Geoffrey Owens

Geoffrey Owens was born and raised in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn, New York. He attended New York City public schools before attending Yale University, (from which he graduated, cum laude, in 1983). Owens, the founder and artistic director of The Brooklyn Shakespeare Company, has had a notable career as a teacher and an actor. He has taught Shakespeare and acting at Yale, NYU, Columbia, Pace, HB Studio, Stella Adler Studio, Primary Stages, and FSU. On television, he played ‘Elvin’ on NBC’s “The Cosby Show,” as well as roles on numerous other shows, including “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Power,” “Ghost,” “All Rise,” and “Divorce.” On film, he can be seen in “The Paper,” “Somewhere in Queens,” “Ezra,” “Fatale,” “Hide and Seek,” “Susie Searches,” and “Play the Game.” On stage, he appeared in “Romeo and Juliet” (on Broadway, with Orlando Bloom), “Salome” (with Al Pacino), and in the Chicago premiere of David Mamet’s “Race” (at the Goodman Theatre). Right before the pandemic, he made national news as the “Trader Joe's” guy on a tabloid cover for working a regular job and being shamed for it. The graceful way Owens—the son of the late librarian-turned-U.S. Congressman Major Owens—handled this situation revived his career. This fall he’s on a new CBS sit-com “Poppa's House.” He currently lives in Montclair, New Jersey, where he enjoys reading, playing the guitar, listening to music, and watching movies. He dedicated his book to his son, Jordyn, and his daughter, Ophelia.