It’s not easy making a name for yourself in the entertainment industry. Actor Gianni Paolo knows this better than anyone. He revealed how his Ma co-star Octavia Spencer surprised him with her kindness and generosity while he was trying to get his footing as an actor.
Gianni spoke with reality TV star Harry Jowsey, who also knows how difficult it is to be a celebrity. The Too Hot To Handle star has allowed his own questionable behavior to be broadcast nationwide for a piece of the reality TV fame pie.
Octavia Spencer paid for Gianni Paolo’s publicist amid his debt struggles
Gianni appeared on Harry’s podcast Boyfriend Material with Harry Jowsey. The Power star opened up about his struggles as a new actor and the reality of making it in the industry.
He also couldn’t help but poke fun at Harry for his streaming choices. He said Harry’s watch history looks more like the watch history of a 13-year-old girl. But hey, better Harry watching teen entertainment than his own sex tapes. IYKYK.
Gianni was very forthright about how difficult it is to make it. He revealed that despite having a movie and being on TV, there was a time he was so much in debt he couldn’t afford a publicist. He talked about how an act of kindness from Octavia helped give him the push he needed.
“I didn’t have money for a publicist. This was pre Ma coming out and I was like. ‘I just can’t spend $5,000 on a publicist,’” Gianni shared (at the 7:37 mark). “I only made $6,000 on that movie and I’m in $20,000 worth of credit card debit so I’m like ‘I’m just not gonna get a publicist.”
Gianni told Harry how Octavia invited everyone to her home for dinner and he shared he couldn’t afford a publicist with her so he wasn’t going to get one. “That was like on a Friday,” Gianni said. ‘Then on Monday, she called her publicist, paid for it completely, and then set me up with her whole team.”
“What?” Harry asked, stunned.
“Yeah, then she was like ‘Now you have a publicist,’” Gianni shared. “Didn’t ask for the money back. Never, like, just paid $10,000, all that stuff. I got great opportunities from it, and then when I booked Power, I shot my first episode, got my first paycheck, and I wired her the money back.”
Octavia seems like such an incredible and laidback person and this certainly proves it.
Boyfriend Material with Harry Jowsey is available on YouTube. His show Let’s Marry Harry is scheduled to stream on Netflix in 2026.
TELL US – DO YOU WATCH GIANNI PAOLO IN MA? ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MA 2?
