“Cosby” actor Geoffrey Owens is still struggling to make ends meet despite receiving financial help from Tyler Perry.
Owens, 63, played Bill Cosby’s son-in-law Elvin Tibideaux on the popular TV sitcom “The Cosby Show” from 1985-1992. But Owens eventually fell on hard times as an out-of-work actor.
In 2018, RadarOnline.com discovered Owens scanning groceries at a Trader Joe’s in Clifton, New Jersey, for $11 an hour.
The story went viral, and job offers poured in for the beloved character actor. He made the rounds on TV talk shows and podcasts. His rags-to-riches and back-to-rags story inspired others.
Director Tyler Perry and Damon Wayans extended job offers to get him back on his feet. Perry cast Owens in “The Haves and the Have Nots”. Owens was also a cast member on “Poppa’s Health,” starring Wayans and his son.
Additionally, Owens appeared in the 50 Cent-produced “Power” and “Power Book II: Ghost”.
However, just six years later, Owens confessed that he returned to work at a Trader’s Joe’s to make ends meet.
READ MORE: Cosby Show Star Geoffrey Owens Quit His Job at Trader Joe’s After ‘Unwanted Attention’
Owens recently told V-103 radio station in Atlanta that the attention he received in 2018 was “mostly good.”
“At first, there was some negative stuff about basically the job-shaming. A ‘where is he now’ kinda thing. But then, very soon after that, there was all this support and encouragement from all over the world.”
Owens admitted he went back to his old job to work part-time. “Even today, right now, as we speak, I still struggle to make a living. I struggle every day to make my ends meet. And people can’t get their heads around that because they see me in movies,” he shared.
When asked about receiving residual payments for his work on “The Cosby Show,” Owens said he only appeared in 20% of the episodes. The residual checks dried up when the show was pulled from syndication for a while after Bill Cosby was hit with assault allegations from dozens of women.
Owens said the acting gigs barely kept his head above water. To make matters worse, Tyler Perry stopped returning his calls.
“People have a false impression of what the average, what I call ‘middle-class actor’ makes, and their ability to make a living in the industry. So that’s what drove me to work at Trader Joe’s to begin with.”
“No one should feel sorry for me,” he insists. “I’ve had a great life. I’ve had a great career. I’ve had a career that most actors would die for. So no one has to feel sorry for me. I’m doing fine!”
