, ooh. Where did you even get the idea that you were going to go be a movie star? Was there certain movies you loved or actors you loved? I loved Esther Roll, watching her on Good Times, on Norman Lear's show, and Cicely Tyson. and E.T.

You know, it was just, I remember watching as the Oscars when I was a little girl, everybody was all beautiful and sparkly and got prizes. And I thought, I don't know what it is they do, but I want to do that because they get to be shiny. Right. It was all shiny and beautiful. And I think that when I saw images of women like Esterole, I knew that I wanted to do it. And then how wild that you one day were one of those shiny people? It's very wild.

Standing on the stage with the trophy in your hand. You have to visualize it, I think. And I think it made quite the impression on my very young mind to see that. Because I still remember sparkles, you know, bedazzle, jewels. It was, I still remember that. And it's so funny that, you know, some 12 years later, Okay, 30. I was going to let you work through that math.

I was going to like, how do I make myself look much younger? So the story goes, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, that you got your way into the movie business as a teenager. Movie comes to Alabama, Whoopi Goldberg is starring the movie. How did you work your way onto that set? I literally was like Madam CJ, honestly. I found out where their production office was because it was kind of easy. They had this giant office space and I started calling. And when I, they started, you know, not really taking any messages or taking my calls, I would leave my name.

And then when I found the address, I started showing up every day. It's like, you know, they just got so sick of me. They made me an intern in the production office. And the rest is history. I got to work with Whoopi. And she, we still have a relationship today. Now, why do you think she took you under her arm? Because I don't think it's every day that a big Hollywood star sees an intern running around the set and says,

let me tell you about life. Let me tell you about show business. What do you think she saw in you? We would sometimes sit together at lunch and night. I told her my story and that the one thing that my mom made us all promise is that we would get a college education. But I was so enamored of Whoopie and Sissy that the minute that movie left town, I was going to move to Hollywood to stake my claim. And she told me, you know, Hollywood will be there. Get your education because you promised your mother.

Wow, I didn't even... You did it for your mom. And when I graduated, Whoopi was filming in Africa and her brother Clyde worked on the film. I cannot believe I'm sobbing. Oh, my God. I'm so touched by that that even the mention of it

that moment so long ago, still hit you. Yeah. Yeah. She sent word to me, you know, but she was proud of me when she heard, I graduated college. And then I saw her, you know, when we were doing the press for the help and it was like old home week and we've been like inseparable.

I totally know how you feel, not at that level, but when someone you admire and look up to takes the time to care about you, invest in you, encourage you, and maybe push you a little bit, it changes the course of your life. It really does. It sounds like whoopi did that for you. Yeah, she did. So you go off to Auburn, Ward Eagle. Yes. And then once you're through and graduated, a time to get. You know, it's a time to kill comes along. But again, you weren't, you sort of nudged your way onto, you were already working there as a production assistant, but how did you go from being a production assistant all of a sudden you're in the movie? Well, the interesting thing is after working on the long walk home,

I started working a little bit more around on other projects in the area. And the directors would always ask me to audition for something, and I would turn them down. And, I was working on a time to kill, and Joel Schumacher did not ask me to read for anything. And I was thinking, well, why isn't he asking me to read? I want to turn him down. And he didn't ask, and I had to ask. And that was me. I think it made me commit to that dream, because there was a big part of me that was afraid. You know, I was practical. We had a practical life. And acting was about as impractical as one could get. And I think when I asked Joel to read for this woman who started this riot,

he looked at me and he said, you know, your face is too sweet. You can read for Sandy's nurse. And then he gave me the part. And we filmed my part the very last day of shooting. And they gave me this big trailer because everybody had wrapped. It was so amazing. My name was on the door. and somebody had drawn a star.

It was so fabulous. You thought I've made it. I made it. I got a trailer. Somebody paid me to act. So now you're in a movie. Now it's real, right? So now you're an actor and you're going to chase that dream.

You say, I'm going to L.A., meet up with your buddy Tate Taylor, who was sort of a thread through your life. What were those early years out in Hollywood for? Everybody knows the story of the struggling actors. Is that what you went through as well? Oh, we did. We struggled. I mean, we borrowed the same 500.

