#181 Courteney Cox | Being Okay Without the Answers; Keep Asking the Questions, Life In and Beyond ‘Friends’ & Her New Home Care Line ‘Homecourt’

Jan 9, 2023 | POWER LIFE, The Gabby Reece Show

Courteney Cox landscape

Our guest today is actress, director, business woman, mom, and all around funny person Courteney Cox. These interviews are always tricky for me as I’ve know Courteney for many years and feel protective of her name and image but do want to get into the deep stuff. Well, in this interview, Courteney goes there. Courteney is inspiringly open with her discussion. We talk about her new home care business ‘Homecourt,’ the life of an actress, her world beyond ‘Friends,’ her mindset on “aging” as well as important parenting lessons. Remember that no matter what stage of life you’re in, the journey, the exploration, and the seemingly unknown doesn’t end. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep pursuing. Enjoy.

Listen to the episode here:


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Key Topics:

Courteney Cox | Being Okay Without the Answers; Keep Asking the Questions, Life In and Beyond ‘Friends’ & Her New Home Care Line ‘Homecourt’

“I’ve worked hard at realizing that I didn’t need everyone to be everyone’s favorite or there’s something that I needed to feel like if I didn’t feed someone’s ego and make them feel special that I wouldn’t be special to them. It’s fear or connection. I’d find myself, “Do I want to connect with this person or do I want to make sure they like me?” I had to learn that you got to stop doing it. There’s no time to do that and it’s okay. You can like yourself and the people that are important to you as long as you are accountable to them. That was a lesson though, I had to learn that.”

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“There were many times that I was too afraid to go for something, like, “I don’t know if I’m going to be great at it.” I don’t love rejection. I didn’t take chances, I was too afraid. I’m talking about my career in over 30 years. Now, it doesn’t matter. Take the chance. If you think you could bring something to it and even though you have to convince other people you can, try to convince them. If you don’t do it, you don’t do it but at least try.”

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Welcome to the show. My guest is Courteney Cox. You know Courteney as an actress, she’s also a director, a mom, and a businesswoman. She can redo a house like nobody’s business. At some point, earlier in her acting career, she made more money from doing that than from acting itself. She has a lot going for her. Courteney is one of the funniest people I know.

These interviews are hard for me. I’ve known Courteney for probably more than eighteen years. I feel protective of my friends so I’m not being funny. When someone has a public job, especially someone like Courteney who is sensitive and kind, as my friend, I don’t want to interview her because there are things I know and it’s like, “How much does she want to talk about?” Things like that but then you want to get in there too.

I always appreciate talking to scientists and doctors, you can go wherever. I finally decided to ask Courteney if she’d be willing to be on the show because she has a lot to share. Sometimes seeing somebody who is successful and who also is open about what’s hard or their flaws reminds us that we’re all on the same. I know it can appear from the outside like they know something or they’ve got something figured out. The strength comes from, “I don’t have it figured out but I’m going to keep asking the questions, I’m going to keep working hard, and I’m going to keep trying.”

I admire Courteney. I hope you enjoy not only the conversation but I hope you see the other things about Courteney that are truly more special than this famous woman from Friends. I’d be remiss not to mention she has a great new business called Homecourt for her Home. It makes perfect sense because she is into architecture and interior. She has a beautiful home line called Homecourt. If you want to look at that, you can go to Homecourt.co, and enjoy Courteney Cox.

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That one’s stronger for me. This is my personal scent and what I wear.

What is it called?

It’s CECE.

That’s original. Are you serious?

It’s what I wear now. I had my own personal thing. That’s Neroli, it’s like an orange blossom flower. Guys like that.

This one is more smoky though. Do you think they’d like yours?

That is the number one seller.

Because it’s you. Courteney, let’s start with Homecourt. By the way, the sprays are unreal.

They’re great.

Talk to me about why you decided to do another business besides everything else you’re doing.

Homecourt is the perfect business for me because you know that I’m extremely neat. It’s not like I’m going around the house cleaning all the time. I love organization, aesthetics, and decor. During COVID, all we wanted to do was smell Clorox. After a certain point, you’re like, “Do we still need to wash down the Amazon boxes? Not really.”

You didn’t do that, did you?

I might have for like a second. It’s not near as much as other people. Someone was staying in my house, a good friend of mine, and he went to the hospital and he was on dialysis and the whole thing. He was intubated for twelve days.

That kicked it off. That was early too.

That was the end of March. Right away. They were going to come in and stay for two weeks and within the first week, he got COVID. I decided that we spent so much time at home, why not make something that looks good and you can leave it on the counter? I designed the bottles, you name it. Every single part of it was my passion, the scents, and the whole thing. Now there are cleaning products that you can leave out, there’s dish soap, hand soap, hand wash, hand cream, and counter spray. We’re coming out with a room deodorizer, like a room spray but it kills not germs but it deodorizes.

The thing is that I’ve known you for over seventeen years.

More.

Is it that long?

Yeah because you gave me in vitro shot.

I didn’t know you were going to bring that up. Now that you did, I’ll say the story. I knew you for about a 24-hour period. We went on this celebratory trip for another friend of ours whohad gone through breast cancer successfully.

Is it bad to say people’s names? It’s not private.

