Octavia Spencer Says Hollywood is More Racist Than Alabama Where She Grew Up: There is ‘Profound Racism in Los Angeles’

Octavia Spencer recently revealed that her road to Hollywood stardom wasn’t paved in glitter and gold. Despite her enormous success, the actress said she still faced racism when she first moved to Los Angeles.

In a recent episode of the WTF with Marc Maron Podcast, Spencer sat down to discuss her long career and upbringing. As the conversation began, Spencer spoke glowingly about her hometown of Montgomery, Alabama.

“It’s a beautiful place and beautiful people. You know, I love being from there,” she remarked.

“But it’s like, it’s heavy, man. Right?” Host Marc Maron replied.

“I think everywhere is heavy. Every — everywhere has its history. You know what I mean? It’s — I think everywhere has problems, you know,” Spencer said.

The actress did note that “southern history is intense.”

“But that’s why it’s on the brain,” Maron replied.

“Well, what’s beautiful for me is, that stuff preceded me. You know, I was a child of the seventies… 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,” Spencer said.

“Did it hang over the family in any way?” Maron asked.

“My mother definitely, you know, taught us about the world and the realities, the harsh realities of the world and history. 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,” Spencer said.

Spencer said her perception of L.A., thinking “California is gonna be this free and liberal thinking place,” was much different than what she first experienced.

“It is so funny. It’s right out of Pretty Woman,” she said referencing the 1990 film.

Spencer said her experience was similar to that of the Julia Roberts character in the film, who was judged by store workers while shopping in the luxury stores on Los Angeles’ Rodeo Drive.

“One of the first things that you do when you move to — or at least that I did. You want to go to those historical places? You want to go to Rodeo Drive. You wanna go to Hollywood Boulevard. You know, the wax museum, all of those landmark places,” Spencer explained.

“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 added.

“But I guess it really is — there is a culture of profound racism in Los Angeles,” Maron said.

Spencer said that after that initial experience she hasn’t necessarily experienced something like that again but she called the event “glaringly obvious.”

Listen above via WTF with Marc Maron Podcast.