Celebrity News

‘Cosby Show' actor Geoffrey Owens shares life update after Trader Joe's job

"The Cosby Show" actor Geoffrey Owens said he's still struggling to make a living after facing "scrutiny" for working as a Trader Joe's cashier as his day job.

Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images

Geoffrey Owens at the “Never Let Go” world premiere held at Regal Times Square on Sept.16, 2024, in New York City.

Originally appeared on E! Online

No job is too small for Geoffrey Owens.

Watch NBC6 free wherever you are

>
  WATCH HERE

That's why "The Cosby Show" alum returned to work at Trader Joe's after he was job-shamed by online critics in 2018.

"Trader Joe's was a wonderful job," he said in a recent interview with V-103 Atlanta's "Big Tigger Morning Show." "I've gone back there since all happened. And basically, I asked for hours to work there again."

Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.

>
  SIGN UP

While Owens didn't specify if he is still an employee at the grocery store, he did share insight into why he initially left his post amid "scrutiny" over his day job.

"I'm a very private person," he explained. "It wasn't like I quit knowing that I was going to 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 attack on my privacy."

But the 63-year-old has no problem working for an honest pay. After all, as he put it, his residual checks from "The Cosby Show" were "never particularly wonderful."

READ Cosby Show Star Geoffrey Owens Speaks Out After Being Job-Shamed

"I did maybe 20 percent of the show," he noted. "People have a false you impression of what the average middle class actor makes and their ability to make a living in the industry. That's what drove me to work at Trader Joe's to begin with."

Owens continued, "But honestly, I'm not much better off now."

In fact, the actor — whose recent credits include "Poppa's House" and "Mr. Santa: A Christmas Extravaganza" — said he's still dealing with financial hardships.

"Even today, right now, as we speak, I still struggle to make a living," he shared. "I struggle every day to make my ends meet. And people can't get their heads around that because they see me in movies."

Still, Owens is "not complaining" about his situation.

"I'm grateful for the work I have," he added. "I work more than a lot of people do, so I got to keep perspective."

Copyright E! Online
Exit mobile version