It has been six years since Geoffrey Owens was job-shamed for working at a local Trader Joe’s.
The 63-year-old actor, best known for his role as Elvin Tibideaux in “The Cosby Show,” was initially criticized in 2018 when a photo of him at his day job went viral on social media.
But the job-shaming didn’t last long.
“The period of devastation was so short, because so shortly after that, my wife and I started to read these responses from literally all over the world of support,” he said in a 2018 interview with “Good Morning America.”
That support came from fans, colleagues and celebrities — including Justine Bateman, Terry Crews, Patton Oswalt and Blair Underwood — who used the hashtag #ActorsWithDayJobs in support of Owens, according to E! News.
At the time, Owens revealed that he had been working at the grocery store for 15 months before the photo began circulating online.
“I’ve been teaching acting directing for 30+ years, but it got to a point where it just didn’t add up enough. You gotta do what you gotta do,” he told GMA of his reasoning for taking the job.
Now six years later, Owens is opening up about that experience and giving fans an update on his life since going viral.
“Trader Joe’s was a wonderful job,” he told V-103 Atlanta’s “Big Tigger Morning Show” on Dec. 12.
“I’ve gone back there since it all happened. And basically, I asked for hours to work there again,” he added.
Owens failed to specify if he’s still an employee at Trader Joe’s, but he did provide insight into why he started working there in the first place and why he decided to leave the job after going viral in 2018.
“People have a false impression of what the average middle class actor makes and their ability to make a living in the industry,” he said.
He further explained that his residual checks from “The Cosby Show” were “never particularly wonderful” and Trader Joe’s helped him make ends meet.
As for leaving his post, Owens said it had nothing to do with the flurry of work he has received since. In fact, he quit because he didn’t want all the attention that was being brought to him and his co-workers.
“It wasn’t like I quit knowing that I was going to be making a lot of money soon or anything,” Owens said.
“I just felt like I wasn’t going to be able to handle that kind of attack on my privacy,” he continued, while describing himself as a “very private person.”
Despite the career resurgence, Owens says he’s still struggling financially
According to IMBD, Owens had 34 acting credits to his name between 1992, when “The Cosby Show” ended, and 2017, prior to going viral online.
Since his viral moment, Owens has had 33 acting credits between 2018 and 2024 — albeit mostly small roles.
“It was actually a really loving thing,” he said of going viral, “that led to more work opportunities.”
Despite his resurgence in the industry, Owens clarified that he still struggles to make a living.
“I struggle everyday to make my ends meet,” he said on the radio show. “And people can’t get their heads around that because they see me in movies.”
Owens further clarified that he’s not complaining about his situation and is grateful for the work he has today.
