>>> OSCAR WINNER OCTAVIA SPENCER HAS BEEN TRYING SOMETHING NEW IN
2019.
2019. PLAYING CHARACTERS WE MIGHT NOT
TRUST FROM THE GET-GO.
SEEMS TO BE THE CASE IN "LOOSE,"
WHERE SHE PLAYS A TEACHER
DISTURBED BY A STAR STUDENT’S
VIOLENT WRITING ASSIGNMENT, AND
GOES TO QUESTION THE LENGTHS TO
CONFIRM HER SUSPICIONS.
>> CLIMATE AROUND SCHOOL
SECURITY, THE WAY IT IS RIGHT
NOW, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND MY
CONCERN.
CONCERN. >> YES.
>> YES. >> WHICH IS WHY I FELT I NEEDED
TO SEARCH HIS LOCKER.
>> I’M SORRY?
>> AMY.
>> AMY. >> HE WROTE A PAPER.
>> A PAPER IN WHICH HE DESCRIBED
HIS BELIEF THAT THE SOLUTION TO
A POLITICAL PROBLEM IS TO GUN
DOWN THOSE WITH WHOM YOU
DISAGREE.
DISAGREE. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. HE WAS ASSUMING A CHARACTER, THE
ASSIGNMENT CALLED FOR THIS.
YOU --
YOU -- >> I FOUND THIS IN HIS LOCKER.
>> THIS IS BILLED AS A
PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER.
PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER. BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO GIVE
ANYTHING AWAY, BUT YOUR
CHARACTER TAKES TURNS THAT ONE
MIGHT NOT EXPECT.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> WHAT WAS IT -- WHEN YOU SAW
THE SCRIPT, WERE YOU SURPRISED
BY THE TURNS?
>> I WAS VERY SURPRISED BY THE
TURNS.
TURNS. THAT’S ONE OF THE REASONS I
CHOSE TO DO IT.
I WAS SURPRISED.
I WAS NERVOUS.
I WAS EXCITED.
I DISAGREED.
I DISAGREED. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE VERY
INTERESTING TO PLAY SOMEONE I
DISAGREE FUNDAMENTALLY WITH.
>> WHY WERE YOU NERVOUS?
>> HER JOB AS AN EDUCATOR, TO
ME, IS TO UPLIFT AND ALLOW EVERY
CHILD TO LIVE UP TO THEIR
ACADEMIC POTENTIAL.
ACADEMIC POTENTIAL. SHE CHOSE THE ONE.
I WAS NERVOUS BECAUSE I THOUGHT,
MAN, IF SOMEONE HAD NOT SEEN MY
POTENTIAL, WOULD I HAVE BEEN
DeSEAN OR LUCE?
IN THE SCOPE OF ACADEMICS.
IT MADE ME NERVOUS THINKING OF
HER IDEOLOGY.
HER IDEOLOGY. >> 2019 WAS A YEAR WHERE WE’VE
SEEN YOU IN ROLES THAT WE WOULD
NOT EXPECT.
NOT EXPECT. FOR EXAMPLE, MA, WHICH WAS, YOU
KNOW, NOT EXACTLY THE
FUN-LOVING, LOVELY, SWEET
OCTAVIA WE’RE USED TO.
>> I’M GLAD, AL.
>> YOU GOT GREAT REVIEWS FOR IT.
THAT MUST HAVE BEEN VERY SAT FI
SATISFYING.
SATISFYING. >> IT IS.
>> IT IS. AS AN ACTOR, YOU DON’T WANT TO
BE PUT INTO A BOX.
I ONLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, A FEW
YEARS LEFT TO DO THIS, AND I
WANT TO TRY --
>> COME ON!
>> YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO SLOW DOWN
A BIT.
A BIT. I WANT TO TRY EVERYTHING.
I WANT TO KNOW THAT WHEN I LEAVE
THE ACTING WORLD, THAT I’VE NOT
HELD MYSELF BACK AND I’VE NOT
ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE CHALLENGED.
MA WAS A CHALLENGE.
SO IS HARRIET.
>> WHEN I SAW YOU LATE IN 2018,
YOU SAID 2019 WAS GOING TO BE
THE YEAR OF SLOWING DOWN.
>> I DID.
>> I DID. >> YOU KNOW, MA, LUCE, GETTING
READY TO GO TO TORONTO TO
SHOOT --
SHOOT -- >> "MADAME CJ."
>> WHAT HAPPENED TO THE YEAR OF
SLOWING DOWN?
SLOWING DOWN? >> I SAID YES TO A COUPLE
THINGS, AND THE ONE THING WE
DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT -- ALIGNMENT
IS WHAT I’M CALLING IT.
2020, WE’RE SLOWING DOWN.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING LINED UP
FOR 2020?
FOR 2020? >> I DO.
>> I DO. BUT, HOPEFULLY, I MEAN, YOU
KNOW, IF IT HAPPENS, IT HAPPENS.
IF IT DOESN’T, AL, I CAN SLOW
DOWN.
DOWN. >> 15 YEARS AGO, WHEN YOU WERE
NOT THIS BUSY, DID YOU THINK
THAT YOU WOULD BE LIVING THIS
LIFE AND DOING WHAT YOU’VE DONE
AND HAVING WON ALL THESE AWARDS,
INCLUDING AN OSCAR?
>> NO.
>> NO. I THINK YOU JUST HOPE THAT YOU
GET TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE DOING.
I KNOW THAT I’M ON THE BLESSED
SIDE OF THINGS, AL, AND I’M
GRATEFUL.
GRATEFUL. THAT’S WHY I’M RELISHING THE
IDEA OF SLOWING DOWN.
BUT IF THE ROLLERS KEEP MOVING,
I’M ON A ROLL WITH THEM, AND
I’LL COAST, AL.
>> STAY ON THE TRAIN.
>> I’M STAYING ON THE TRAIN.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE LOVE THE TRACKS YOU’RE ON.
>> THANK YOU.
>> OCTAVIA SPENCER, SO GOOD TO
SEE YOU.
SEE YOU. >> GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> NEXT TIME YOU’RE IN NEW YORK,
I’LL MAKE YOU A MEAL.