Geoffrey Louis Owens (born March 18, 1961) is an American actor known for his role as Elvin Tibideaux onThe Cosby Show (1985–1992). He is the son of theUnited States CongressmanMajor Owens.

Owens was born inBrooklyn, New York, to Ethel (née Werfel), a music and literature teacher, andMajor Owens, a librarian who later went on to serve in theNew York State Senate and theUnited States House of Representatives.^[1][2] He has two brothers and two half-siblings from his father's second marriage.^[1] Owens attended theHigh School of Performing Arts for a year and graduatedcum laude fromYale University in 1983.^[3][4]

One of Owens's earliest roles was in anArcata High School theater performance where he played the title role in a performance ofPeter Pan. This initial outing was what galvanized him to become an actor later in life.^[5]

In 1985, Owens made his television debut on the second season of theNBCsitcomThe Cosby Show asSondra Huxtable's boyfriendElvin Tibideaux. Tibideaux married Sondra and became a regular character in 1987 and appeared on the series until it ended in 1992.^[1][6]

He has appeared as a lawyer on season 6 episode 1 ofElementary. He has appeared as himself on theFX sitcomIt's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In the season 3 episode "The Gang Gets Invincible" he appears at thePhiladelphia Eagles' public tryouts as an actor pretending to beDonovan McNabb doing a plug forMcDonald's but the gang recognize him as "that guy fromThe Cosby Show" who played "Sondra's husband ... Alvin [sic]". In the season 7 episode "Frank's Pretty Woman" he plays the same character, this time pretending to beTiger Woods.^[7] Dee, however, recognizes him and calls him out as the guy who pretended to be McNabb at the Eagles' tryouts. He then admits he is not Tiger Woods but then claims to be actorDon Cheadle. In the second episode ofSeason 15, "The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 7", he appears as the same character, but is given the role to play asRoger Murtaugh in the gang’s Lethal Weapon 7 movie.

In 2007, Owens guest-starred as Eddie's father in theThat's So Raven episode "The Way We Were". He also appeared on the season premiere ofNBC'sLas Vegas.^{[citation needed]}

In 2008, he appeared alongsidePaul Campbell,Andy Griffith,Doris Roberts,Liz Sheridan,Marla Sokoloff and Juliette Jeffers in the romantic comedyPlay The Game.^[8]

In 2010, he appeared onABC Family'sThe Secret Life of the American Teenager as a court-appointed mediator. He also appeared on the ABC showFlashForward in the episode "The Garden of Forking Paths", playing a researcher.^[9]

In 2011, Owens portrayed the role of Casca at theShakespeare Theatre Company in its Free-For-All production ofJulius Caesar.^{[citation needed]}

In 2015, he acted in an episode of the NBC drama seriesThe Slap.^[10]

In 2017, he portrayed an assistant dean on the FOX drama seriesLucifer, in an episode entitled "Deceptive Little Parasite".^[11]

In 2018, photos of Owens working in aTrader Joe's were published byThe Daily Mail, which many characterized as "job shaming."^[12][13] Owens agreed with the "job shaming" characterization, eventually quitting due to the unwanted attention.^[14] The story led producerTyler Perry to offer Owens a ten-episode role inThe Haves and the Have Nots.^[15][16] Owens also booked a guest-starring role onNCIS: New Orleans and supporting roles in the filmsFatale andHide and Seek.^[17][18][19] In 2024, Owens revealed ongoing career and financial challenges.^[20][21]

In 2020, he starred in the filmImpossible Monsters, where he played a police detective. "I’m usually cast as dads, lawyers, doctors, teachers, and so to play a detective it was really fun," he said.^[22] He played a supporting role inPower Book II: Ghost.

Owens is the founder and artistic director of The Brooklyn Shakespeare Company. He has taught acting and Shakespeare atColumbia University,Yale, Stella Adler Studio of Acting, the Adult School of Montclair andPace University. In addition to developing his own private Shakespeare workshop, he has been a guest teacher at universities, theaters, studios, and middle and high schools in theNew York metropolitan area. He has also served as a judge for the National Shakespeare Competition semi-finals atLincoln Center for at least 25 years.^[23]

In 1995, Owens married his wife, Josette. Together they have one son.^[3]

• Official website
• Geoffrey Owens atIMDb
• Geoffrey Owens at theInternet Broadway Database
• Geoffrey Owens at theInternet Off-Broadway Database

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• 1961 births
• 20th-century African-American male actors
• 20th-century American male actors
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• 21st-century American male actors
• American grocers
• American male film actors
• American male television actors
• John Dewey High School alumni
• Living people
• Yale University alumni

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