The wonderful thing about actors is it's ebb and flow for someone at some point. So we would borrow the same 500 bucks, you know, if he booked a job, hey, can I borrow 500 bucks? I need to pay my rent. And then I'd book his job and he was like, hey, I need that 500 bucks back. But it was so great because we also would have potlucks because everybody was broke. Melissa McCarthy. Wow.

Alice and Janie. We have a very tight-knit group. and we're still very close to this day. You must look back. I know you didn't have any money, and we've all been there in those early years, but with such fondness, before any of you had really made it?

Yeah. And now to see what you've done now, it must be wonderful to just catch up with them about that. We laugh. I just did a project with Melissa McCarthy and her husband, Ben Falcone, and we laughed every single day, reminiscing about who we were back then

and what we've been able to accomplish. It's pretty spectacular. And you were working all that time about 15 years. I love because I've talked to so many actors who are told that they're an overnight success. And they go, oh, overnight to you. 15 years for me. 15 year overnight success. Definitely, I check that box.

Hey, guys, thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit Down podcast. Stick around to hear more from Octavia Spencer after the break. Welcome back to the Sunday Sit Down podcast. Now more of my conversation with Octavia Spencer. So when you were cast in the help by Tate Taylor, did you know immediately that that was going to be something special and different and perhaps a big moment for you in your career? I knew that he went to bat for me, and he was not a first time director,

but it was a first studio film. And that's a lot of responsibility. And he fought for me to get that role. So I knew I couldn't let him down. And I didn't. They would all go out after work and I would be working on the lines and the scenes for the next day. I just, I knew that I had to live up to the expectations. And it was special because we were all friends.

And, you know, Brunson Green was, you know, one of the producers. And Tate directed it and Allison was in it. He actually had a part from Melissa McCarthy, but she was actually filming on her show. I think it was Gilmore Girls at the time or the Christina Applegate one. I can't remember. Oh, right.

Yeah. But she was filming and could, but he was putting us all in the movie. How cool is that? It was from the potluck dinners to an Oscar-winning movie together. That's wild. And then as the buzz for you in that movie

grew and grew and grew and grew and it sort of became clear, this is like the movie of the moment. And now there might be a chance. that I could win some awards, maybe an Oscar, get to wear one of those dresses and go on the red carpet and do all that. What was that like for you as an actor to have arrived at that moment? You know, I had always dreamed.

I mean, every actor practices their Oscar speech in the mirror. Don't let them. Is that true? Yeah. Because they deny it. They deny it. I did. You know, I remember, you know, talking into my hairbrush when I was a teenager.

But I, those were expectations that I never really allowed myself to have because I didn't want the disappointment. I was just excited that I got to be a part of the project. And when those nominations came in, it was very humbling and very gratifying. But I was proud because I felt that I had done right by Tate. I, you know, and we supported each other. It was pretty magical. Do you remember the sound of your own name when it was called at the Oscars? Not really.

I just remember it was like it was very, it was, it's odd because it was like an out-of-body experience. It was in slow motion. And I remember Christian Bale. It looked as if he was forming a vowel. And I'm thinking, what? Time just really came to standstill. And my knees locked up.

So when they were like, you want, you want! And I had to get up to the stage. My knees wouldn't bend. So now I'm thinking, oh, God, I'm going to fall. I'm going to fall in front of a billion people watching. It was crazy. But I don't actually remember being up on the stage. I watched the tape later.

I had taped it. But it was pretty funny. I just remember, please, God, don't let me fall down. Please don't let me fall down. You didn't better than that. You stayed up and you gave a good speech. Were there any pieces of the teenage speech in the mirror with the hairbrush in the actual speech?

Because I totally don't remember giving the speech. I doubt it. You're just happy to get through it at that point. Absolutely. I've talked to a lot of actors who've, won Oscars, talked to Viola Davis a couple of months ago, about what it means and how it changes your life. And I think she said, of course, it opens doors in many ways that weren't there. But it doesn't mean everything suddenly becomes automatic from there, right? You still have to fight

for some roles. You might get type cast or you're still pushed into roles that people remember from the Oscar movie and they want you to play that? They want you to play that role again. Do you feel that way, too? I, at first, it's funny because after we wrap the hell, every role I was being offered was a maid. And I didn't mind the fact that they were maids. It was just that I had just played the best maid character ever written in my mind. But people have an idea and a perception, and they like to put you in those boxes. But I had a wonderful team at WME who thought outside the box for me.

