Octavia Spencer Reveals her Red Carpet Must-Have

4th OF February 2012

It's been quite the Awards Season for Octavia Spencer. 'The Help' actress consistently appears stunning on the Red Carpet and reveals one little tip that goes a long way. She is also an advocate for women that are proud of their body no matter their pant size.

Octavia Spencer wears three pairs of Spanx when she has to walk the red carpet.

The 'Help' star – who won the Best Supporting Actress prize at the Screen Actors Guild awards - admits she gained the "illusion" of an hourglass figure thanks to the support underwear.

She said, "I was not a Girl Scout, but I try to be very, very prepared. I triple Spank. Which is not good. Spanx really, really work, but you don't need to overdo it. It's wonderful because it gives you the illusion of an hourglass with the sand kind of spread out." She was not the only star to have "overdone" it, as she found 'Bridesmaids' star Melissa McCarthy also was struggling under the pressure of the body-contouring undergarment.

She told Ellen DeGeneres, "I could not party that night because I was being pinched in places that I didn't know it was possible. "I said, 'Oh my God, Melissa, I'm about to die. My Spanx are killing me. She said, 'I just went to the bathroom and took mine off.' "