“Try as if it’s your first day on everything”, at first appears like unlikely advice, from a global star.
But they are the words by which Courteney Cox lives. They emphasise the natural enthusiasm and deep ambition that a star such as Cox must possess. After playing Monica Geller in one of the world’s most successful sitcoms, Cox became a household name. One of the world’s most recognisable stars, she has traversed the decades, and the roller coaster of Hollywood fame, to become a unique voice.
Cox’s upbringing, her regrets, and her chances moulded her path, and caused her to re-envisage what it means to be a ‘star’ in Hollywood – all values she now seeks to pass on to her daughter. Hers is the common thread for many success stories; it was self-learning, not ‘book-smarts’, that catapulted her into a new league, opening up previously bolted doors, creating a new future for herself.
From the chaos of her upbringing, to the roaming nature of her youth, Cox is an example of how the path to where you want to be is never linear or direct; but it is one you must shape for yourself.
Courteney Cox – video transcript
I am the youngest of four kids and my household was pretty chaotic. It seemed like the only way you could really get attention is if you were the funniest or the fastest or the something so it always felt a little competitive in some ways.
Alabama is a beautiful place to grow up in, but as far as acting or producing or directing, it wasn't something that I thought was a possibility. It wasn't even an elective in my high school. The closest thing I got to being creative was speech and I loved it, because even though I'm so nervous when I speak in public, I really enjoy that kind of adrenaline of trying to overcome it.
Because it wasn't an option, I don't think I thought about what I wanted to do when I grew up. Other than, I mean, I did love design, I've always loved design and still do, I thought maybe I would be an architect. But let's be really clear, I am not that book smart. So I went to the school that my mum had gone to and my sister had gone to. And after I went that first year and I really liked it, I went to New York and I started doing a little bit of modelling and started doing commercials and I got work. So I thought well, I can always go back to college and then I never did.
When I moved to New York, I was so naive, I was only 18 years old. I went for one summer and I started studying acting. And as I was learning, I actually was getting jobs, and they weren't great jobs but I got a couple of things that were like, oh, I might be able to do this. I was really fortunate in that way to break in through commercials, and then I got this Bruce Springsteen video 'Dancing in the Dark' and because that was his first number one hit, I got a lot of attention from it. It kind of was an entree into different castings. They were small castings but they still, I got to meet casting directors and people because of that video.
I do think I was really fortunate to kind of stumble into something that I never thought was possible. Once I was in New York and I got a television series called 'Misfits of Science' and it was picked up for 13 episodes. I moved to California and I went from doing 'Misprints of Science' and then I did all these little small parts. Then I got 'Family Ties' and then from 'Family Ties', I think my next big show was 'Friends'. That was a life changer, obviously, that was an incredible, incredible part of my life. It was lightning in a bottle. I mean, I worked with the most fantastic actors. We had such great chemistry, The writing, you just can't beat it. I feel very blessed to have gotten that job.
It was life changing in so many ways. Yes, it was demanding, but I was always somebody who, to this day if someone asked me for a picture or an autograph, maybe to a fault, I will never say no. I would take a picture with anybody, because I still feel like that's a blessing. It's the least I can do for somebody, and they've been so supportive of me. Yes, you do lose the sense of privacy that you may have had because no one cared, but the good outweighs it so much.
Up until recently, I think that I've doubted myself the entire time. I mean, not in every part, but there were later times where I had gotten a job and then all of a sudden, I haven't worked for a long time and I remember my father calling me up and saying, "you know, why don't you come back?" It's a long fall from California to Alabama, but there's always self doubt, always.
Success to me means being able to do what I want to do, and do something that I'm passionate about and enjoy it. I'm not going to take things for granted, I have been lucky, not always, but I'm going to really give it my all. I think that's the biggest thing that I have learned is don't take things for granted. Don't get lazy, try as if it's your first day on everything and then it's just more fun.
I mean, there's things I wish I'd done differently but it's okay because I have the chance to do it now. And that would be just, if you want to be an actor, know every part of the business, learn everything: learn about editing, learn about directing, learn about producing, learn about anything that you can do that has to do with this creative field. But you will always be able to draw from something.
So, what I think I try to instil in Coco and I want to continue to, is to put yourself first and I don't mean in a selfish way, but everyone else will be okay, as long as you take care of yourself. And if you don't, then you're just allowing other people to kind of run over you and I think that's my biggest lesson for her is, be kind, be honest. Do what you really want to do. Don't just try to please others.
END CARD
Courteney Cox became one of the world's biggest TV stars following her portrayal of Monica Geller in Friends (1994 - 2004).
Her performance in Friends helped the show become one of the most popular TV shows of all time, winning six Emmy awards.
She has since starred in and produced a number of TV shows and films and remains one of the world's most recognised actors.
