Courteney Cox
Courteney Bass Cox (born June 15, 1964) is an American actress, who achieved fame for her role as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends. Cox has also starred in Dirt and the Scream series of movies. She currently stars in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination.
Craig Ferguson 5/24/11C Late Late Show Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox on Jimmy Kimmel Live PART
David Letterman - Courteney Cox on David Arquette
Courteney Cox on Jimmy Kimmel Live PART
Courteney Cox kissing with Jennifer Aniston
Early life
Cox was raised in the Birmingham, Alabama suburb of Mountain Brook, the daughter of businessman Richard Lewis Cox (January 28, 1931 – September 3, 2001) and his wife Courteney (née Bass, later Copeland). She has two older sisters, Virginia and Dottie, and an older brother, Richard, Jr. Her parents divorced in 1974 and her mother was remarried to businessman Hunter Copeland (uncle to music promoter and business manager Ian Copeland). After graduating from Mountain Brook High School in Mountain Brook, Alabama, Cox left for Mount Vernon College in Washington, D.C., but did not complete her architecture course, opting instead to pursue a career in modeling and acting.
[edit]Career
[edit]Early career
Cox studied architecture at Mount Vernon College for Women in Washington, D.C., which is now part of The George Washington University, before she dropped out.[9] She appeared in the 1984 music video for Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" as a girl pulled onstage to dance with Springsteen. Cox was the first person to use the word "period" on U.S. television to refer to menstruation in a 1985 advertising campaign for Tampax brand tampons.[10] Her early film roles include Masters of the Universe (1987) and Cocoon: The Return (1988). Her early television work includes a starring role in the short-lived television series Misfits of Science (1985), and later a recurring role (1987–89) on the TV series Family Ties as Lauren Miller, the girlfriend of Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox). She had a supporting role as Jewel, the hard-as-nails assistant to James Belushi's character, in the 1990 fantasy film Mr. Destiny. In 1994, shortly before the debut of the sitcom, Friends, Cox appeared with Jim Carrey in the film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and on Seinfeld in "The Wife" episode as Jerry's girlfriend named Meryl. In 1995, she was cast in Toad the Wet Sprocket's music video "Good Intentions". The song is also on the Friends Soundtrack.
[edit]Friends
Cox in September 1995
Later in 1994, Cox was asked to audition for the part of Rachel Green on a new sitcom called Friends. She was cast as the character Monica Geller instead. At first the most famous cast member of the new show, Cox joined fellow castmates Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay), Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani), Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing) and David Schwimmer (Ross Geller) for what would become her most famous role, lasting for 10 seasons until 2004. According to the Guinness Book of World Records (2005), Cox (along with her female costars) became the highest paid TV actress of all time with her $1 million-per-episode paycheck for the final two seasons of Friends.
Between seasons five and six, Cox married David Arquette and changed her name to Courteney Cox Arquette. An in-joke reference to this is made in the opening credits of the episode "The One After Vegas", where the rest of the cast and executive producers have "Arquette" added to their names. The dedication "For Courteney and David, who did get married"—a reference to Monica and Chandler's decision not to marry in the episode—appears during the fade out to the tag scene.[11]
[edit]Film career
During her time on Friends, Cox appeared in the high-profile Hollywood films Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), and Scream 3 (2000), as the determined and driven reporter Gale Weathers. She met her husband, David Arquette, who played her on-screen love interest Dwight "Dewey" Riley, while filming the first Scream film. Both Cox and her husband David reprised their respective roles from the Scream trilogy in 2011's Scream 4. The movie was released in theaters April 15, 2011.[12]
Her other films include The Runner, 3000 Miles to Graceland and The Shrink Is In. In late 2003, Cox and Arquette produced one season of the reality television series Mix It Up. The lifestyle show, which aired on the We cable channel, struggled with low ratings and was not renewed for a second season.
[edit]Later work
After her Friends role, Cox was producer Marc Cherry's first choice to be offered a starring role as Susan Mayer on Desperate Housewives. However, Cox was unavailable due to her pregnancy and the role went to Teri Hatcher. A couple of years later, Cox signed a deal with ABC Studios (formerly Touchstone Television) to star in her own series. Since Friends, Cox has primarily concentrated on her family but has starred in the independent film November (2005) which had a limited theatrical release, costarred with Tim Allen in the critically derided Zoom, and cameoed in the big budget remake of The Longest Yard as the girlfriend of Adam Sandler's character. She supplied her voice for the animated film Barnyard. A Friends reunion film was rumored to be in production; following the success of Sex and the City: The Movie,[13] but this has been denied by Warner Bros. and others.
In 2007, Cox starred as Lucy Spiller, a cynical tabloid editor, in Dirt, a television drama for FX. Cox and her husband David Arquette were the executive producers of the series.[14] According to Cox, the series was canceled after the second season in 2008.[15] In July 2008, Entertainment Weekly announced that Cox had signed on to star in a three-episode arc for the television series Scrubs.[16] In her third episode, she told Dr. Cox that Cox was "a ridiculous name", in reference to her own.
In 2009, Cox began her roles as the star of the single-camera comedy series on ABC called Cougar Town, playing a newly single 40-year-old mother on the hunt for new experiences.[17][18][19]
[edit]Personal life
Cox's significant previous boyfriends include her step-cousin, the rock promoter Ian Copeland[20] and a long-term relationship with actor Michael Keaton from 1989 to 1995. Cox also dated singer Adam Duritz of Counting Crows and appeared in their music video for the song "A Long December" in 1997.
