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Geoffrey Owens is opening up about THAT viral photo of him working at Trader Joe’s.
Do you remember back in 2018 when a pic surfaced of The Cosby Show alum ringing up customers at the grocery retailer? Suffice it to say, it shocked fans of the ‘80s sitcom who believed that such a mainstay on the show would end up working such a “regular job.” But he’s ready to clarify some things — including the reality of what a “middle-class actor makes” and how he’s still struggling to make “ends meet.”
‘Cosby Show’ actor Geoffrey Owens still ‘struggling’ to make ends meet after he quit Trader Joe’s gig over ‘attack on my privacy’ https://t.co/aTVws0rUJA pic.twitter.com/ryfODM3Sva
— New York Post (@nypost) December 27, 2024
During a recent interview on Atlanta’s V-103 radio station, Geoffrey revealed where he is six years after the pics were snapped:
“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.”
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That must be a difficult perception to grapple with as someone who’s just trying to get by… The 63-year-old, who memorably played Elvin Tibideaux on the comedy series, revealed that his residual checks “were never particularly wonderful” as he only acted in about “maybe 20%” of the show… And that after Bill Cosby’s infamous sexual assault case, the show was removed from syndication — which only further impacted Geoffrey’s income. He added:
“People have a false impression of what the average middle-class actor makes and their ability to make a living in the industry.”
So that’s why he took a “regular job” at Trader Joe’s where he was photographed in 2018… Which debuted to varying reactions. The comedian recalled:
“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.”
That’s nice to hear! However, Geoffrey revealed he quit the job as a preemptive measure before the pics even came out in attempt to protect his “privacy”:
“It was strange because someone had been in the store taking pictures. And I was like, now that this is breaking I’m not going to feel comfortable working in this store wondering who is around with a camera. It would just be too weird. I’m a very private 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.”
That’s so sad! Poor dude was just trying to make a living like everybody else.
After the photos surfaced, Nicki Minaj sent him $25,000 but Geoffrey donated it to charity because it “didn’t feel right to keep it.” He did, however, come into some new work in Hollywood, including appearances on The Haves and the Have Nots, Power Book II: Ghost, Poppa’s House, Mr. Santa: A Christmas Extravaganza, and more. But he’s still supplementing his income! Geoffrey revealed that after the news settled down a little, he returned to Trader Joe’s. And there’s nothing wrong with that whatsoever! We commend him for his dedication to provide!
What are your thoughts, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments down below!
[Images via NBC/Philo & Avalon/WENN]
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