102 Part 1 Basic Communication Processes
NAME: Octavia Spencer
OCCUPATION: Academy Award Winning ActressI’ve always wanted to
work in the film indus-
try, though I never
dreamed it would
be in front of the camera. But in 1995, I got a
small part opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit
film A Time to Kill, and I was on my way. Since
that time, I’ve had a number of roles on stage,
screen, and television.
What I do want everyone reading this
interview to realize is that my success is tied
to a number of the topics you’re studying
right now—particularly nonverbal communica-
tion. For example, pretty much anyone can
read a script out loud, but how you read it is
what counts in this industry. The tone of voice,
the timing, the pause that is just long enough
to get people to look up and pay attention—
these are the keys to getting (and staying)
employed!
Vocal cues alone are incredibly important
in acting. When I was the voice of “Minny” on
the audio version of the book The Help (Kath-
ryn Stockett’s New York Times bestseller), I
had to study the appropriate accents, timing,
and inflections to make my performance truly
authentic. Later, when I played the same role
for the film, I realized just how much more
meaning and feeling I was able to communicatewhen I could use facial expressions and body
movements to express my character.
Most of my roles are comedic and, let me
tell you, acting in comedies isn’t a barrel of
laughs. It’s incredibly challenging work. Facial
expressions in particular have to be appropriate
and come at just the right moment (otherwise,
they aren’t at all funny). Often there are ten dif-
ferent facial expressions I have to produce in
less than one minute to show surprise, hurt,
outrage, confusion, acceptance, determination,
confidence, liking, disgust, and pleasure. Oh,
and it has to appear natural, too.
In addition, the way I tilt my head or hold
my body changes the information I’m trying to
convey. For example, I played Dr. Evilini, a witch
with dual personalities, on Wizards of Waverly
Place. As one personality, my head was bent,
and my voice low pitched with a diabolical,
screeching laugh. The other personality had a
normal voice, and I kept my body erect, though
my eyes were always wide with expression.
Because the show’s target audience was pri-
marily comprised of children, every movement
was exaggerated to ensure its comedic value.
At the end of the day, I am truly grateful to
be doing something that I absolutely enjoy—
and none of it would be possible without a
close study of nonverbal communication.real communicator
kinesic behaviors. And although there is not a specific message conveyed,
research shows that we’re fairly good at deciphering others’ emotions from their
gestures and movements (Montepare, Koff, Zaitchik, & Alberet, 1999).
There are five main categories of gestures and movements that convey mean-
ing nonverbally (Ekman & Friesen, 1969):c Emblems are often used to substitute for words, because they have a more
definition-like meaning for the people who use them. The “thumbs up” and
“okay” signs are both emblems that most Americans would recognize and
understand. During his inauguration parade, Barack Obama greeted the
marching band from his old high school with an emblem fellow Hawaiians