No, it was Sheryl Crowe. I was on her low-side friends and then she had these high-end friends like you, Janet, and some others. She’s like, “We’re going on a trip.” I don’t go on girls’ trips.

I don’t like girls’ ships either. That’s not true, I do like them.

I don’t.

I don’t like baby showers. I don’t like those kinds of lunches.

That’s why we’re friends. It makes me stressed out.

I don’t want to watch all that baby crap.

I go on this trip and Coco was very little, my oldest, and my middle is very little. I didn’t know you and I was trying to also be respectful. You guys were pretty close to that period of time, almost in the last year wrapped.

Friends?

Yeah.

No, it was before.

It was more like giving people that are on top of all the time room. You were like, “I’m looking around the room who could give me this shot in my belly and you’re going to do it.” I thought, “Oh.”

[bctt tweet=”I like having a say. I like being heard, don’t we all?”]

You looked like the perfect person to do it and not flinch.

I wasn’t nervous but I was like, “This is a serious thing.” That was how we met and that was also when I’d watch Coco swim. I don’t know if you remember but Coco could swim very early and she looked like it was controlled drowning. Occasionally, she’d stick her head up and take a breath and look at me because I was standing over her, like, “Is she okay?” You’re like, “Yeah, she’s weirdly okay.” She would make her way across the pool. It was amazing.

The way that we met also connected us in a unique way. The other thing I’ve appreciated is that you lead always with kindness. I know you’re tough and can be in the right environment, demanding. You like things neat. It goes beyond that. You like order. You have specific opinions, especially about homes. When you went to school, were you going to go study architecture?

Yeah, that’s exactly right. I went to college for only one year that’s why it’s hard.

I’m sorry it didn’t work out.

Bummer. I wanted to be an architect, that’s what I wanted to do. My sister is an interior designer. Back in the day, maybe they still do this, but they have architects that they work with. My sister would put the electricity in certain places and that’s what interior design was, at least that’s what it was in college. I wanted to do that. I went to New York for the summer and I did some modeling.

Was that something always on your mind? Did someone approach you or it just happened?

I had a step-cousin who went into Ford Modeling Agency and offered them some Police tickets because he was the manager of the Police to Shea Stadium and they were like, “We’ll send her out for some jobs.” I got a job maybe in my second Go-See or whatever they’re called. It was a makeover for Young Miss magazine, which is no longer around.

I worked for a lot of magazines that don’t exist anymore. From there, you thought, “I’m going to get into entertainment.” Plus, you’re from the south, you’re from Alabama. How does one go from following the rules to, like, “I’m going to get into modeling and entertainment.”

I just knew that I didn’t want to stay in Alabama. I wanted to do something. When I went to New York, I fell into the modeling thing. I then got cast for the Bruce Springstein video. I was taking speech lessons to lose my southern accent so I could go on auditions and acting lessons. I was trying to be an actor, I just didn’t know how to do it. Being from Alabama, it’s not something that you think that’s a possibility because there are no opportunities down there. There’s some theater.

You don’t know somebody. The thing is sometimes even knowing one person who’s done it gives you the idea that it’s possible. When you started modeling, you thought, “I want to act.” That was pretty quick.

I knew that I wasn’t going to be a model, it wasn’t even right for my personality.

It’s like an understatement.

I just can’t do it. I have to move. Also, I’m only 5’5” so I’m not going to be on the runway. I did go to my first fashion show, my first one, and I did not fit in and yet I liked it. Those girls are not happy on that walk.

They tell you. If you want to sell something, you have to look like, “I’m doing you a favor by being here.” Do you ever go to restaurants like that? It’s like, “Can I get you anything?” It’s like, “Thanks for showing up.” Brian De Palma cast you so that’s a big deal. Also, that’s somebody who’s done a lot of work.

That was thrilling. First of all, you go into a place where everyone was stretching and I was like, “What is going on?” There are all these beautiful dancers and they were limber and I’m like, “I’m from Alabama. I don’t know what you guys are doing.” I went into his office, he put the music on, and he said, “Dance.”

That’s how they did it?

Yeah. I gave that stupid little dance and that was it, I got the video job. I didn’t want to be the one to go on stage. There were three girls cast. as a matter of fact, there was this long thing. It was not just me going on stage for the last 24 seconds, we went in and we bought t-shirts, went to the bathroom, we put makeup on, and it was all this stuff. We were supposed to go to the concert and he picks one of us out of the audience. All of that was cut out except for the end part.

I’m watching it with my mom, she’s in Alabama and I’m in New York, MTV, right at the beginning, and I’m like, “Mom, I’m in this video, I promise. I don’t see the beginning part when we bought the tickets. Anyway, just stick with it.” It got to the very end and finally, I was in the video. I was embarrassed but then it became that I was a number one hit for him so people saw me in it.

“Who’s that girl?”

I forgot to talk about what Bruce Springsteen was like. I’ve always had that in my career, “What’s Michael J. Fox like? What’s Jennifer Aniston like?”

When you’re a teenager sitting in Alabama, I’m always curious about people who accomplish or take unusual past, did you have anything inside of you that was already like a calling, like, “I’m going to do something different.” I know a lot of people go, “I knew I was going to do something,” or, “I always wanted to follow this path.” Was that ever something inside of you where you thought, “I know this is my life, and my family’s here but I feel like I’m going to be somewhere else and do something different.” Was that just a later happenstance?

