Octavia Spencer has revealed that she experienced imposter syndrome while filming her latest role in the action thriller Ride or Die, but she welcomes the discomfort as a chance to grow. The 56-year-old actress stars as Debbie, an unwitting friend of an assassin played by Hannah Waddingham, in the Prime Video film.
Spencer's Imposter Syndrome and Embracing Challenges
Born in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1970, Spencer is the sixth of seven children and has always had family support for her acting career. However, working on Ride or Die and performing stunts made her realise how often her career makes her feel nervous—a feeling she revels in. She told USA Today Entertainment: “I discovered that there really isn't a comfort zone, that every job is a new one. I realised that on this job. I was like, ‘Wow, I'm not comfortable, and I am learning this character.’ And that's good. You want to be challenged. I think we don't grow as humans if we don't challenge ourselves, and we certainly don't grow as artists if we don't challenge ourselves.”
Breaking Gender Norms in Ride or Die
The film breaks gender norms by featuring two women at the helm of action sequences, including car chases and gunfights—roles typically reserved for men. Spencer's character Debbie is a departure from her breakout role as a maid in the 2011 film The Help. Away from acting, Spencer is also a published children's book author, having penned two stories in the Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective series.
Octavia Spencer on Ageing and Being a 'Woman of a Certain Age'
In Ride or Die, there is a discussion of how women 'of a certain age' are treated and often overlooked. Spencer admits the label has impacted her off-screen. In the same interview, she said: “I'm absolutely positive, in rooms that I'm not in, that people refer to me as 'a woman of a certain age'. As a woman of a certain age, I know I have life experiences that sort of colour the stage of life that I'm in and the confidence that we carry. We just carry ourselves in a different way. We know that we're great at what we do. We know that we're still vital and viable.”
Ride or Die is available on Prime Video.
