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"Acting is a muscle—I'm always working it out." Born and raised in Plano, Texas, the 26-year-old actor spent much of his childhood embracing a passion for film. "I wanted to be a spy for my birthday and my parents got me one of the Mission Impossible VHS tapes. I knew I wanted to act after that. There's something about going to the movies —it's always really impacted me." He recalls a definite hesitation around his big dreams, but notes that his passion and extremely supportive parents were always a constant. At 16, Spencer was convinced to audition for a school play and began acting classes at DTV Studios, the studio he still attends today. "Acting is a muscle —I'm always working it out." Around that same time, his manager helped him obtain an acting coach. "Disney Channel was a natural progression for a guy my age. By the time I was 18, I'd done three pilots already. The third one happened to be Lab Rats." When Lab Rats launched in February 2012, it was the most-watched series premiere in Disney XD history, drawing 1.3 million viewers, and lasted four seasons on the network. His other acting credits include 21 Jump Street, Billion Dollar Freshman, and guest roles on well- known shows like iCarly. After working on 21 Jump Street, Spencer received some extraordinary, impactful advice from the film's director, Phil Lord. "Phil, knowing I was on Disney, said to me, 'You have the ear of young people, especially young women. Teach them to expect more from the young men in their lives.' I've always wanted to make it a point to young women that people should be liked for what they are like on the inside. Never lower your standards to be with someone." Cruise, written and directed by Robert Siegel, is the actor's latest project. "The film is a fun, nostalgic ride that takes you back to 1987 electric pocket of Whitestone, Queens. My character Gio is all about racing cars and getting chicks. Everyone knows he's the man of the neighborhood. But then he meets a girl who turns his world upside down. This is a story about gaining perspective. Gio is dreaming of something more, not better. He wants to experience something different. He's a young person getting complacent in the setting that he's in. He just wants to experience, which I think is super relatable, not only for young people but for everyone. I really wanted to make sure that was conveyed properly."