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Octavia Spencer is captivating audiences with her new action comedy, Ride or Die.
The Oscar winner stars opposite Hannah Waddingham in the Prime Video series, which follows best friends Debbie and Judith, who are forced to go on the run when Judith's secret career as an international assassin is uncovered.
While she's widely celebrated for her stellar Hollywood career, including acclaimed roles in The Help and Hidden Figures, Octavia likes to keep her private life out of the spotlight.
Read on to find out all we know about Octavia's life off-screen, from her "haunted" Los Angeles home to her candid reflections on her choice not to have children.
Octavia's home life
It's believed that Octavia lives in the affluent LA neighbourhood of Toluca Lake in the San Fernando Valley, having moved into the Spanish-style, 1,714-square-foot home in 2013.
In 2021, Octavia claimed that her house was haunted by the spirit of a Western movie star.
"I grew up watching Westerns and I bought this house, and it was owned by a guy who did Westerns and I must have been a fan of his. I think he is my protector," she told The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Sharing her affection for the ghost, she continued: "I love him because he kind of sorts out the bad people that shouldn't be there. He runs them out. If they stay at my place they don't want to come back."
Octavia's six siblings
Raised in Alabama, Octavia grew up alongside her six siblings, one of whom is Areka Spencer, a morning news anchor on the Boston radio station, WRKO.
Her mother, Dellsena, worked as a maid to support her family. She sadly passed away when the Hidden Figures star was just 18.
Reflecting on her childhood in an interview with PEOPLE in 2016, Octavia said: "I had a very strong mom who made me and my sisters understand that there were no limitations on our lives except what we placed on ourselves.
"She taught us to see people as people. All people. Taught us to understand our place in the world," continued the actress. "And our place in the world is, if you want to be a leader, you can be that. There was no glass ceiling until I got into the real world and realized there are glass ceilings everywhere!"
Octavia's decision not to have children
Octavia likes to keep details about her love life private, so very little is known about her relationship history.
However, she has spoken openly about her choice to remain child-free.
Reflecting on her decision in a 2013 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she said, "And now I'm thinking my eggs are dying on the shelf. They're going to go past their expiration date. But it's what I chose, so I'm fine with that decision."
Later, while promoting the 2014 drama Black or White, in which she played a grandmother, Octavia elaborated on the subject. "I am not maternal at all," she told Us Weekly. "I don't have any kids. I don't have a maternal instinct," continued the actress, adding: "There are certain archetypes that are played a lot for women of color. I chose to be a part of this movie because of the message, and how the message is presented."
