‘Cosby Show’ actor Geoffrey Owens still…
“Cosby Show” actor Geoffrey Owens mentioned he’s still struggling to make ends meet after he was pressured to give up his job at a Trader Joe’s grocery store amid an “attack on my privacy”
Owens, recognized for his function as Elvin Tibideaux on the six-time Emmy-winning sequence, claimed he’s “not much better off” right now than he was when a buyer snapped a photograph of the actor working behind the grocery store register in 2018.
“Even today, right now, as we speak, I still struggle to make a living,” Owens informed Atlanta’s V-103 radio station on Dec. 18. “I wrestle on daily basis to make my ends meet. And people can’t get their heads round that as a result of they see me in motion pictures.
Geoffrey Owens still struggles to make ends meet as a working actor. Getty Images
Owens’ residual checks “were never particularly wonderful” as a result of he solely acted in “maybe 20% of shows” on the hit sequence.
“People have a false impression of what the average middle-class actor makes and their ability to make a living in the industry,” Owens mentioned.
The Yale University graduate and son of former New York congressman Major Owens took a “regular” job and went largely unnoticed till he was photographed working at Trader Joe’s.
“At first, there was some negative stuff about basically the job shaming. A ‘where is he now’ kinda thing,” Owens informed V-103. “But then, very soon after that, there was all this support and encouragement from all over the world.”
Owens was fearful about his invasion of privateness, so he left the job earlier than this new gig went public.
“It was strange because someone had been in the store taking pictures,” Owens recalled. And I used to be like, now that that is breaking I’m not going to really feel comfy working on this store questioning who’s round with a digicam. It would simply be too bizarre. I’m a very non-public particular person.
“It wasn’t like I quit knowing I would be making a lot of money soon or anything. I just felt like I wasn’t going to be able to handle that kind of scrutiny and attack on my privacy.”
When the information broke, an outpouring of help got here his method.
Owens made headlines in 2018 when an image of him working at Trader Joe’s went viral. SWNS.COM
The actor claimed he’s “not much better off today” financially than he was in 2018 working at a grocery store. SWNS.COM
Owens is most recognized for taking part in Elvin Tibideaux on “The Cosby Show.” Everett Collection
Nicki Minaj despatched him $25,000 however Owens donated the money to a charity as a result of it “didn’t feel right to keep it” with out working for it.
But he gladly accepted work in dozens of tasks together with performing gigs with powerhouses like Tyler Perry on the show “The Haves and the Have Nots” and the 50-Cent produced show “Power” and “Power Book II: Ghost.”
Owens at present stars on the CBS sitcom “Poppa’s House,” starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr.
The actor admitted that after the headlines calmed down, he went back to Trader Joe’s whereas performing and requested for more hours as a result of money was — and is — still tight.
Owens has appeared in dozens of tasks for the reason that image of him working at a grocery store went viral. FilmMagic
Bill Cosby, the star of the titular sitcom, and his fall from grace after quite a few allegations of sexual misconduct led the sequence to be pulled from syndication and affected Owens’ backside line, he mentioned.
The three-time Golden Globe-winning “The Cosby Show” was pulled from syndication on a number of networks back in 2014 after Cosby was accused and finally convicted of sexual assault — which he denied.
The Yale University graduate admitted royalties from the Cosby Show “were never particularly wonderful.” Everett Collection
Owens was impacted financially when “Cosby Show” was pulled from syndication as a consequence of Bill Cosby’s sexual assault scandals. PhotosByDutch / SplashNews.com
The man formally generally known as “America’s Dad” served three years of a 10-year jail sentence till Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court overturned the conviction in 2021.
“Yes, it impacted me financially. At the time that the show was pulled, that did make a difference in our income,” Owens informed People in 2018.
During his V-103 interview, he reiterated that his residuals have been “gone” after Bill Cosby’s scandal.
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