Photo Credit: Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.

Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee Octavia Spencer once streaked down her street wearing little besides a pair of Uggs.

It seems the actress who played Minny Jackson in “The Help,” based on Atlanta author Kathryn Stockett’s book, made a friendly bet with the movie’s director, Tate Taylor.

“I totally did not think that America was ready for an African American president. And, flapping my big mouth, I said, ‘Tate, if America elects a black man to be president, I will run down the street naked,’” Spencer tells Ellen DeGeneres on today’s episode of DeGeneres’ talk show. “And when they did, I said you know what, I have to pay this bet off. But I did it on my own way. I basically wore my underwear, bra and panties. And Uggs, because it was November.”

Taylor upped Spencer’s end of the bargain.

“He said, “Well if you’re not going to do it naked you have to scream, ‘A black man has been elected to the White House!’ So I ran down the street screaming it and all of our neighbors came out. It was so embarrassing.”

At the Golden Globes, on the other hand, the effervescent Spencer was bound in several layers.

“I triple-Spanx,” she quipped. “Which is not good. Spanx really, really work but you don’t need to overdo it.”

The Atlanta-based support garments did their job but cut into Spencer’s fun the night of the awards.

“I could not party that night because I was being pinched in places that I didn’t know it was possible,” Spencer tells DeGeneres. “I ran into Melissa McCarthy who is in ‘Bridesmaids’ and brilliant, one of my closest friends. 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.’”

(Next time you watch an awards show and wonder what the stars are whispering to each other, keep in mind they might be discussing their Spanx.)

DeGeneres’ show airs at 4 p.m. weekdays on WXIA.

By the way now that you have read this blog, what could be more exciting than a video of me talking about it? Click the tab that says Entertainment Video on the lower right of this page.

- Jennifer Brett/The Buzz/jbrett@ajc.com