Geoffrey Owens Says He Still Struggles to “Make Ends Meet” — Inside His Net Worth

Due to the glitz and glamour that TV can provide, some believe a person who has been on TV has automatically "made it." However, many actors have proverbially taken off their masks and given their fans a look into their lives outside the stage and screen.

Geoffrey Owens, who found fame in the 1980s as Elvin Tibideaux on The Cosby Show, has been candid about his life after being a regular character on a hit show. He has specifically shared how the ebbs and flows of the industry have affected him.

Throughout Geoffrey's career highs and lows, he's maintained an impressive net worth. But, in December 2024, the actor confirmed that looks can be deceiving. He declared his life hasn't changed as much since fans discovered he worked at Trader Joe's in 2018, though he's had several acting opportunities. So, what is Geoffrey's net worth now? Let's find out!

Geoffrey's net worth is $400,000, per Celebrity Net Worth. Most of the actor's net worth stems from his acting career, which began soon after he graduated from Yale University in 1983.

In 1985, Geoffrey booked his most well-known role as Elvin Tibideaux on The Cosby Show. He was initially only supposed to play Sondra Huxtable's (Sabrina Le Beauf) boyfriend. After a few seasons, Geoffrey's character became Sondra's husband, allowing him to remain in the series until it ended in 1992.

After The Cosby Show, the actor appeared in Ron Howard's 1994 film, The Paper, alongside the late Andy Griffith and Marissa Tomei. He also received guest roles on That's So Raven, Boston Legal, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

However, by the 2010s, Geoffrey looked into other ways to earn money. In 2018, multiple outlets began reporting that he worked at Trader Joe's. A guest at the store recorded the actor working his job, which he took to earn a stable income between auditions.

Geoffrey's Trader Joe's videos caught the attention of Nicki Minaj, who gifted him $25,000 that he later gave to charity. The actor also got a call from Tyler Perry, who offered him a role on his soap opera, The Haves and the Have Nots.

Geoffrey's`stamp of approval from Tyler catapulted his career, earning him roles in Power, Bless This Mess, and The Good Fight. Still, he said him being a working actor again didn't stop him from eventually returning back to his day job.

In a December 2024 interview with V-103, Geoffrey revealed his life didn't change overnight when he started receiving extra calls for scripted work. He said that, despite reportedly being worth thousands, he still has the same financial issues as anyone else working and living in the U.S. economy.

"Even today, right now, as we speak, I still struggle to make a living,” he said. “I struggle every day to make my ends meet. And people can’t get their heads around that because they see me in movies."

Geoffrey added that his lack of residual checks from The Cosby Show, which drastically changed after the show was pulled from syndication after Bill Cosby's numerous sexual assault allegations and his serving three of his 10-year prison conviction for sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, a Temple University employee, ruined his "bottom line."

He also shared that after the chaos surrounding him working at Trader Joe's quieted down, he returned to the company and asked to work extra hours. Geoffrey said his staying at Trader Joe's is a testament to his field's fickleness.

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