Actor Says Oscar-Winner Paid for His Publicist When He Was ‘Struggling’

Breaking into the entertainment industry isn’t easy, and many up-and-coming actors lack the necessary support. Recently, “Ma” star Gianni Paolo opened up about Octavia Spencer paying for his publicist during a time when he couldn’t afford one. 

Paolo was on the August 12 episode of Harry Jowsey’s “Boyfriend Material” podcast and discussed his journey in Hollywood so far. Regarding how Spencer helped, he shared, “I didn’t have any money for a publicist because at this time, this was pre-Ma coming out, and I [couldn’t] spend $5,000 a month for a publicist.”

The actor went on to recall that he told Spencer about his issues during a time when she invited the “Ma” cast to her home for dinner. Paolo said, “I was like, ‘I don’t have the money to do that. I’m not going to get a publicist.’ On Monday, she had called her publicist, paid for it completely, and then set me up with her whole team.”

Spencer never asked for the money back. However, Paolo still repaid her after booking a role on the Showtime series “Power.”

‘Ma 2’ Has Been Confirmed, but It’s Unknown if Paolo Will Join Spencer

“Ma,” in addition to Spencer and Paolo, also starred Diana Silvers, Juliette Lewis, and Corey Fogelmanis. The film hit theaters in 2019. Since then, it has become a bit of a modern cult classic. Now, according to Variety, “Ma 2” has been confirmed and will be released by Blumhouse. 

Jason Blum said in a statement, “Ma has proven to be a social phenomenon since its release in 2019, with fans eagerly embracing the film and Octavia’s iconic performance as Ma. Ma likes to say ‘don’t make me drink alone,’ so we’re thrilled Octavia will join us again for a second round.”

The first movie paired Spencer with the same director from “The Help,” Tate Taylor. Notably, she won her Oscar for that film. “Ma” had a modest budget but went on to gross $61 million at the box office. Of course, it’s also heavily memed online thanks to Spencer’s performance as the titular character. 

Her Most Recent Film is ‘Tow’

Spencer is what many would call a Renaissance woman when it comes to acting. This is the case because she’s not afraid to take risks when selecting roles, as evidenced by her casting in “Ma.” Her most recent movie, “Tow,” had its Tribeca premiere in June. 

According to IMDb, the movie is a true story and it’s based on the life of Amanda Ogle. The movie stars Rose Byrne, Ariana DeBose, and Elsie Fisher. It’s currently available to rent from multiple platforms. 

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