Geoffrey Owens says he’s still struggling to make a living as an actor

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Geoffrey Owens says he still struggles ‘to make a living’ as an actor.

The former Cosby Show star went on the Big Tigger morning radio show on Atlanta’s V-103 where he talked about life as a working actor.

Geoffrey Owens on being a working actor

In 2018, Owens went viral after he was seen working at Trader Joe’s in New Jersey. Though Owens has booked roles since then and had celebrities rally around him in support, he says he’s still struggling to make ends meet as an actor.

“Even today, right now, as we speak, I still struggle to make a living. I struggle every day to make my ends meet,” he said during the show.

“People can’t get their heads around that because they see me in movies, whether it’s ‘Mr. Santa’ or, you know, I’m on ‘Poppa’s House’ on CBS,” he continued.

“All the TV shows I’ve done and all that stuff. People have the impression that, ‘Well, you’re making a lot of money. What’s the problem? Why would you have financial troubles?’ They don’t understand the specifics of how my industry works.”

According to 2023 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage for actors is $41, with a median hourly wage of $20.

Misconception

Owens says there is a huge misconception about what a working actor makes.

“People have a false impression of what the average what I call ‘middle-class actor’ makes and their ability to make a living in the industry,” he said.

In the interview, Owens said he quit working at Trader Joe’s shortly after the photos of him working were taken, due to privacy concerns. When the story started going viral, Owens said he experienced fame like never before.

“For two weeks or more, I was like one of the most famous people in the world,” he said. “… Everywhere I went, people recognized me.”

The viral photo was positively received.

Owens started to get opportunities and support from fellow actors and various celebrities, such as 50 Cent, who offered him a role on “Power”, and Tyler Perry, who offered him a role on his show “The Haves and the Have Nots.” Owens also said Nicki Minaj gifted him $25,000, but he donated the money because “at the time, it seemed like the right thing to do.”

New movie

Aside from talking about life as a working actor, Owens shared the latest movie he’s in called “Mr. Santa“. The film, directed by Yandy Smith, stars Owens and Tommy Davidson. It has an IMDB rating of 9 out of 10.

Owens candor about the realities of working actors is appreciated and respected. He is a talented actor. If you haven’t already, he is a must see on-stage. We wish him well.