Oscar winner Octavia Spencer has revised her age upwards to mark a significant birthday, and to show her gratitude for her life.

In an Instagram video, The Help and The Shape of Water star said: "Hey y'all. I'm sitting out here in the backyard. Drinking some sangria, eating some potato chips, listening to Ronnie Milsap. Celebrating my birthday. The big 5-0. Ugh! Yeah, I know I've been saying I'm 48. But the Internet will always win! [Laughs]. People putting dates and numbers. 'I thought we went to school together. I'm 50. How are you 48?!' Cause I want to be!"

"All that seems so trivial now," she continued. "I'm grateful to be turning 50, especially right now, when we've lost so many. We've lost so many. Remember this time last year? We talked about deferring your joy? Now, if you did not look for the joy between May 24th, this time last year, until now… Just let that sink in. But the Good Lord has a way of making us prioritise things, and I think that's what this crazy pandemic is doing."

She told viewers to: "Figure out what's important to us, who." 

"I know y'all are feeling a certain kind of way because I'm feeling a certain kind of way," she said. "But since it's my birthday, I'm not feeling the way I normally feel, where I need some laughter. I'm feeling very grateful.

"And since it’s the day of remembrance [Memorial Day was May 25 in the US], remembering our veterans, I'm grateful to them. I'm also grateful to those waging this new war, making it possible for me to be here, sitting at home. So um, Happy birthday, Gemini." 

Spencer concluded: "You gotta look for the light. In these dark times you've got to look for the light. And right now for me that light is my friends and my family - and this weird little squirrel, it's bringing me so much joy. It's crazy, all God's beautiful creatures. It's bringing me joy. Hit me down there, in the 'comments'. Let me know what's bringing you joy. And if you can't find the joy, I'm sending you some right now. You've got to be the light. Happy birthday."

A teary Spencer later posted a follow-up video, sharing her gratitude for her "surprise birthday party, virtually".

"Sometimes you don't know what you need until you get it," she said. "It's a good thing I told y'all I was 50 because everybody was saying 'Happy 50th!' Like, how did you know?!

"Oh, but thank you. Man, when you're quarantined and away from all your loved ones and then you get to see a lot of people that you care about... Well, it means the world."

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