Some actors don’t quit their day job
Several Canadian actors say working a day job while employed in the biz is more common than some might think.
The issue was thrust into the spotlight when a photo of The Cosby Show actor Geoffrey Owens working the cash register at a Trader Joe’s went viral.
After news of Owens’ employment was published by multiple media outlets, a legion of social media users and industry workers jumped to the 57-year-old actor’s defence, with some tweeting their own personal stories about juggling multiple jobs during their careers with the hashtag #ActorsWithDayJobs.
Arwen Humphreys, who plays Margaret Brackenreid in the Canadian drama series Murdoch Mysteries, said she’s worked onand-off as a server in Toronto throughout the entire run of the show, which was renewed for a 12th season in March.
“There’s an assumption that if you’re on a big TV show, that somehow, that’s what you’re doing all the time,” she said in a phone interview Monday. “As an actor, sometimes you’re working and sometimes you’re not, and you’ve got to find a way to fill in the gaps.”
Humphreys “outed” herself as a restaurant worker on Sunday, tweeting her support for Owens after the photo came to light.
She said having to take on a second job is an aspect of show business that many people don’t think about, noting that there’s a common misconception about how much money actors make and how much work they can get.
“This is the reality of being an actor … it ebbs and flows,” she said. “And what people think about it, at the end of the day, is irrelevant, because I can’t pay my rent based on what people think.”
Andrew Phung, who plays the supporting role of Kimchee on Kim’s Convenience, said he’s worked in customer service jobs since he was a teenager, starting out as an employee at a mall at the age of 16.
Phung, who also worked at a non-profit organization, kept that job part-time after the first season of the popular sitcom wrapped up.
“I love customer service jobs! I crush those jobs,” he said in a phone interview from Calgary.
For him, the recent coverage around the picture of Owens points to a larger problem of society’s tendency to value certain jobs over others.
He said any job deserves respect no matter what it is, adding that the issue is somewhat personal.
“My mom worked two jobs. She worked early in the morning at a university cafeteria, she’d come home, take care of me during the day, then she’d work late at night at a Japanese sushi restaurant,” said Phung.
“For me, this isn’t just about actors coming together: this is about humans coming together, supporting those who are just trying to make a life for their family.”
As for Owens, he says he’s thankful for the support he has received since the photos were posted.
Owens played Elvin Tibideaux, the husband of the eldest daughter of Bill Cosby’s character on the TV show.
Owens said said he hasn’t had an acting job that lasted more than 10 weeks since leaving The Cosby Show, but has taught acting at Yale and worked other jobs related to entertainment.
Owens was most recently in an episode of Elementary and finished a movie called Impossible Monsters.
“No one should feel sorry for me,” he said. “I’ve had a great life, a great career.”