I don’t think I had a plan at all. It’s just to be happy and to be surrounded by friends and do what I love. I love that I had the opportunity to learn on the job. I wasn’t that studied, I just fell into it. Friends was the most incredible job in the world. Right now, I feel like I’m a better actor than I ever have been because I’m older and have so much more life experience and things to draw from. Everything makes me emotional.

We’ve been friends for years and years and I know we don’t see each other very often but whenever I see you, I’m not going to do it now because it would be too embarrassing but there’s something about you that brings out everything. It’s not even within two hours, I’m talking about within five minutes. Remember the time you picked me up and I was like, “Hi, Gabby.” All of a sudden, you feel grounded. You’re more than home. We then went to lunch and I was crying. I don’t know why but I’ll just tell you anything, it’s weird.

Also, what’s interesting is we easily connected. That’s why I said that trip was important because that trip was about something important. it wasn’t like we were at some charity event or something where there were layers and layers. I have always said that the thing about you, Courteney, that is interesting is that willing to be vulnerable but yet have this strength. I want to go back a little bit. You’re getting all these other jobs. You worked a lot even before Friends. You were doing things with houses before. Weren’t you buying, redecorating, and selling?

That was a passion of mine. I would find a house that needed to be fixed up. I bought my first house with my first job. Like everybody else, when you get a job and it gets picked up and it’s a series, you go buy a great car. I didn’t. I saved my money. I did have a Rabbit convertible, it was pretty nice. I saved my money and I got this little house up in Beverly Glen, I fixed it up and I made money. I sold it two years later and then bought another house and fixed it up. I used to live in houses for about two years. Every time I’d move, I’d go unpacking all this stuff. It’s like having a baby, you forget within about two weeks and then you do it again. I did better at buying and selling houses than I did in my career for a while.

Courteney Cox caption 1

Courteney Cox – I do love flowers. I love plants. I love things that I’m not as practical anymore. I am maybe a little more whimsical than I used to be.

I was like, “This is another creative expression of Courteney’s.” You do Sunday dinners. You bring your home the way you were raised to this, “We’re going to get together on Sundays. Courteney’s house is always open to you, come, let’s connect, and I’ll feed you.” In that, you’re running around and you’re making sure everyone’s okay. The flip side of that is you are a boss lady. You direct projects. You run a home. You can tell people pretty clearly what you want. That tension between those two sides of yourself, how do you balance that because they’re different?

I’m particular. The Sunday thing comes from my grandmother. In LA, you don’t have a big community. It’s hard to find groups of interesting people of all types. It doesn’t matter what you do for a living and what’s your passion, I love bringing people together that enjoy each other’s company and that is curious about others. On Sundays, that’s what my grandmother used to do. I have 21 first cousins so that was our community. We would go and we’d have talent shows and it was fun. We’d tell jokes. I was the youngest of 21.

You were the baby even of that whole group because you’re the baby of your family.

I’m also the oldest one. In my family and my friendships and stuff, probably like you are with your friends, I give advice. I’m the nurturer in my life and my friendships. I am particular and I know what I want and I go for it. I love my house to be a certain way. I don’t have any deferred maintenance. You’d think that I moved in yesterday and I’ve had it for fifteen years or something. Details are important to me.

I can never fire anyone. I’m a badass but when it comes to that, I don’t like hurting people’s feelings. If I ever do, I’m accountable. I don’t let it go and go, “I deserve to be mad.” I don’t like that. I deserve to be mad but it’s the expression. I feel like that’s changed. I used to lose my temper over things because I wanted to be heard. Now, as I’m getting older, you can be heard or you can express how important it is in different ways.

It’s an interesting thing as you get older, you don’t have to get to the hysterical point to say how you feel, especially in a work environment where you go, “This doesn’t work.” People get mad but you’re like, “I understand but we have to make a change.” You do have to be clear when you’re directing projects. There are expectations, money, budgets, time, days, and all these things. How did you find that language?

When you’re directing, you get to be in charge of every detail.

Your favorite.

That’s perfect for a control freak. Why is it called control freak? It should be control goodness or something. It’s not a freak. Whether it’s the set decorating, it doesn’t matter. Every single thing, you’re a part of. That’s different. It’s more sticking up for yourself. I love directing actors. I know what I would want. Let me do whatever I want to do first and then give me a new way to think about it. I just understand that part.

Storytelling is different than being an actor where I used to want to be liked and I didn’t want to ruffle feathers or, “I’m number one on the call sheet.” I would be just bottle, bottle, bottle. It just wasn’t the way to be. Now, I don’t need to go like this. I can say from the beginning, “This doesn’t work for me.” I’m able to do things now that I wasn’t able to because I wanted to be liked. Now, I can do it in a nice way. You can still be liked but you get the respect that you feel you deserve and you can do it in a better way.

You realize that even if you try to do everything, it’s impossible for everyone. No one’s ever going to like everything about us, it’s not possible, we try. You’re naturally funny, your timing, and your self-deprivation. Deprecation is funny. Is that from being the youngest?

Probably.

Where does that come from? Your timing is crazy. Have you done anything like going back to school or taking acting classes or anything like that? Has that come from you naturally?

