Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538091
44 FA L L 2 0 2 5 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y Side Hustles and Shame It's no secret that work in our field is experiencing a challenging slowdown. When projects aren't renewed, seasons are truncated, or projects aren't green- lit, many may need to look for other opportunities to supplement the reduction in income. This is an unfortunate part of many professions, not just ours, and, as such, shouldn't be met with any shame. While most of our craft work behind the camera, I wondered about the actors who experience similar downturns. b y G r e g o r y C . V i l f r a n c C A S M P S E To be clear, I don't know Geoffrey Owens, but when I see his face, I remember him as Elvin from The Cosby Show. If you search his name on the internet, it won't take long to discover an incident that took place at a Trader Joe's back in 2018. Dig a bit deeper, and you'd find that he wasn't a customer in this story, but a cashier. You'd then discover seemingly candid images of him ringing someone up, looking quite focused on the task at hand. Nothing to see here, right? Geoffrey Owens, known for his role in The Cosby Show, is still financially stressed six years after going viral for working at Trader Joe's. Photo: Getty Images Like many people, I'm always remotely interested in the "Where are they now" lore you can dig up on the internet of nearly anyone famous. Naturally, I was intrigued by one of my favorite characters from one of my favorite shows growing up. After the Bill Cosby scandal, the show was pulled from syndication. It didn't take long for ignorance to rear its ugly head as people of all walks of life took turns participating in a reckless "How the mighty have fallen" campaign, job-shaming Geoffrey for being "caught" working at Trader Joe's.