Octavia Spencer on Why Saying ‘Yes’ To ‘Ride or Die’ With Hannah Waddingham Felt Like Being ‘Married on the First Date’

Think of the qualities you desire in a friend. Things like being reliable, trustworthy and even loyal likely come to mind, but how loyal do you expect your friend to be? For example, if you found out your best friend was really an international assassin, would you join them on their adventures? Oscar-winning Octavia Spencer and Emmy Award-winning Hannah Waddingham bring that question to life in their new Amazon Prime Video series Ride or Die. In an exclusive interview with Woman’s World, Spencer opened up about working alongside Hannah Waddingham, whether she’s a ride-or-die friend herself and how you can be a ride-or-die health advocate.

Spencer on saying yes to Ride or Die

In Ride or Die, Debbie, played by Octavia Spencer, and Judith, played by Hannah Waddingham, share hilarious on-screen chemistry as longtime best friends. Spencer shared that from the very first Zoom pitch meeting, Waddingham was the only actor the team wanted to play Judith.

“Well, it was actually the Zoom call that we made to pitch her the series in hopes that she would play Judith. I had already signed on to play Debbie, and then we were throwing names around, and hers was the only one that came up that we all wanted to be our Judith, and I basically said yes in the room, which is something you’re not supposed to do,” says Spencer. “Saying yes in the room when you’re on a pitch is like agreeing to get married on the first date. So I did what you’re not supposed to do, and sure enough, Hannah heard the pitch, and she decided to get married on the first date as well. So that kind of cemented us basically from the start.”

Spencer on being a ride or die friend 

In Ride or Die, Spencer’s character is thrown into a wild and dangerous world when she discovers her best friend is secretly an assassin. Spencer shared how she thinks she’d react if she were in Debbie’s situation.

“I think there would be some suspicion and perhaps some fear, and of course I would want to know, and then I actually wouldn’t want to know how many people they murdered,” says Spencer. “But then you’re like, you’re putting yourself into their world, and so it’s best not to know certain things, right?”

Few shows capture the meaning of being a ride-or-die friend quite like Ride or Die, so we asked Spencer whether she considers herself one in her own life.

“Absolutely,” says Spencer. “I don’t have people in my life that I won’t show up for. You know the nucleus friend group. We all show up for each other in a myriad of ways. So that’s important. And you don’t need 50 million ride or dies. You just need the one. You’re very lucky to have one. I’m very, very blessed to have a few.”

Spencer on being a ride-or-die health advocate 

Being a ride-or-die friend doesn’t just mean showing up for exciting international adventures; it also means showing up for the hard stuff in life, like when a loved one or friend is ignoring symptoms or skipping doctor’s appointments. Outside of Ride or Die, Spencer is also a part of the public health initiative Detect the SOS collective, which is raising awareness about high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease and the importance of health advocacy through screening. Spencer shared how people can be ride-or-die health advocates.

“There’s some of us who go to the doctor too much and then there’s some of us who need the prompting, and especially men,” says Spencer. “Men don’t like to go to the doctor. Women don’t prioritize going to the doctor. So I think we have to meet somewhere in the middle. Because if you’re a person who is blessed enough to be surrounded by a lot of love, by not maintaining your health, you will shorten your life. So I think it’s just about making sure the people that you love have rides to the doctor. Maybe make it easy and make it a date. Maybe make it easy and set the appointment with them or for them.”

“Usually, you don’t want to go to the doctor because you’re afraid to get a diagnosis,” continues Spencer. “You know something’s wrong, but you’re afraid to know what it is. But what I would encourage everyone who’s a ride-or-die family member: It’s best to know. It’s best to deal with the unknown. The unknown is scary, but once you confront things, it’s not as bad as we think.”

Season 1 of Ride or Die is now streaming on Prime Video.

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