I take acting lessons but not for comedy stuff. Friends was a great training ground. Watching Michael J. Fox on Family Ties, he is one of the best. He would take a line and get three laughs out of one line. Most people would tell the line and you’d laugh but he would pause and you’d think, “That’s hysterical.” There’s a way he would do it. I had great teachers.

If you weren’t funny or didn’t have something interesting to say, it was, “Next.” We’d sit at the dinner table, which was rare because my parents would eat after the kids. They’d get the steak and we got the cube steak. I would sit by the end of the table and be like, “Please give me one bite, dad.” He was such a good barbecue person or steak maker. You had to say something funny. I learned to be quick, get in, and that’s probably why I talk so fast. It’s training. When I meet people, especially in California, they will tell a story and they’ll go on about people or someone they met and it’s long. I think, “You must have been loved as a kid. Somebody must have told you you’re interesting because that story was boring.”

Get to the point.

That’s all I’m doing, talking.

This is about you. Also, you get bored. Even knowing you, your eyes move around, and you’re like, “What else is going on?” That’s how you are. I find a lot of people who are good or successful have a form of what we would all call ADD. I see it everywhere.

I’m a little OCD and a little ADD. I’m a little more ADD, at least that’s what my psychiatrist says. I’m not medicated for OCD.

It seems to be working for you.

I’ve tried. I’ve been on SSRIs and they helped a little bit. OCD is like, “I need to count.” It’s not about luck.

You like order.

It makes me feel better. I want to check it off my list. I had a condominium in West Hollywood and I sold it and then all the stuff, besides the things that I put in storage, came to where I live now. If you went into this room in my house, I can’t even go into the room. It causes me so much stress because there are piles of boxes and things and so much I want to throw away. As opposed to going in that room and dealing with it, I’ll go to a drawer inside and clean that out that doesn’t need it. I still do the little things. Marie Kondo, I’d give anything to meet that lady. Although I don’t love the way she pours everything out first and then you go through, I would walk away. My ADD wouldn’t be able to do that.

You have a lot of experience. You’ve done a lot of different things. Let’s start with something easy like your own self-care practice. I feel like you don’t love to work out. I wouldn’t say I feel like you love it.

It’s important. You’ve invited me a bunch of times. We used to go to Kelly Myers. I did that twice. It’s fun because there are all these girls.

That’s when I used to have to pick you up though, it was a way to get you there.

That’s why I would cry at the end.

It wasn’t about I was somehow grounding you. You were like, “I’m stuck in her car.”

[bctt tweet=”Take chances and be willing to get out there.”]

I built this gym. It was already there but it’s organized and it’s nice and I’ve got the pieces of machinery that I like. I don’t need as much cardio and you probably will say, “Yes, you do.”

No, you don’t. You need time under tension. You need to lift weights.

I need weights.

You do. Did you come on that on your own? That’s intuitively correct.

When my skin started, like, “What happened?” You got to fill that out. For some reason, losing weight, it’s not like I’m trying to, I get busy.

You’re slim. You’re the most compact I’ve seen you, it’s great.

It’s good because now I can build up.

You’re telling me right now that you’re lifting weights more often, that’s your exercise of choice.

Maybe five pounds but I do a bunch of reps of it.

That’s fine.

I have that inner-outer thigh thing. I’ve got a leg press and I’ve got that one that does your thighs.

I like that everything’s in a hand motion. Leg press, I like that, abductor, and a leg extension. In your 20s, did you move naturally and not train?

I play tennis but not like your daughter.

Your tennis is great, don’t kid yourself.

It’s fine. Trust me, it’s edited a little bit. I can play. I played as a kid, not professionally. My dad would say, “All right, let’s go.” The whole family would play. I act like we’re the Partridge family. We didn’t hang out all together. My parents got divorced at 10. There were no family gatherings. He would say, “No balls in the net.” Every ball would go in the net because I was wanting to please him and then, “Okay, let’s go.” All this pressure as a kid helped me as an adult.

In our house, I’m not putting any pressure on my kids because they’re like, “Whatever.”

They do it themselves then.

Yes, they do, we’ll get into that. I want to stay on movement for a second. A little bit of tennis. Now you’re working, as a profession, using your body, and how you look. You’re a beautiful woman. Are you training in your 30s or are you mindful of like, “I’ll stay fit enough so that I can work.”

I don’t think I’ve ever been a member of a gym. I do remember running on a treadmill over sixteen years ago. I have a treadmill. I’ve got an elliptical. I do believe in working out and it’s something you should do from the beginning. Now, I’m trying to catch up. I do love tennis. I love boxing, I did that and I love it. I have a great boxing trainer. I haven’t done anything in a while because I’ve been working. I joined the Warner Brothers gym. I took all my hair, makeup, and wardrobe girls and we’re like, “Let’s do this every day,” and we didn’t go once, maybe once.

It’s also hard when you have hair and makeup to your defense.

I would go in with a wig on and in my wardrobe. I don’t do that sweaty thing. I love to sweat but that’s not the kind of workout I do. I did it when I was boxing.

That makes sense. You have Coco. Do you think, “Maybe I need to start to exercise more.” Did you notice something within yourself after having a child that you had a different idea about your physical practice? Were you in it even deeper as far as work, kids, family, and all of that?

