Geoffrey Owens lands gig on Tyler Perry’s ‘The Haves and the Have Nots’

Geoffrey Owens is taking his talents to “The Haves and the Have Nots.”

“The Cosby Show” actor who was thrust back into the limelight when it was discovered he was working at Trader Joe’s will have a recurring role on the OWN series, a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to USA TODAY on Friday.

Owens will appear in 10 episodes of the drama created by Tyler Perry.

Perry offered Owens a spot on the show Tuesday via Twitter, writing: “I have so much respect for people who hustle between gigs. The measure of a true artist.”

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Owens told Robin Roberts on Tuesday’s “Good Morning America” that he began what ended up a 15-month stint at Trader Joe’s so he could make ends meet.

“I’d been teaching, acting, directing for 30-plus years, but it got to a point where it just didn’t add up enough and you gotta do what you got to do,” he said, adding the job offered “flexibility” so he could “try to stay in the business.”

After outlets reported on Owens’ day job, many celebrities came to his defense.

Karma Lawrence, the person who snapped the now-viral photograph, told NJ.com she now regrets her decision. “I don’t know why I snuck a picture,” said Lawrence, 50. “I figured everybody does it. I don’t know what possessed me. I just did it. I didn’t even think about it. I just kind of did it on impulse and it was a bad impulse.”

Owens’ recent gigs included starring as Henry Brown in the 2012 critically acclaimed Goodman Theatre production of David Mamets “Race.”