Geoffrey Owens has quickly settled into his new role on Tyler Perry’s hit OWN series, The Haves and The Have Nots just weeks after a story broke about the Cosby Show favorite working at a New Jersey Trader Joe’s grocery store.
Both Owens and Perry sat down with Good Morning America for an on-set interview during the busy shooting schedule at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, and the praise and admiration the two have for each other was instantly apparent.
Perry took to Twitter while watching Owens’ interview early last month, offering up an open invitation to come and join the HHN team in Atlanta. It seemed at the time that Owens’ inspiring story about work ethic and pride struck a familiar chord in the multi-hyphenate creator.
Perry recalled, “sleeping in my car, struggling, wondering how I was going to pay the bills.”
“And to get to this place, to have seen both sides of this, has been really incredible. That’s why I feel like I’m the guy for the underdog. Sometimes things just don’t work out, and that’s okay. You do what you have to do in between-until it gets there.”
A few days after the tweet had gone out, Owens had accepted the offer and Perry had written him into 11 episodes as a senator in the ensemble-based, one hour drama.
“It’s incredible to be written for,” Owens said. “I’m really proud and excited to be part of his world. He’s so inspiring.”
Watch the full GMA segment below and be sure to catch the latest episode tonight at 9PM, 8PM Central.