Cosby Show’s Geoffrey Owens Lands Netflix Role in Nonnas After Speaking Out About Financial Struggles

Nonnas features a surprise familiar face: Geoffrey Owens!

As the Vince Vaughn-led comedy made its streaming debut on Netflix Friday, May 9, fans might have recognized the Cosby Show alum in two scenes, playing a health inspector who checks out the restaurant the movie revolves around before its opening to the public.

It marks one of Owens’ first roles since the 64-year-old actor, who also previously worked as a cashier at Trader Joe’s, opened up late last year about “financial troubles” he was experiencing, despite having acting gigs.

In his first Nonnas scene, Owens’ character Phil conducts an inspection as Joe (Vaughn, 55) and Bruno (Joe Manganiello) wait for the results. He eventually tells the pair that they “failed, twice,” citing wall damage from a kitchen fire and a resulting need for a new oven.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.It doesn’t take Phil long to return, though, as Linda Cardellini’s character Olivia brings him back in.

Owens, who played Elvin Tibideaux on The Cosby Show from 1985 to 1992, said during a December 2024 appearance on an Atlanta radio station’s Big Tigger Morning Show that he “struggle(s) every day to make my ends meet” when it comes to money.

“And people can’t get their heads around that because they see me in movies, whether it’s Mr. Santa or I’m on Poppa’s House on CBS right now,” he continued. “People have the impression that, ‘You’re making a lot of money. What’s the problem? Why would you have financial troubles?’ They don’t understand the specifics of how my industry works.”

“I’m grateful for the work I have,” Owens later added. “I work more than a lot of people do, so I got to keep perspective.”

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After photos of Owens working at a Trader Joe’s emerged in 2018, he was offered opportunities in the entertainment industry — even accepting Tyler Perry’s offer to appear on his hit OWN drama, The Haves and the Have Nots. He also received $25,000 from Nicki Minaj but opted to donate the money to the Actor’s Fund in memory of the late Earle Hyman, who played Cliff’s father on The Cosby Show. 

Nonnas tells the true story of Joe Scaravella, played by Vaughn, who honors his late mother by opening a restaurant bearing her name. The twist: He hires nonnas — or grandmothers — to work in the kitchen and make the kind of food he loved as a boy.

Despite his best friend Bruno (played by Manganiello, 48) initially disapproving of the idea, Joe opens an Italian restaurant and hires four nonnas — Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Brenda Vaccaro and Talia Shire — who make traditional dishes passed down through their families.

The strong relationships the cast nurtured on set carry over into the film, serving as a reminder to cherish time with loved ones. As screenplay co-writer Liz Maccie told PEOPLE in April, “Family coming together and sharing time with each other over food and that connection and that ability to just really enjoy each other is what it’s all about.”

“Family isn’t necessarily blood-related,” she added. “Family is just a coming together of community and that we can literally make each other better by just being present with each other. And having lasagna in the middle doesn’t make it so bad either.”