Skip to main content

Octavia Spencer, Hannah Waddingham on playing BFFs in ‘Ride or Die’

Hannah Waddingham, Octavia Spencer and Ed Skrein in ‘Ride or Die.’ (Prime Video)

Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham are besties on the run in Ride or Die.

The new series, which premieres on Prime Video Wednesday, follows best friends who think they know everything about each other — until one discovers the other is an international assassin.

The show has it all — action, drama, comedy and romance — but its heart is the friendship between Debbie (Spencer) and Judith (Waddingham).

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to play in all of these sandboxes,” Spencer told ABC Audio. “For me personally, horror is my favorite genre and then action … the fact that I’m getting to be in an action, comedy, drama with Hannah and getting to play at this level was amazing.”

Spencer said the characters were “otherworldly to me because we see these women. We are these women in real life.”

She made sure to quickly clarify, “Not the assassin part of it,” right before Waddingham chimed in, “Or am I?”

Spencer laughed and said, “Or maybe she is. Maybe she’s the secret sauce.”

As for what it was like to get to play Spencer’s best friend, Waddingham said, “That is the crux of it all for me.”

“It’s not every day that an Oscar winner gets on a Zoom call and goes, ‘Come and play and do this amazing role, and I’ve got an amazing role, and we’re going to have Bill Nighy playing an amazing role,'” Waddingham said. “It was just almost too much for a girl to listen to and feel like you could step up to the plate with these massive hitters.”

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘Not Suitable For Work’ creator, cast react to show’s cancellation

Will Angus, Nicholas Duvernay and Jack Martin in 'Not Suitable For Work.' (Disney/Gwen Capistran)Not Suitable For Work has been canceled after one season on Hulu. The show's creator and its cast have taken to social media to share their reactions to the news.Mindy Kaling created the comedy that starred Ella Hunt, Avantika Vandanapu, Will Angus, Jack Martin and Nicholas Duvernay.Kaling took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a photo carousel filled with memories from making the series."I love this show, I loved making this show, I love these people, and I love all of you for all your sweet comments, messages, edits and for watching @NotSuitableForWork," Kaling captioned her post.Stars Duvernay and Vandanapu both commented red heart emojis, while Vandanapu made a post of her own to her Instagram Story."I love this cast and this team so very much,” Vandanapu wrote. “@NotSuitableForWork gave me such an opportunity of a lifetime and introduced me to people and audiences I could have never even dreamed of meeting before. I am so grateful to Mindy, Charlie, Hulu, Warner Bros for giving us this chance. We love you.”Martin also took to his Instagram Story to share his thoughts on the cancellation.“I will ALWAYS love @NotSuitableForWork and everyone who was a part of it!!!!!! Thank you for watching," he wrote.Hunt similarly shared a post on her Instagram Story, writing, "i had the most wonderful time making not suitable for work." She thanked Kaling and showrunner Charlie Grandy for "assembling the loveliest group of goobers there ever was" and said "this show was a dream come true for me."  Not Suitable for Work spanned nine episodes and premiered on June 2. It followed "five work-obsessed twenty-somethings who strive for professional success and, if they have time, personal happiness, in Manhattan," according to its official synopsis.Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Read Next Story