I went through a midlife crisis when I was 42 right after I had Coco. I don’t know what I felt but I needed to feel like a woman. I needed to feel sexier. I don’t know why. I had postpartum depression but something happened when I turned 42, I don’t know what it was. I’ve always eaten healthily. My partner regards vain as more of a bad word and I always think you care about the way you look. If you think of that song, it does seem pretty self-obsessed but I mean I’ve always cared.

We have to use all the tools. Personally, I want to be healthy but are there days that get me through it because I want to look good? Of course. Also, you’re on top of an industry and it’s part of how you look. I don’t think people understand what that’s like to coordinate and manage. I’ll give you an example. Let’s say I was modeling in ‘88 and then it was sports and so forth. I’ll have people come up to me and say, “You still look pretty good.” If you’re growing up and now aging in front of people and it’s times a million with you where you’ve been in their living rooms and they watch you.

They still are.

In their BVDs and they think, “She’s my friend.” They can come up and say whatever. People don’t understand that, yes, you have a great job and you are fortunate and it is 1 in 1 million but what it takes to manage it and not lose your entire self or use the outside to gauge everything takes a lot of strength and work. For me, it’s an interesting thing because I feel like, more than ever, you feel more within your own you versus what are they out there saying, thinking, or feeling. I don’t know.

I’m self-critical. I don’t need to worry about what they’re saying. I got my own judge in there.

Now, more than ever, think about it. You know this even being a mom, people more than ever are getting versions of what it’s like to have input from the outside world. When you and I grew up, you have people that think that they were quasi-famous because they are in these weird microcosmos because of social media and they’re having to grow up with that and it’s nonstop.

Before, if I wanted to write about you, I had to be a reporter or a TV person and you saw my face and my name and I was on Entertainment Tonight or whatever. Now, it’s a free for all. Coco wants to be a singer, let’s say, because she is talented. if she goes down this route, is there something you would say to somebody about separating?

What people say and think? It’s past that because of social media and you can’t even try to give that advice. For myself, there have been times when I would read the comments in the Daily Mail. Luckily, they like me but, the comments, the people do not. It’s so mean but I realize now God doesn’t do that. I’m on Instagram and I do these stupid little videos.

Everyone’s nice for the first 100 comments and then you got to stop reading because anybody past that is going to be mean. I’m not stupid. I don’t read comments anymore. I want to see if somebody that I care about said something funny. One time, Judd Apatow, who I like, gave me a comment on some video I did about it being like, “You can’t top this,” or something, and I went, “I’m good.”

Courteney Cox caption 2

Courteney Cox – Now, I want to do things that make me happy and that I can give my all as opposed to doing it because I feel like it’s the right thing to do. Nothing is the right thing, it’s only right if I want to do it.

In this business, I don’t know if they do this in your business as well, you will never see my name in print without parenthesis and my age next to it. That’s only that I know of. I don’t know if it’s acting or whatever, it’s celebrity stuff. You cannot read my name without seeing that. Why can’t we do it once a year like on our birthday? Do we have to do it every time? That has been like, “Come on, guys. I don’t even like seeing it. Why does everybody else have to?” Giving advice to Coco or anything, I do and I continue.

For example, a North Star. For me, it’s like, “I’m going to keep working hard. I’m going to have these real relationships.” I can only imagine, especially coming off of a show like Friends, to break out of it because you are who you are who you are today and you’re doing the work that you’re doing today and the work you’re going to be doing. Friends happened. Monica was a great and awesome character but you’re past that.

It’s great that the world loves it but within yourself, you don’t feel like, “I don’t have to be that anymore. I’m allowed to be all these things that I am today and going forward.” If that makes sense. We’re always changing. Do you know what I mean? It’s a way of staying in your own North star of, “I want to try that role.” It was like the show Dirt, that was different. Having that freedom, do you give yourself that freedom to say, “This is who Courteney is. At this time in my life, these are the things I’m interested in and I’m doing that.”

That’s what I feel like I’m doing now and not even back then during Dirt. I wanted to do something that wasn’t a sitcom because you can’t compete with Friends. I wanted to try something different but I wasn’t nearly as ready as I am now. Now I would take a chance. I feel more confident in every way like starting a business.

People are like, “This one girl moved out of New York and quit her job at L’Oreal, a big, huge corporation to work for this startup company.” I do feel a little responsible for making sure it’s great for people that work there but it’s my passion. I give 100% to that. I love directing. Now, I want to do things that make me happy and that I can give my all as opposed to doing it because I feel like it’s the right thing to do. Nothing is the right thing, it’s only right if I want to do it.

It’s not strategic. When I saw Homecourt, I was like, “This is perfectly you.” I don’t think people realize how deep you are into architecture, decorations, cleanliness, smells, environments, and atmosphere. This is as real as everything else. I know you like the control part.

I like having a say. I like being heard, don’t we all?

Yes. What’s interesting is when you do a public job, I find that when you’re in your 20s, you go, “What’s happening?” In your 30s, you go, “There’s an expiration date about certain things on this so what am I going to do that I maybe will be in charge of?” In the 30s or 40s, you start to maybe see what that is. Didn’t you go back to school to direct? Didn’t you take a course?

Yes, I did. How do you remember that? How do you know?

Because I listened to you when you talked and I remember you saying that.

I don’t have a great memory but that’s true. I would’ve forgotten that, although I did just find the notes.