Cox married actor David Arquette on June 12, 1999.[21] On June 13, 2004, she gave birth to their first child, daughter Coco Riley Arquette.[22] Jennifer Aniston is the baby's godmother.[23] On October 11, 2010, it was announced that the actress and her husband had separated, though they still maintain a close friendship and business relationship, and as of March 2011, are said to be working on their marriage together.[24][25] Cox is a brown belt in Karate and can play the piano and drums.[26]
[edit]Filmography
Film
Year Film Role Notes
1987 Down Twisted Tarah
1987 Masters of the Universe Julia "Julie" Winston
1988 Cocoon: The Return Sara
1990 Mr. Destiny Jewel Jagger
1991 Blue Desert Lisa Roberts
1992 Shaking the Tree Kathleen
1993 The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them C "Carrie" Davenport
1994 Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Melissa Robinson
1996 Scream Gale Weathers
1997 Commandments Rachel Luce
1997 Scream 2 Gale Weathers
1999 The Runner Karina
1999 Alien Love Triangle Alice Connor short
2000 Scream 3 Gale Weathers
2001 3000 Miles to Graceland Cybil Waingrow
2001 The Shrink Is In Samantha Crumb
2001 Get Well Soon Lily "Lillian"
2004 November Sophie Jacobs
2005 The Longest Yard Lena Uncredited cast
2006 Barnyard: The Original Party Animals Daisy the Cow Voice role
2006 Zoom Marsha Holloway
2006 The Tripper Cynthia Also film producer
2008 The Monday Before Thanksgiving Cece Short film
2008 Bedtime Stories Wendy
2011 Scream 4 Gale Weathers Riley
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1984 As the World Turns Bunny
1985 Code Name: Foxfire Flight Attendant Uncredited role
NBC TV movie
1985–1986 Misfits of Science Gloria Dinallo 16 episodes
1986 The Love Boat Episode: Dare Devil/Picture Me As a Spy/Sleeper
1986 Sylvan in Paradise Lucy Apple NBC TV pilot
1986 Murder, She Wrote Carol Bannister Episode: Death Stalks the Big Top
1987 If It's Tuesday, It Still Must Be Belgium Hana Wyshocki NBC TV movie
1987–1989 Family Ties Lauren Miller 21 episodes
1988 I'll Be Home for Christmas Nora Bundy NBC TV movie
1989 Roxanne: The Prize Pulitzer Jacquie Kimberly TV movie
1989 Judith Krantz's Till We Meet Again Marie-Frederique "Freddy" de Lancel CBS miniseries
1990 Curiosity Kills Gwen NBC TV movie
1991 Morton & Hayes Princess Lucy "Lucille" Episode: Oafs Overboard
1992 Battling for Baby Katherine CBS TV movie
1992 Dream On Alisha Episode: Come and Knock on Our Door
1993 The Trouble with Larry Gabriella Easden
1994 Seinfeld Meryl Episode: The Wife
1994–2004 Friends Monica Geller 236 episodes
1995 Sketch Artist II: Hands that See Emmy Showtime TV movie
1995 Saturday Night Live Host Episode: "Courteney Cox/Dave Matthews Band"
1999 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Emerald Salt Pork Voice role
Episode: The Three Little Pigs
2007–2008 Dirt Lucille "Lucy" Spiller 20 episodes
2009 Scrubs Taylor Maddox 3 episodes
2009 Web Therapy Serena 3 episodes
2009–present Cougar Town Jules Cobb
[edit]Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Title of work Result
1995 Golden Apple Award Female Discovery of the Year Won
1995 People's Choice Award Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Series Friends Nominated
1996 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Friends Won
1997 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Television Actress Friends Nominated
1998 Blockbuster Entertainment Award Favorite Actress – Horror Scream 2 Nominated
1998 Saturn Award Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Scream 2 Nominated
1999 American Comedy Award Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series Friends Nominated
1999 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Friends Nominated
2000 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Television Friends Friends Nominated
2000 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Friends Nominated
2000 Teen Choice Award Film – Choice Chemistry Scream 3 Won
2000 TV Guide Awards Editor's Choice Friends Won
2001 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Friends Nominated
2001 Blockbuster Entertainment Award Favorite Actress – Horror Scream 3 Nominated
2002 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actress, Comedy Friends Nominated
2002 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Friends Nominated
2003 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actress, Comedy Friends Nominated
2003 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Friends Nominated
2004 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Friends Nominated
2005 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Hissy Fit The Longest Yard Nominated
2006 TV Land Award Most Wonderful Wedding Friends Nominated
2007 TV Land Award Break Up That Was So Bad It Was Good Family Ties Nominated
2009 Golden Globe Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical Nominated
2009 People's Choice Awards Favorite New Comedy Series Cougar Town Nominated
2010 Streamy Award Best Guest Star In A Web Series Web Therapy Nominated
2010 People's Choice Awards Favourite TV Comedy Actress Cougar Town Nominated
2010 TV Guide Awards Courteney Cox To Be Honored By Women In Film Foundation Nominated
2010 Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards Lucy Award Recipient
References from Wikipedia.com