Courteney Cox will probably always be associated with her iconic role in “Friends”. She turns 60 on Saturday.
The popular “Friends” actress Courteney Cox (60) celebrates her 60th birthday on June 15th. This fact will probably surprise many fans of the still extremely popular sitcom of the 1990s. In the public perception, Cox is still inseparably linked to her iconic character Monica Geller from the NBC hit series, who is bubbling with youthful energy.
Known for “Friends” and the “Scream” film series
In addition to “Friends,” Cox is particularly remembered for the legendary horror film franchise “Scream.” In the film series created by Wes Craven (1939-2015), which revived the so-called slasher genre with subtle meta-humor from 1996 onwards, Cox played reporter Gale Weathers, a veritable “bitch,” as she once called it herself.
Through her choice of roles, Cox may also have wanted to break away from her image as a more down-to-earth “girl next door” that had been formed through “Friends” and earlier TV appearances such as in the sitcom “Family Ties”.
Later engagements in series such as “Cougar Town”, her biggest TV success after “Friends”, or the tabloid journalism series “Dirt”, which is almost completely unknown in Germany, probably aimed in a similar direction. But Cox was probably never able to completely get rid of Monica Geller.
Leading role in the biggest sitcom in TV history
The series “Friends” is and will remain unique, and will probably never be surpassed in the future, now that the television audience has turned to streaming services and there are simply no longer any consensus series that an entire TV nation follows spellbound on the television screen at the same time.
Cox put all of her comedy talent into her character of the often silly and insecure Monica Geller, and earned the incredible sum of one million US dollars per episode from the eighth season in 2001. With 24 episodes per season, that was an impressive 24 million dollars in revenue, but that was only possible due to a special circumstance.
More than colleagues
According to legend, series stars Jennifer Aniston (55) and David Schwimmer (57) received more salary than their acting colleagues Cox, Lisa Kudrow (60), Matt LeBlanc (56) and Matthew Perry (1969-2023) from season two onwards, as viewers could not get enough of the on/off couple Ross and Rachel.
But for season three, Ross actor Schwimmer came up with a special plan: Together with Aniston, he accepted a pay cut so that the remaining four “Friends” main actors could get the same salary. As a result, the group of six negotiated their salaries collectively.
The actors therefore had a lot to thank for “David’s kindness and his excellent business sense,” noted Matthew Perry, who died in 2023. in his memoirs “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing”adding, “I owe you about $30 million, David.”
This of course also applies to Courteney Cox, who, like her co-stars, is said to earn around 20 million US dollars annually to this day through the continued broadcast and other licensing income from “Friends”.
Touching statement on the death of Matthew Perry
“‘Friends’ taught me the importance of camaraderie and the importance of really sticking together. Those friendships were formed during the most important time of my life, and we went through so many things together,” Cox said, looking back on her time on “Friends.”
It is therefore not surprising that the five surviving main actors also reacted to Matthew Perry’s death with a joint statement. “We are all deeply shocked by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just fellow actors. We are family,” said Cox, Aniston, Kudrow, LeBlanc and Schwimmer. a few days after the tragic death.
Prince Harry and the ghost of Matthew Perry
In her private life, Cox initially found happiness with her “Scream” co-star David Arquette (52). The couple were married from 1999 to 2013 and share a daughter, whose godmother is said to be “Friends” star Jennifer Aniston. Since 2013, Cox has been in an on-and-off relationship with Snow Patrol member Johnny McDaid (47).
The actress, who says she is just as clean in private as her “Friends” character Monica Geller, recently made headlines when she was mentioned in Prince Harry’s (39) memoir “Reserve”, which will be published in 2023. The little brother of the English heir to the throne, Prince William (41), recalls in his book how he once spontaneously threw a party at Cox’s house, found a box of hallucinogenic mushroom chocolates in her refrigerator and ate them.
“He stayed here for a couple of days – probably two or three. He’s a really nice guy,” Cox noted, adding: “I’m not saying there were any mushrooms! I definitely didn’t hand them out.”
In an interview on the morning show “CBS Sunday Morning,” Cox also explained in May this yearthat she could still sense her deceased “Friends” colleague Matthew Perry. “He often visits me, if we believe so,” she revealed to journalist Jonathan Vigliotti (41), adding: “I feel, yes, I feel that Matthew is definitely there.”