It’s like going back and saying, “That’s something I can control.”  Whether they want a 5’5”, blue-eyed, and dark-haired girl to play the role at this certain age, I can still always be the director. What you see is people in their 30s or 40s going, “What can I do to be in charge of things?” Now, you’re a business owner. It’s a natural progression. How you direct yourself is what I want to know. How does a person watch their own performances and think, “I got to do this and that.”

Weirdly enough, you know the script so well when you’re directing something that you almost give a better performance in some ways because you have spent so much time even with each character, with each scene in ways that you may not have done that or probably should be doing it but I don’t think I always have. You have to get into the part and not be worrying so much. As long as you trust your DP and your camera guys and you know you’ve lined it up with other people and seen how it plays out, you release control and get in there. If you can watch the playback, great. Sometimes you do these jobs that have no time and you can’t. They can’t even afford it.

You say that you eat well but is there anything now that you’ve arrived on that seems to work better for you in your nutritional life overall?

Obviously, you can go out, have fun, and do whatever holidays. Is there a way that you’re trying to eat that seems to work for you?

I have this thing, a genetic allele or something, and it’s called MTHFR. I’ve got the double gene from both my parents, which is homozygous, which means I don’t methylate like other people. I don’t get to absorb the good things and I don’t know how to protect myself from the bad things. I don’t even eat sushi and my mercury was through the roof so I took all my fillings out. I had many miscarriages and that’s because of that.

Your’body thought something foreign attacked it.

People just learned about this over twenty years ago. You can help it by taking methylcobalamin, which is B12 but it’s methylated. When I was pregnant, I took folic acid but I needed to take methylfolate and then things would’ve been different. It’s almost that simple. I may never methylate like the best or like people that methylate 100% but I’m feeling better. With that, I can’t eat gluten. I’m gluten intolerant as in I eat it and I know. I’m also lactose intolerant so I drink oat milk or lactate. I make the best cup of coffee with your creamer.

It is dairy cream.

It tastes delicious.

You don’t eat a lot. You’re a snacky, get-on-the-go person.

I don’t eat a lot. When I was working, I would have toast with eggs and salsa and little cream cheese. I guess that’s lactose.

It could be the fake kind.

No wonder I had a stomach ache the whole time. I’m on the go so I do a lot of Turkey rollups, which is the worst turkey that you get at Ralphs, it’s the one that you have to take the plastic off. I do like turkey and I put a little bit of cheese on it, mayonnaise, mustard, and Fritos.

Did you say Fritos?

I love my Fritos. I’m a protein and vegetable girl except with Fritos.

Would you say you eat a Frito every week?

Every day in my turkey roll-ups, they’re right there in the cabinet.

Was that an Alabama thing?

I call that Alabama sushi because it looks like a sushi roll.

I met your mom at your old architectural house.

At the Lautner house. That was a great house.

Your mom is a beautiful woman.

She passed away during COVID. December the 9th, 2022 was her two-year anniversary of passing.

Being on that show some, sometimes it was like, “Funny girl, Courteney.” As your friend, to me and to everyone, you are a true beauty. There are women that get done up and they do this and they do that and they’re either sexy or they’re put together but you’re a true beauty and couple that with funny. I always thought there was something so magical about that. It’s also like a calling card. Even for me, even if I’m supposed to come in from sports, I’m supposed to be fit, or whatever.

You’re gorgeous. That is a rarity.

As we move through life. You have a daughter and I have three daughters. I always said there was an interesting moment when we were down the center lane. When you’re younger, it’s your time to be in the center lane. You then have daughters and then you go, “I’m going to work. I’m here to strive and make new goals and kick ass but I don’t need to be down that center lane.”

[bctt tweet=”I love music so much, I have a lot of hobbies, and that’s a hobby.”]

When I walk into the room, I’m okay if they want to look at the other girls, my girls, my friends, or younger friends. I don’t need to be the one that they look at except, “That’s a giant chick.” You make a relationship with it. Because you always have had these other talents, I never felt like you slammed your beauty card. Maybe you understood but I felt like you never played it that much.

I don’t know if I didn’t play it. I’ve worked hard at realizing that I didn’t need everyone to be everyone’s favorite. There’s something that I needed to feel like if I didn’t feed someone’s ego and make them feel special that I wouldn’t be special to them. It’s like fear or connection I’d find myself, “Do I want to connect with this person or do I just want to make sure they like me?” I had to learn that you got to stop doing it. There’s no time to do that and it’s okay. You can like yourself and the people that are important to you as long as you are accountable to them. That was a lesson though, I had to learn that.

I used to have a joke that I like somebody because I’m like, “They love me.” Do you know the joke, like, “They’re amazing because they like me.” With aging, it’s interesting. We’ve known each other since our 30s. I do find it’s such an interesting decision. I call these bread basket decisions where you’re at a restaurant and let’s say I’m hungry before they come with the bread and I mindlessly sit there, I’ll eat it. If before they come and I think, “I’m not going to eat the bread,” it’s my chance, I don’t do it.

