[ad_1]
After taking a photo of Geoffrey Owens at Trader Joe's in New Jersey, a customer Cosby Show The first star thought was that of his son, because he feared that the 19-year-old man would be humiliated when people discovered that his father was working in a supermarket.
"My wife and I were together when we saw it," says Owens, 57, exclusively at PEOPLE. "It made me think of my son. I texted my son and warned him about breaking the story. I apologized for embarrassing him because I knew he was away from school. I knew his classmates would see him and he would be humiliated and embarrassed. I apologized to him.
Adding: "Even before the wave of support came in an hour or two, he sent me a nice text to tell me how proud he was of me. I cried, I just broke down. He felt the opposite of embarrassment. He was so proud to have taken the job. It was beautiful. "
"With the support of my wife and my son's reactions, even before the counter-reaction occurred, I felt very supported and loved. Then the encouragement from around the world began to arrive and it was amazing and overwhelming.
Larry Busacca / Getty Images
Although the actor claims that the attention he has received since the publication of the photo by some tabloids has been overwhelming, he is grateful for his support.
"It really hurts," Owens says of the photo. "I felt really humiliated. From the moment I heard that the article could be published until the moment it was published, I tried to imagine the worst possible scenario for myself. prepare and then it was just a little worse. If it was possible. They went out of their way to find the worst photo of me, in the worst shirt and the worst posture. The words they used to describe me were so devaluing. It hurts."
RELATED ARTICLES: A woman who took Geoffrey Owens' photo at Trader Joe's says she did not want to shame him
But Owens did not allow that to hurt him.
"I've learned never to give up," he says. "Often, I was about to leave the job at Trader Joe's, but I did not do it. But it was embarrassing enough and uncomfortable to do this kind of work recognized from time to time. For me to want to get out of it, I wanted to leave sometimes even though I was grateful for the work. But if I did, none of that would have happened.
"It's because I kind of hooked up and persevered that all these amazing things are now happening. I am someone who perseveres generally, but that has confirmed me how important it is to stay hooked. I think it's so important to so many people in my area. Just hang on!
Owens played Elvin Tibideaux on The Cosby Show from 1985 to 1992. He has since participated in many shows, including Divorced, It's always sunny in Philadelphia, The secret life of an American teenager and Built to last.
Source link