And so we went the route of independent films. just to do unique stuff. And that's where I got to work with now Academy Award winner, Director Bon Joon Ho and Snowpiercer. And I got to work with, you know, a lot of young directors, Ryan Coogler, not for Fruitvale Station. But we went the indie route. So that was a concerted decision. Let's go this way. Yes, because they want you to be here.

And you will always be here. Right. If you take this next role. Right. So there was not a lot of money involved with independent films. They always had a shoestring budget. And, I mean, you were lucky if it was a shoestring. It was really dental flaws.

So I was hoping it was shoestring. But it was the experience that was, I mean, I wouldn't change any facet of those decisions. I think that's so interesting because, as I say, a lot of actors have told me that. It's not like you win the Oscar, they give you a blank check and you're the star of a superhero movie and everything's okay. for the rest of your life. You're still out of fight and work for these roles. Yes, you do. Yeah.

Yes, you do. And then more on the studio side, Hidden Figures, of course, comes along. You're nominated for another Oscar that, like Madam CJ, I think, brought to light for a lot of the country's story about African-American women that the country didn't know and was shocked it didn't know. Was it gratifying to you to see these women that you all portrayed become sort of national figures? Absolutely.

And what was interesting, there were the female, there were black and white. They called them female computers. Yes. And I, when I went to meet the producer about the project, the help was historical fiction. I thought also, you know, these, about these three black women who helped in the space race, I was like, oh, it's historical fiction because surely we would know this story. And when I found out that there was only one survivor, or actually there were two, one woman,

her story wasn't covered in the film. I knew that we needed to write that wrong, that the omission from all of the stories about NASA, wherever you saw John Glenn's name, we should have known Catherine's name, it was gratifying and to be able to share those moments with their families. It was pretty special.

Two weeks ago, I think on our Sunday show, we do a segment called Life Well-Lived, and we did a tribute to Catherine. And we did it. I was it, of course, from Hidden Figures, which is a tribute to you guys. Because if I had done that without the film, it was, oh, I never do that story. How interesting. So you put them in an elevated place in the history book. So that's a pretty good legacy for you all, too.

They did the work. We just got to be a part of the storytelling. Yes. Now, I've got to ask you about the film that my kids want to see, but I know they'll have nightmares forever so they can't see it, which is Ma last year. Now, you were talking about how you choose your roles. You do some indie here.

Tell me about Ma. I know Tate was involved again, so that was probably part of the draw. What did you love about that character you wanted to be a part of? It was just breaking the convention. me. I mean, prior to, I think at the same time that I was filming Ma, Lupita Njango, was doing us. But I never seen a black woman in a lead role in a horror film. And I thought, well, I'm going to have fun because I love the genre. And she was, she was one of the most interesting people I've ever played.

Way to put it. Interesting. Interesting. Yeah. She was interesting. I have a 10-year-old son who said he wanted to see it. All I had to do is show him the trailer. He was like, oh, I'm out.

No, definitely should not say. The trailer was enough for him. Was that cool, though, to get back together with Tate? You sort of have started at Time to Kill and had the potluck dinners, and you found each other again along the road. You have a great partnership. Yeah, we do have a great partnership. It was a lot of fun.

I think, you know, filming in Mississippi, like, right, basically you could throw a stone from his front door. And we just, it was, it was wonderful working with Jason Blum. It was, it was really, it was fun. And I understand recently you've discovered the mom memes. They're everywhere. I literally, like, my agent sent me all of these, like, what is this? I don't even know what memes are. But it was so funny.

And, you know, right now we're going through a tense time in this country. And I thought, you know what? This is making me laugh. I'm going to post these. And then we started a contest for the funniest Ma meme because, I mean, Ma. Yeah. She's interesting. For people who don't know, they'll plug Ma's face and there's one particular face that they use, which she's making.

And they'll put it into totally inappropriate, like the Emma movie poster, but it's Ma. instead. The Irish Ma. The Irish Ma. My favorite is Rocket Ma. Instead of Rocket Man. That's good. Yeah, it was pretty crazy. I'm glad you discovered those. The creative people on the Internet will be happy that you found them. I now look for memes and not just Ma memes. I'm like, what is a meme?