I feel like I’m having that type of relationship with aging where it’s like, “I’m not going to freak out.” I know the potential to take the bread and shove it in my mouth is right there but I can’t stop it, it’s coming. Maybe I could make the best use of time, have the best relationships, and try to have some fun. I see you busting your ass, you’re always working still, you fly, you’re in a relationship, and your daughter is doing well. Being somebody who has to be seen because that’s one extra layer, how do you manage that aspect? What are the lessons that you’ve learned? You had a mini check-in at 42, that seems to be working for you to go through the process of aging.

Should we get behind the curtain? That sounds great and now I want to go and have lunch with you again. That’s a beautiful thing.

50 was much easier for me than 40. Turning 50 kicked my ass less than 40.

That’s why 42 was mine because I had Coco on my 40th birthday.

You didn’t have time for that.

I didn’t have time to think about that. I’m glad to keep her. That was a lot.

When they send you home in the hospital with that first kid, you’re like, “What?”

I was like, “Always or it’s just going to be the weekend?”

It’s like, “9:00 to 4:00.”

It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. She’s funny and great and all these other things too. There was a period where I was chasing my looks in a big way. I didn’t see it. I thought, “Great.” Filler, filler, filler, and fat injections. a particular friend would say to me and I was like, “What? That thing’s different. I don’t understand.” When you don’t know and when you just keep doing something, you don’t see it if you see yourself all the time.

I wanted to post this thing but someone said, “Don’t draw attention to it, Courteney.” There’s a picture of me now and a picture of me years ago and then I was going to say, “This is what my friends are talking about.” You couldn’t see my eyes because I had so much stuff in my cheeks. They’re going to go back into my head. If you could see my mom, she’s never had any work at all. Her eyeballs, it’s called deep set. They’re not joking.

These things, I want to pull them out but it’s what’s happening. I woke up one day and went, “This, I see. This is ridiculous.” I’ve made so many mistakes that I wish I could go back in many parts of my life. As far as getting older now, I’m struggling with it, for sure. I grew up in a family where looks were important. My mom, that’s the one thing she had. She was a beautiful woman. She never went long to catch a ball. I always think, “Mom, did anybody ever throw a football at you?”

I’m from Alabama so frisbee is a big thing. “Have you ever run for anything before?” She had these long legs. She didn’t know. No career and no drive. She worked at Stein Mart. She got fired because she wanted to go play bridge with her friends. I got drive from my dad and probably from my mom. Looks were important and that’s all my mom had so I was like, “This is going downhill.” I do think that part is hard, showing your age and reading about it. I’m almost 60, that sounds horrible to me.

I realize the reason why I think it’s horrible to me, it’s certainly not, is because I’m not that settled in my life. I don’t mean everything has to be planned out but if you just feel settled, you know what’s going to happen five years from now. You’re with Laird. Yes, we have to take each day at a time. You’re settled as far as you’re content. I’m content. I have a wonderful partner but he lives in London and I live here. What’s that rocking chair thing going to happen?

I don’t see my future later. I don’t know how that works. Where do I live? Where is that going to be? It feels like there are a lot of unknowns and that is what makes aging harder. It’s not the looks as much. I love the knowledge I have. I love acting because I have so much to draw from. I have this incredible part that I’m playing, everything from a woman who has menopause, going through menopause, a career lull, marital strife, teenagers, and all of it. I’m like, “Got it.” She does get possessed. I’ve never been possessed but I feel like I have. It’s knowing a little bit about what’s happening.

When I see you, Courteney, I have to be honest, I see somebody who writes it for themselves. This notion of “settled” is a myth. There are people who just settled. they’re nuts, they didn’t settle. You’re looking under rocks, curious, striving, creating, producing, changing, and moving. In a way, thank God, you don’t feel it.

Gabby, you just gave it. That’s what makes you cry.

It’s true. I’m serious.

To change from not being settled to not settling.

You’re not settling. They say, “You’re almost 60. You should be doing this.” Screw that. You should be doing whatever you want to be doing and you are and you always have. Even though you’re trying to be nice about it, you still will move towards the thing that is inside you that’s driving you no matter what.

That’s a good point.

It’s awesome that you feel that way. To be honest, now that my youngest is in 10th grade, I’m ready to go work more and do more. I’ve been pretty settled these last 10 or 15 years with being here for everyone. This leads me to something that I have a lot of conversations with friends about when you’re a strong female that is also successful in all the boxes. You’re financially successful but you are known so you go places and people are like, “Hey, Courteney.”

Courteney Cox caption 3

Courteney Cox – I wanted to try something different but I wasn’t nearly as ready as I am now. Now I would take a chance. I feel more confident in every way like starting a business.

I even had this with Laird when we first met, I was more, in the world’s definition, successful. How do you do that when you’re trying to be in a relationship and in a relationship just for love? Do you know what I mean? It’s hard for most women. Nobody ever tells us or talks to us bout, “This is going to be hard for a lot of partners to navigate.” How do we do that?

That’s true. When I first met Johnny, we’ll walk down the street and I will be recognized or someone will want a photograph and they don’t regard, they’ll say, “Excuse me, can you take a picture?” They have no idea that the person they’re asking co-wrote Shape of You with Ed Sheeran. He’s written the best songs that you can possibly imagine. He’s more behind the scenes but his talent is beyond. He’s also in Snow Patrol.

Unless you’re the lead singer. Does it stress you out? When I first was with Larry, it would stress me out. I know you admire Johnny’s talent. You love music yourself. When I first met Laird, Laird is better at what he does than I would. He’s going to surf at a level that I never was going to play volleyball at. There’s not even a comparison. Here you, are as an artist, appreciating your partner’s talents and artistry.

