Former ‘Cosby Show’ Actor Geoffrey Owens Speaks Out On Viral Photo

(Photo Credit: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images)

Actor Geoffrey Owens went viral this weekend after a photo of the former Cosby Show star was seen working the register at a Trader Joe’s in New Jersey.

Following a weekend full of conversation on social media, Owens went on Good Morning America to discuss the reaction over the photo.

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I’ve been a janitor, a cook, I’ve cleaned carpets, washed cars, driven forklifts, cut steel, steelworker, worked double shifts, bodyguard, and a teacher. If I had to I would gladly do it again to take care of my children. A man doesn’t need anyone’s permission to take care of his family and himself, he does what needs to be done. None of us know where life may take one day. You can never shame a man who makes an honest living. #geoffreyowens

A post shared by New Skills Training (@teachbrother) on Sep 3, 2018 at 4:07pm PDT

“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,” he said. “It’s amazing.”

He them discussed the overall reaction.

“It’s really overwhelming, in a good way,” he said. “I kind of feel like that character in that Woody Allen movie that wakes up one morning and he’s a celebrity all of a sudden … it came out of nowhere. I really want to thank everybody out there … for the incredible support, the amazing support and positivity that they’ve shown for me. It’s quite astounding.”

Owens also wanted to make sure people did not feel bad for his career choice today.

“No one should feel sorry for me,” he said. “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!”

Watch the interview below.

FULL INTERVIEW: @GMA EXCLUSIVE — “There’s no job better than another…every job is worthwhile…” Actor Geoffrey Owens speaks out, responding to job shaming and backlash after a photo of him working at a grocery store was posted online: https://t.co/0wZJnpowI9 pic.twitter.com/aNiG5fV2yf

— Good Morning America (@GMA) September 4, 2018