And instead of merely posting a supportive message, he offered something tangible.
An acting role.
The offer was especially significant because it recognized Owens as a professional performer rather than simply as the subject of a viral story.
It created an opportunity for him to return to the work he had continued pursuing throughout his time at Trader Joe's.
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10. From Viral Photograph to a Recurring Television Role
Owens eventually accepted Perry's offer.
In September 2018, reports confirmed that he would join The Haves and the Have Nots in a recurring capacity.
Initial reporting described the opportunity as a 10-episode arc.
Later information published by Tyler Perry's official website stated that Owens had been written into 11 episodes, playing a senator.
That distinction is worth noting because the opportunity was not simply a brief appearance created for publicity.
Owens was given a recurring character in an established television drama.
He traveled to Atlanta, where the production was filmed, and joined the cast.
For an actor who had continued working through financially uncertain periods, the opportunity represented renewed professional momentum.
It also carried symbolic significance.
The public had initially been invited to see Owens as someone whose career had declined.
But within weeks, he was back on a television set performing the work for which he had trained and developed his skills.
During an October 2018 interview with Good Morning America, Owens and Perry discussed the new opportunity.
Owens expressed appreciation for having a character written specifically for him.
Perry explained that he recognized the determination involved in continuing to work during difficult periods.
The two men approached the situation from different professional positions.
Perry was an established producer with the ability to create opportunities.
Owens was an experienced actor navigating an industry where employment could be unpredictable.
Their collaboration demonstrated how professional support can sometimes transform public attention into meaningful work.
However, it is important not to oversimplify what happened.
Owens did not suddenly become talented because his photographs went viral.
He had already spent decades developing his abilities.
He had television experience, theater training, and teaching credentials.
The viral story did not create those qualifications.
It brought renewed attention to a performer who already possessed them.
That distinction makes the story more meaningful.
Owens was not rescued from a life without accomplishment.
He was an accomplished professional whose circumstances had been misunderstood.
Perry's offer gave him another opportunity to demonstrate skills he had possessed long before the public controversy.
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11. Hollywood Opportunities Continued Beyond Tyler Perry
The attention surrounding Owens' story did not end with his appearance on The Haves and the Have Nots.
Other television opportunities followed.
Among the productions associated with his renewed visibility was NCIS: New Orleans.
Owens also continued appearing in other film and television projects.
These developments were often presented as evidence that the controversy had produced a positive career turnaround.
There was truth in that interpretation.
The widespread public support increased awareness of Owens and reminded entertainment professionals of his experience.
It also created conversations about his availability for future roles.
But the relationship between publicity and professional success is complicated.
An actor may receive a sudden wave of attention without securing long-term employment.
A recurring role can provide meaningful income for a limited period, but it does not necessarily guarantee work afterward.
Even when new opportunities arrive, they may be separated by months of auditions and uncertainty.
Owens' experience reflected those realities.
The renewed interest in his career helped create professional possibilities, but it did not eliminate the structural challenges of working as an actor.
Still, the immediate developments were encouraging.
The public had moved from discussing Owens' supposed fall from fame to celebrating his continued professional abilities.
He was no longer simply the former sitcom actor photographed at a supermarket.
He was an experienced performer receiving new opportunities and public recognition.
The change in narrative was dramatic.
And it demonstrated how quickly public perception can shift when people challenge the assumptions behind a story.
12. The Difference Between Public Sympathy and Genuine Respect
One of the most important aspects of Owens' response was his resistance to being treated as a tragic figure.
He appreciated the encouragement he received.
He welcomed the renewed acting opportunities.
But he did not want the public to interpret his grocery store employment as a personal disaster.
That distinction separates sympathy from respect.
Sympathy can be valuable when someone experiences genuine hardship.
But sympathy can also become patronizing when it assumes that another person's circumstances are inherently humiliating.
If people defend a grocery store employee only because he used to be famous, they risk reinforcing the very hierarchy they claim to reject.
The underlying message could become that retail work is acceptable for ordinary people but tragic for someone who once appeared on television.
Owens' comments challenged that interpretation.
His employment was legitimate work.
It deserved respect regardless of his acting background.
A grocery store worker who has never appeared on television is no less worthy of dignity than someone who once starred in a popular sitcom.
The same principle applies to restaurant employees, cleaners, delivery drivers, warehouse workers, and countless others.
The value of their work does not depend on whether they previously held prestigious positions.
Nor does it depend on whether their employment eventually leads to a more glamorous opportunity.
Owens' story became powerful because it invited people to reconsider how they evaluate success.
Success can include professional recognition.
It can include financial stability.
It can include creative fulfillment.
But it can also include showing up for work, supporting a family, and adapting responsibly when circumstances change.
These forms of achievement are not mutually exclusive.
A person can be proud of a television career and equally unashamed of working in a grocery store.
Owens demonstrated that both experiences could belong to the same meaningful life.
13. The Hidden Financial Reality Behind a Famous Television Career
The public reaction to Owens' story revealed how little many people understand about the financial structure of the entertainment industry.
Television fame can create the impression of lasting wealth.
When viewers repeatedly see an actor in a popular program, they may assume that performer continues receiving substantial income long after the original production ends.
Sometimes actors do earn significant residual payments from reruns, streaming, and other forms of distribution.
However, residual income varies considerably.
It depends on contracts, the type of production, distribution arrangements, the number of episodes in which an actor appeared, and other industry-specific factors.
A performer who appears in a recurring role may receive very different compensation from a leading actor whose contract includes more favorable terms.
Owens' experience demonstrated why those differences matter.
Although The Cosby Show was enormously successful, his role as Elvin Tibideaux did not guarantee permanent financial security.
He appeared in only a portion of the show's episodes.
His residual payments were therefore not comparable to the enormous earnings people sometimes associate with the biggest television stars.
There were also broader circumstances affecting the show's continued distribution.