I don't even understand what it is, but I just think it's hysterical. There you go. You're into it. Stick around to hear more from Octavia Spencer on the Sunday Sitdown podcast. Welcome back to the Sunday Sit Down podcast, now more of my conversation with Octavia Spencer. So I'm curious just generally what this level of, let's call it the last decade of achievement for you has meant for you personally, just being a famous person, to put it bluntly. Like, what's it like in a way you weren't 15 years ago if you walk outside here, everyone on the sidewalk, Octavia, you know, people know you. What is that like for you? It's kind of crazy, actually.

I pride myself because my life is still the same. My career is different, but I still have the same friends, and they still know that I'm going to, whenever they cook, I don't cook that I'm going to come over when they invite me to dinner and bring all of my Tupperware and take leftovers. It's like, I'll do the dishes. You bring nothing and you just take it home with you. Well, they don't want me to bring anything.

It's like a bag salad and everybody thinks, Are you doing a bag salad? It's not even organic. So I do the dishes. I do contribute there. And I help them by not having a lot of leftovers in their refrigerator that they have to deal. That's very helpful of you to take all the food. Take it all hope.

So what you're saying is fame hasn't changed you at all. Not at all. Not at all. Is it still odd to you, though, if you walk through an airport and have somebody shout at you? It is a little crazy because, you know, I live with me every day. And I don't take it for granted. I'm certainly grateful. But it's so strange because I live in these giant sunglasses.

I love them. And I don't know how they know it's me. And I asked my makeup artist, I said, can you tell it's me? And she said, it's a cherubic face. That's not what I wanted to hear. Cherubic is what we were going for here. No, not at all. I know you got a long day ahead of you.

let you go, but I'm curious what's next for you, because you make such interesting choices, including the latest series. Madam CJ, and you do independent movies, you do horror movies. Are there things out there on the horizon, maybe through your production company or something that you're thinking about doing that might surprise people? Well, I'm really excited to be in a partnership with Apple on a series, Truth Be Told, and we're going to start our second season. It's really fun playing a detective because that's who I am in real life.

I'm a, I solve mysteries. I have to have a mystery every night, like forensic files. And so I get to be closer to someone who's similar to me. Well, she's not really similar to me. She's kind of shady in some areas. She's curious. She's curious. Yeah, yeah.

Let's just say we have the same curiosity. So I'm excited about that. And I'm really excited about being a producer, about creating opportunities for new voices to be heard. I'm really excited for that. Well, we look forward to whatever you doing next. It's always good. So nice to see you. It's nice to see you too.

Thank you for having me. I'm sorry. I started crying like an idiot. No, that was beautiful. It really, no, that's not an idiot. I did not expect that at all. That was so beautiful. No, it was great.

But my mom's birthday is coming up on the 19th. And I literally, like, didn't realize. I'm like, it's March. So she, so that's, you were 17, so it's been 30 years. Yeah. Yeah. I stopped counting because sometimes it's still fresh like it just happened. And, you know, sometimes it's.

Especially when you're that young, it's seared in your mind. It really is life changing. Yeah. You know, I don't wish it on anybody. Think how proud she'd be of you. Can you imagine? She, you know, my mom was as bossy as I am, you know, knocking all the doors, you know. Every day, you're going to hire me or what?

So I just imagine her up there working on my behalf. You know, my daughter's down there. She's trying to be an actor. I don't even know what that is. But, you know, can we just move her to the front of the line? I feel like she's that little angel on my shoulder, bossing people around in heaven. And then the Lord shows her a picture of you holding an Oscar.

So she did okay. She did okay. Thank you. Thank you. My big thanks again to Octavia for a great conversation. She is so cool. You can catch her new series, Self-Made. streaming now on Netflix.

And my thanks as always to all of you for tuning in this week. If you want to hear more of the full-length conversations with my guests every week, be sure you click subscribe so you never miss an episode. Hopefully this library of interviews can keep you company while you're stuck inside. And of course, don't forget to tune in to Sunday today every weekend on NBC. I'm Willie Geist. We'll see you right back here next week on the Sunday Sit Down podcast. Be healthy, everybody.