‘The Shape of Water’ Scene That Convinced Octavia Spencer to Take the Role
Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro didn’t have to do much convincing to get Octavia Spencer to take a role in The Shape of Water. Del Toro is known for his powerful storytelling, and Spencer was already a long-time fan when the opportunity came knocking. But Spencer says there was one scene that made her even more eager to be a part of the 2017 film.
Octavia Spencer starred in ‘The Shape of Water’
Set in the 1960s, The Shape of Water follows Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute janitor who works in a top-secret government facility. Mild-mannered and a creature of habit, Elisa lives a routine life alongside her two best friends, her next-door neighbor Giles (Richard Jenkins) and her co-worker, Zelda (Spencer). But when the sinister Colonel Strickland (Michael Shannon) brings a mysterious sea creature he captured to the facility, Elisa’s life begins to change.
Elisa forms a unique bond with the creature—a humanoid amphibian—and the pair eventually fall in love, but Strickland has a dark fate in mind for the creature. Helped by Giles and Zelda, Elisa determines to rescue the creature and discovers she is rescuing herself along the way.
And while the story revolves around Elisa’s journey, Spencer’s Zelda plays a huge role in the film. As Elisa is mute, Zelda acts as her “mouthpiece,” often speaking for the main character through Zelda’s own lens. This created a truly unique role for Spencer, projecting her character into the lead role while also giving Zelda a voice during a time when Black women had few rights.
Considering this, it is not surprising that Spencer leaped at the opportunity. But Spencer didn’t know anything about the role when she boarded the project.
Octavia Spencer joined ‘The Shape of Water‘ after reading 1 ‘magical’ scene
Speaking to CBS News shortly after The Shape of Water was released in 2017, Spencer said she knew after reading the first scene that she wanted to be a part of the project. “The first scene when everything is underwater—I said, ‘Oh my God. They’re gonna be doing things like this. I want to be a part of this movie…’ I knew it would be magical.”
But the Oscar-winning actor also revealed that she had been a fan of del Toro’s for a long time, having seen nearly every work he has created. Likewise, del Toro wrote the role of Zelda for Spencer. So, when the two sat down to a creative meeting for the film, their mutual admiration for each other took over.
The actor describes meeting del Toro for coffee to discuss the film but, instead, the pair wound up talking for several hours about everything from antiques to dieting. “In the last 12 minutes, he told me he wrote the part for me” she said (via The Hollywood Reporter).
‘The Shape of Water’ won big at the Oscars
Spencer’s role in The Shape of Water earned the actor her third Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress after 2016’s Hidden Figures and 2011’s The Help (the latter of which she won, taking home her first Oscar).
The Shape of Water went on to rule the Oscars, with the film earning 13 nominations and winning four awards. Along with winning the coveted award for Best Picture, the film took home awards for Best Music and Best Production Design, and del Toro won Best Director.
The Shape of Water remains one of del Toro’s most memorable and poignant films. Spencer elegantly described its legacy: “‘The Shape of Water’ is the shape of love and love takes on the shape of the vessel,” Spencer told CBS News. “So, if you are an ugly person, then the shape of your water going to be quite ugly, but if you’re a loving person, you can see past the differences, and that’s one of the beautiful things of the movie.”
