LAST WEEK, FORMER Cosby Show actor, Geoffrey Owens, found himself at the centre of a media storm when he was photographed working at US supermarket, Trader Joe’s.
The 57-year-old actor, who played the role of Elvin Tibideaux for seven years on the NBC sitcom, inadvertently started a dialogue around the fact that the vast majority of people in the arts often work multiple jobs outside the industry between roles.
The article gained momentum on social media, with many of the actor’s peers weighing in on the patronising slant taken in the reporting of Geoffrey’s job as a cashier.
I don’t know #GeoffreyOwens
— Donnie Wahlberg (@DonnieWahlberg) September 2, 2018
I know this -
Almost every successful actor, singer, athlete or celebrity, is one lucky (unlucky) break away from bagging groceries themselves.
Few would admit it.
Fewer humble enough to do it.#RealLife > #FakeLife#TraderJoes > #CosbyShow
When I look at this picture of Geoffrey Owens, the only things that come to my mind are courage, humility and dedication. Very few artists, especially actors, can fully support themselves in their craft. Taking honest, hard work to offset those dry periods is honorable. pic.twitter.com/tql80NegJt
— Aharon Rabinowitz (@ABAOProductions) September 2, 2018
For those of you shaming Geoffrey Owens, go look at his IMDB page. He works as an actor. But actors get paid crap these days unless they are a lead on a network show. Despite the many channels and platforms these days, the pay has gone down an incredible amount for all of us.
— Brian Scolaro (@BRIAN_SCOLARO) September 1, 2018
And this week, the actor has spoken out, saying that the support he received in the aftermath of the article’s publication far outweighed the upset he initially felt.
The period of devastation was so short because so shortly after that, the responses, my wife and I started to read them and fortunately the shame part didn’t last very long. It’s amazing.
Speaking on Good Morning America, he questioned the notion that his role in the entertainment industry was more worthy than the job he was hired to do in retail.
Critical of the implication that he has taken a step backwards in any manner, Geoffrey reinforced the sense of pride he gets by working, regardless of the prestige (or lack thereof) attached to it.
I hope that this period that we’re in now, where we have a heightened sensitivity about that, and a reevaluation of what it means to work and the idea that some jobs are better than others — that’s actually not true. There is no job that’s better than another job. It might pay better, it might have better benefits, it might look better on a resume and on paper. But actually, it’s not better. Every job is worthwhile and valuable.
He concluded the interview by thanking the public for their support and acknowledging that they had turned what initially seemed like a negative situation into a wholly positive one.
“No one should feel sorry for me. I’ve had a great life. I’ve had a great career. I’ve had a career that most actors would die for. So no one has to feel sorry for me. I’m doing fine,” he added.
