After Octavia Spencer Got A Birthday Greeting From Keanu Reeves, She Couldn’t Help But Cry

Even with an Oscar and a Golden Globe under her belt, it turns out that Octavia Spencer can still get emotional. The esteemed actress in fact has an unusual relationship with Keanu Reeves – and one moment proved simply overwhelming for her. Yes, when she received a birthday message from her long-time hero, she couldn’t control her tears.

Octavia's big day

In May 2020 Spencer was marking a milestone birthday. It was her 50th, and in order to celebrate the occasion, her friends collated a series of video messages recorded for the actress. But while there were a number of famous faces sending their good wishes, one had a particular impact on Spencer.

The kindest of words

That particular tribute came courtesy of Reeves, whose kind words made Spencer cry. It seems that the actor’s message particularly resonated with the actress because of her history with The Matrix star. The pair, it turns out, go way back – though Reeves might be unaware of their shared connection.

Long-time fan

As it turns out, Spencer’s admiration for Reeves started long before she was a star herself. Ahead of making it big in the movies, the actress had lived in Alabama, where she was born and raised. And while she’d grown up far from the bright lights of Hollywood, in a family with seven siblings, she was always drawn to performance.

Going against the grain

That being said, her mother believed that Spencer should pursue something practical. In a TV interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in October 2020 the actress revealed, “My mom had aspirations for me to either be a doctor or a lawyer then on to be a judge.” But regardless of her mother’s wishes, she would ultimately follow her own dreams.