Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham Share Career Doubts

Quick Answer

Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham have revealed that success has not ended their self-doubt. While promoting Prime Video’s “Ride or Die,” Spencer said new roles still make her uneasy, while Waddingham admitted she often feels like an imposter on set. The eight-episode action-comedy follows the pair through fights, car chases and dangerous escapes.

Spencer and Waddingham Still Feel Uncertain on New Sets

Spencer said she has learned that acting does not come with a permanent comfort zone. Each production introduces a new character, cast and creative team, leaving her unsettled during the early stages of the job.

The Oscar-winning actor does not view that discomfort as a sign that something is wrong. For her, feeling challenged is part of understanding a character and continuing to grow as a performer.

Waddingham praised Spencer for speaking so openly. She noted that viewers may assume an Oscar winner enters every project feeling fully confident, but Spencer’s experience shows that professional recognition does not automatically remove uncertainty.

The “Ted Lasso” star then shared her own confession. Waddingham said she feels like an imposter on every set and sometimes worries that people will decide her performance is not as strong as they expected.

She does not want to approach a role believing she has already mastered everything. Waddingham argued that some uncertainty encourages preparation and humility, while complete confidence can easily become arrogance.

“Ride or Die” Put Waddingham Through Intense Action Training

Waddingham plays Judith Burton, an international assassin whose secret career is exposed to her closest friend. Preparing for the role required months of combat, gunplay, weapons work and detailed fight choreography during the show’s six-month production.

The actor had previously completed action scenes for the 2024 film “The Fall Guy,” including work involving a helicopter and a physical confrontation with Ryan Gosling. “Ride or Die,” however, required far more sustained training because action is central to Judith’s story.

Waddingham wanted viewers to recognize that she was genuinely involved in the physical sequences. She performed as much of the action as possible, although trained stunt professionals handled shots that carried greater risk.

Some of the confirmed sequences include:

• A skiing sequence connected to one of Judith’s missions

• A bathroom fight filmed while Waddingham wore a gold evening dress

• Close-contact choreography that required her stunt double to match her unusually high energy

• A dangerous escape from a moving train

• Several high-speed vehicle chases across Europe

Spencer also credited the stunt team behind Debbie’s action scenes. She joked that one stunt performer eventually became three because the production needed different specialists for the character’s physical sequences.

Spencer did not perform every stunt herself, but she said the editing and transitions were convincing enough that even she occasionally had difficulty identifying which shots featured her doubles.

What Is “Ride or Die” About?

The series follows Debbie Claybourne, played by Spencer, and Judith, played by Waddingham. The women have been best friends for more than 20 years, but Debbie believes Judith works as a forensic accountant.

Judith is actually an international assassin living a carefully protected double life.

Debbie has spent years supporting her family and the political ambitions of her husband, David. Her life begins to collapse when he asks for a divorce. She then learns that Judith has hidden the truth about her career throughout their friendship.

A failed mission and the return of a mysterious figure from Judith’s past force the women to flee across Europe. The official Prime Video description also reveals that Debbie’s husband is connected to serious corruption, adding another threat to their attempt to uncover the truth.

With law enforcement, assassins and criminal groups closing in, Debbie and Judith must stay alive while confronting the secrets that have damaged their relationship.

The action moves the story forward, but its main emotional question is whether a friendship can survive a major betrayal after more than two decades of trust.

Both Actors Accepted Their Roles Before Contacting Their Agents

One of the more unusual details behind “Ride or Die” is how quickly both leads decided to join the project.

Spencer said creator Tessa Coates delivered one of the most compelling pitches she had heard during her career. She was particularly interested in a story led by two capable women in their 50s who were driving the action rather than appearing in secondary roles.

By the end of the pitch, Spencer had already decided that she wanted to play Debbie, even though she had not yet discussed the project with her representatives.

Waddingham had a similar experience. When she joined an early video call with Spencer and Coates, she initially assumed they wanted her opinion about another actor who might play Judith.

She was surprised to learn that the role was being offered directly to her. Waddingham also decided almost immediately that she wanted to join the series, before following the usual process with her professional team.

Their quick decisions were driven by the relationship between Debbie and Judith, the combination of comedy and action, and the opportunity to show women their age leading a major genre production.

Quiet Filming Days Helped Shape Their On-Screen Friendship

Although “Ride or Die” contains large action sequences, Spencer and Waddingham said some of their most valuable filming time came during quieter car scenes.

Several driving sequences were created on a visual-effects stage. That setup allowed the actors to spend long periods sitting together, discussing the characters and developing the rhythm of their conversations.

Those moments helped make Debbie and Judith’s friendship feel lived-in rather than newly created for the plot.

The actors were also determined not to present the relationship as unrealistically perfect. They wanted both women to challenge each other, argue honestly and respond seriously when secrets were exposed.

Waddingham believed the possibility of losing the friendship had to feel real. Without meaningful conflict, any reconciliation between the characters would appear too easy.

The Series Confronts Hollywood’s Treatment of Older Women

Judith’s age becomes a professional issue when her agency begins dismissing her as a “woman of a certain age.” Despite her experience and ability, she is treated as though getting older has made her unpredictable and less valuable.

The criticism affects Judith because she has sacrificed much of her personal life for the agency. She fears that the career she built is being taken away for reasons unrelated to her performance.

Spencer said she assumes people may use similar language when discussing her privately. She does not consider age a weakness, however. She believes it brings greater confidence, stronger judgment and life experience that younger performers have not yet had time to develop.

Waddingham agreed, describing women at this stage of life as vital, feisty, present and loving. She also questioned why women are regularly placed into age-based categories while men rarely face the same description.

“Ride or Die” keeps both women at the center of its story while directly challenging assumptions about age, capability and professional relevance.

“Ride or Die” Release Date, Cast and Key Details

• Release date: July 15, 2026

• Streaming service: Prime Video

• Release format: All eight episodes together

• Genre: Action-comedy

• Creator: Tessa Coates

• Lead actors: Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham

• Lead characters: Debbie Claybourne and Judith Burton

The supporting cast includes Ed Skrein, Calam Lynch, Savannah Steyn, Jamie Parker, Jacky Ido, Sylvia Hoeks and Bill Nighy.

The directing team includes Peyton Reed, DeMane Davis, Allison Liddi-Brown and Lauren Wolkstein. Spencer and Waddingham also serve among the series’ executive producers.

Sources and References

• USA TODAY: Octavia Spencer, Hannah Waddingham’s Career Confession May Surprise You

• PEOPLE: Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham Discuss “Ride or Die,” Its Stunts and Their Friendship

• Amazon MGM Studios: Official “Ride or Die” Release and Series Information