‘NCIS: New Orleans’ Casts ‘Cosby Show’ Alum Geoffrey Owens Following Job-Shaming Incident

Actor Geoffrey Owens has landed another role after photos of him working at a Trader Joe’s grocery store surfaced. He will make a guest appearance in CBS’ NCIS: New Orleans in October.

The former Cosby Show actor was cast as Commander Adams, who is friends with Pride (Scott Bakula) and offers the lead character some medical and spiritual advice. Owens will make his debut in the sixth episode of the upcoming season.

“For Commander Adams, we needed someone with compassion, competence, and heart. That’s Geoffrey in a nutshell,” executive producer Christopher Silber told Entertainment Weekly on Sept. 11. “An accomplished actor who seemed like the perfect fit to add to our extended repertory company. We’re lucky to have him on the show.”

This is the second gig Owens has signed up for since The Daily Mail and Fox News were blasted for shaming Owens for working at a Trader Joe’s. Last week, Tyler Perry offered him a 10-episode arc on OWN’s The Haves and Have Nots. Owens signed on and started filming in Atlanta this week.

Although Owens has never stopped acting and has continued to appear on television, he took a job at a Trader Joe’s in New Jersey to help pay the bills. After Fox News tweeted about him bagging groceries on Aug. 31, he was met with a wave of support, especially from fellow actors who shared their own stories of taking regular jobs between gigs.

Owens told Good Morning America he was “really devastated” at first to see the photos, but then realized he helped shine a light on “what it means to work” and the “dignity” of working.

“There is no job that is better than another job. It might pay better, it might have better benefits, it might look better on a resume and on paper,” Owens said. “But actually, it’s not better. Every job is worthwhile and valuable, and if we have a rethinking about that because of what has happened to me, that would be great.”

Owens said he did not want to advertise that he was working at Trader Joe’s, fearing it might make people think he was quitting acting. And although that was not the case, Owens said he did not want to get acting offers just because of the incident.

“I actually … I wouldn’t feel comfortable getting acting jobs from this event. I wouldn’t mind getting auditions, I don’t mind if people call me in to try out for things due to what’s happened,” Owens explained. “But I actually wouldn’t feel comfortable with someone giving me a job because this happened. I want to get a job because I’m the right person for this job.”

The woman who took the photos, Karma Lawrence, later told Us Weekly she felt ashamed for taking the photos and terrible for embarrassing Owens.

Owens was working at the Trader Joe’s for 15 months, but he had to quit the job because of the incident.

NCIS: New Orleans begins its new season on Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 10 p.m. ET.

Photo credit: Getty Images