August 14, 2025
One actor is opening up about the fairy Godmother role Octavia Spencer played in his career.
Power actor Gianni Paolo is opening up about the time Octavia Spencer covered the cost of his first publicist and didn’t expect anything in return.
Paolo, best known for playing Brayden Weston on Power and its spin-off Power Book II: Ghost, recently appeared on Harry Jowsey’s Boyfriend Material podcast, where he shared his journey going from $20,000 in debt to starring in one of Starz’s most-watched crime dramas. His journey included a small role as Chaz in the 2019 horror film Ma, where he confided in the film’s star, Octavia Spencer, about his financial struggles and inability to afford a publicist.
“I didn’t have any money for a publicist ‘cause at this time, this was pre-Ma coming out, and I was like, I just can’t spend $5,000 a month for a publicist,” he said.
It was something the other actors all agreed was key to success in Hollywood, which Paolo recalls feeling defeated in being able to make happen.
“I was like, ‘I don’t have the money to do that. I’m not going to get a publicist,” he explained.
But once he opened up to Spencer, Paolo says she wasted no time springing into action to help the young actor.
“That was on like a Friday. On Monday, she had called her publicist, paid for it completely, and then set me up with her whole team,” he recalled.
He also revealed that Spencer has never asked for the money back. But he still made sure to show his appreciation for the favor by paying her back.
“When I booked Power, I shot my first episode, got my first paycheck for Power, and then I wired her the money back,” he said.
It’s the perfect promotion for Spencer amid reports of her return for the Ma sequel, which is currently in development. Her most recent project sees her sharing parts of her Southern roots on the Food Network cooking competition show Family Recipe Showdown, where she and Southern culinary expert Edgar “Dook” Chase IV judge family duos competing to showcase their most cherished recipes for the chance to win $10,000.
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