Cosby Show Actor Working at Trader Joe’s Lands Role on The Pitt as Guest Star

Geoffrey Owens, known for his role on The Cosby Show, recently made headlines when photos of him working at Trader Joe’s surfaced in 2018. Owens, 63, explained that he took the job during a challenging period of unemployment and debt to support his acting career.

Now, nearly a decade later, Owens is set to guest star in an upcoming episode of the Emmy-winning medical drama, The Pitt, airing on HBO Max. In the episode, he will play Dr. Clay Barrett, a cardiothoracic surgeon.

While best known for his role on The Cosby Show as Elvin Tibideaux, Owens has made appearances in various TV shows and movies over the years, including That’s So Raven, The Leftovers, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Addressing the viral photos of him at Trader Joe’s during a 2024 interview, Owens shared that he quit the job before the images were published due to discomfort with the invasion of privacy. However, the incident led to opportunities, including a role on Tyler Perry’s The Haves and Have Nots and a generous donation from rapper Nicki Minaj, which Owens donated to charity.

Despite his success in the industry, Owens emphasized that he still faces financial challenges, highlighting the misconceptions around actors’ earnings and the unpredictability of the entertainment industry.

Fans can catch Owens in his guest-starring role on The Pitt in season two, episode 13, airing on HBO Max. New episodes of the show premiere on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.