Geoffrey Owens ‘not much better off’ six years after viral Trader Joe’s photo

Many were surprised to learn six years ago that “The Cosby Show” alum Geoffrey Owens was working at Trader Joe’s. It may surprise even more to learn that since that moment went viral, he’s still struggling to make ends meet.

The 63-year-old actor discussed his circumstances during an appearance on “The Big Tigger Morning Show” earlier this month, where he was promoting his latest film, “Mr. Santa: A Christmas Extravaganza.”

“I struggle every day to make my ends meet,” Owens told the hosts. “People can’t get their heads around that because they see me in movies.”

In the time since a customer took a photo of Owens working the cash register in Trader Joe’s six years ago, he admitted “he’s not much better off” financially. He explained that because his role as Elvin Tibideaux on “The Cosby Show” was only in about 20% of the episodes, his residuals from the show, before they stopped, were minimal. This, he said, is what “drove” him to work at Trader Joe’s.

When the photo was taken, it felt like an “invasion of privacy” for Owens and initially led to “negative” attention like “job shaming.” Shortly after, he quit Trader Joe’s to avoid gaining any further attention. Eventually, support from around the world poured in, and big names in the industry, like Tyler Perry, came calling.

While the photo did lead to more work for the actor, like a lot of folks in Hollywood, he can’t exactly afford to stop working due to expenses.

“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.

However, the actor is very happy with where he is now.

“I’m grateful for the work I have,” he continued. “I work more than a lot of people. So, I got to keep perspective.”

Since 2018, he’s made several appearances on TV, including “The Haves and the Have Nots,” “Power Book II: Ghost” and “Poppa’s House.”

In “Mr. Santa: A Christmas Extravaganza,” the actor plays a teacher attempting to help a group of high school students get into the Christmas spirit in time to put on their Christmas pageant.

“It’s about young people, which is kind of cool,” he said, noting how many Christmas movies tend to focus on adults and romance.

He continued, “This is unique and definitely worth seeing.”