Octavia Spencer recently discussed her experiences with racism in Hollywood compared to her experiences growing up during a podcast interview with Marc Maron.
The actress and native of Montgomery, Alabama, moved to Los Angeles in 1996, thinking it would be a more liberal and accepting place. Ultimately, Spencer received a surprise when she encountered the opposite.
While talking to Maron, Spencer opened up about some of her deplorable experiences in Tinsel Town.
“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, and then I realized that I was being followed,” she said. “It was kind of strange in that way.”
She called that specific incident “glaringly obvious” and noted it was due to her race.
Spencer also talked about her Alabama upbringing. Despite the state’s history, she has fond memories.
“Everywhere has its history. … You can’t deny that Southern history is intense. [But] what’s beautiful for me is that stuff preceded me,” she explained. “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 a part of my history. I learned about it. It’s not everything — anything that I experienced.”
Check out Spencer’s full interview on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast below:
