“The Cosby Show” alum Jeffrey Owens says he's still struggling to “make a living” six years after he made headlines for working at a grocery store.
“I'm having a hard time making ends meet,” said Owens, 63. He spoke on Atlanta radio station V-103. These days, “People don't get that because they see me in movies.”
The actor, best known for playing Sondra Huxtable's partner Elvin Tibideaux on the NBC sitcom from 1985 to 1992, is much better off these days than he was when he was photographed at work by a notorious client. “It's not a very good situation,” he said. Behind the register at Trader Joe's in 2018.
“People have a false impression of what the average middle-class actor does and their ability to make a living in the industry,” he says.
Owens, a Yale University graduate and son of former New York state congressman Major Owens, continued to act after “The Cosby Show” ended, until snapshots of his side job as a cashier surfaced on the Internet. , has largely stayed away from the spotlight. .
“At first, there was some negativity that it was basically shaming the job. It's like, 'Where is he now?'” he said in a radio interview. “But soon after, we received so much support and encouragement from all over the world.”
Jeffrey ended up quitting his job at Trader Joe's because he was worried about the viral moment invading his privacy.
“It was weird because someone was taking pictures inside the store,” he said. “And I thought, now that this is winding down, I don't feel good working in this store thinking about who's going to have the camera. That would be too weird. I'm very private. I am a human being.”
He continued, “I didn't quit because I knew I was going to make a lot of money right away. I just felt like I couldn't stand this kind of surveillance and attack on my privacy.”
The TV star also said that after dozens of women accused “The Cosby Show” star Bill Cosby of sexual assault, the series was taken out of syndication and Jeffrey's holdovers were suddenly “gone.” said.
After his supermarket job made headlines, several people offered him financial help.
Nicki Minaj once sent Jeffree $25,000, but he didn't earn it and “didn't feel it was appropriate to keep it,” so he donated the money to charity.
He took on acting work in several projects, including director Tyler Perry's The Haves and the Have Nots, and 50 Cent's shows Power and Power Book II: Ghosts.
Jeffrey is currently appearing on the CBS show Poppa's House, which also stars Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. He also appears in the new movie “Mr. Wayans.” Santa: Christmas celebration. ”
Although Jeffrey re-entered Hollywood, he said he still wasn't making enough money from acting alone to live comfortably, so he went back to work at Trader Joe's.
