Octavia Spencer Paid For ‘Ma’ Co-Star’s Publicist When He Was In Debt
Gianni Paolo revealed on the Boyfriend Material podcast that Octavia Spencer paid for him to have a publicist during the press tour for their 2019 horror movie Ma when he couldn’t afford one due to credit card debt. Paolo, known for his role in Power, mentioned, “I only made $6,000 on the movie. I’m in $20,000 worth of credit card debt. So, I’m like, I’m just not going to get a publicist.” Spencer invited the young cast of Ma to her house for dinner before the press tour and insisted on getting a publicist for Paolo, even paying for it herself.
Spencer’s gesture turned the situation around for Paolo, who said, “She had called her publicist, paid for it completely, and then set me up with her whole team. And then [she] said, ‘Now you have a publicist.’ She didn’t ask for the money back. Never.”
Blumhouse Productions is developing a sequel to Ma with Octavia Spencer reprising her role, following the success of the original film that grossed $60 million worldwide on a $5 million budget.