Do find yourself doing any dance to try to bridge those gaps? Now, in the world that we live in, women have a lot of opportunities, they’re in these situations a lot and then trying to find somebody who’s like, “Awesome. It’s great.”  Instead of like, “Is that okay? Are you okay?” Do you know that weird dance? It’s an interesting thing that I feel like how do we teach women or girls and even for guys to be like, “This dynamic exists so we have to figure it out.”

I’m glad that people recognize me, I don’t want that to end. That’s when I don’t get into restaurants that I want to, what’s going to happen?

That’s before.

That’s when I’m not going to get the discount in my favorite store or with my favorite designers. I’m thrilled. I’m so thankful that I’m still in people’s living rooms. Friends still takes care of me in many ways and I feel lucky and blessed, and that was the best job and I made lifelong friendships. As far as a relationship goes, it’s respecting each other and making sure that if you do get attention, it’s not like you forget, it’s being respectful of each other.

I love it when he goes and plays on stage and the fans are out there. I used to think, “What if I went out with somebody in a band that I couldn’t stand? What if I like the person? I like the way they talk and think and make me laugh.” The words are nice but what if it was house music or something? I wouldn’t be able to do it. I love every song that Snow Patrol writes and sings. Gary Lightbody is an incredible lyricist and all of them are fantastic. I can see them over and over again but that’s lucky too. I love to see him shine, it makes me happy for him, and it makes me proud.

Also, watching anyone who’s good at something and getting to do it is a beautiful thing. You and I, on occasions, have talked about parenting here and there. What are the big lessons? I’ll go first because maybe I give you a minute to think about it. I went into parenting thinking, “If I do a lot of these things right, which was a lot of opposites of what I grew up with, we’ll be covered. Bad things won’t happen. I’ll get to avoid some stuff.”

What do you mean? Bad things with the kids?

Yeah. They’ll be cool and they won’t have to go through hard times and whatever. We’ll have a clean house. We’ll make family dinner. I’ll try to be a decent person and a good example. Their dad and I, if we decide that it works between us, we’ll have a healthy relationship. That’s unrealistic. Kids have their own path and their own things. What I came out of it was like, “That’s right, they do have a different path.”

I couldn’t make sure unless I put them in a padded room until they were 18 and then there’d be a whole other set of issues when they finally got the freedom that they probably wouldn’t know how to handle. I wasn’t going to be able to avoid that even if I was on high alert and try to do all the right things and be the best person and whatever. I learned to accept that.

Also, what it did for me as a parent was it almost made me have to be less scared because it was like, “Some stuff, I didn’t want to go through and with some of them, I did, and we’re all still here.” What’s the important thing is not that they don’t go through this stuff, it’s that we can figure out a way as a family and they can also, as an individual, know how to get through it. It made me less idealistic. I don’t know if that makes sense. When you have kids, you think, “They can do this and they can do that.”

It’s like, “I don’t even care about that stuff. I want you to be good. I want you to know yourself and maybe find something in your life. You’re going to have to work hard, whatever that is, but I want you to be good with yourself and in relationships.” I grew up more as a parent. I got out of, “My kid is in the 90 percentile.” It’s like, “Screw off.” When I hear that, I’m like, “You have no idea what’s in front of you.” I wondered, for you, as a parent, you had to work hard to be a parent. What you went in with that you went, “I came out with something different as an approach or an attitude about parenting.”

If I were to parent all over again, which is a bummer, by the time, you’re tired. That part bums me out because I would be a different kind of parent. I don’t know if it’s better or worse. There are many times that I did not protect Coco in relationships with other people. I didn’t call it because I was also codependent enough. I was too afraid. If I called a relationship and said, “This isn’t a healthy thing for you.”

Are they going to listen though? Do you think a kid is going to listen?

Let’s say they’re at that age where you can make it, you’re not going to see that. Maybe they would still sneak to see each other. If I said, no, absolutely not, and call the parents and said, “This is an unhealthy thing.” I have done that a little bit but didn’t follow through. if I had done that, I was too worried, “That person s going to be mean to Coco.” I worried about everything. I’m bummed that I didn’t protect her in ways that I could now and now I would. I don’t think I had grid boundaries. Nurture versus nature, I believe, for sure, it’s nature, 85%.

I’m going with that one.

We don’t have choices. We have these little souls that come in and we can do the best we can but the best we can, I could be better, I could have been better. It is recognizing that and saying, “Coco, I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you the way I should have.” I wish I had more boundaries with her so she had them with herself. There are many things. She was asking me something, it’s like putting your eggs in one basket, believing in yourself. I should have made her do certain things, not sports, she’s not a sporty girl.

[bctt tweet=”I did better at buying and selling houses than I did in my career for a while.”]

Don’t you think every parent walks away from parenting, especially coming out of the teenage years, and thinks, “I wish I had done this and this.”

I’m sure, of course, except for those ones in the 80 percentile. I don’t have that.

They’re going to have a 30-year-old lunatic because nobody’s getting under the hood. I always say to parents, “If you want your kids to have a meltdown, have it when they live at home. Be happy.” It’s hard because we have to watch it firsthand, whatever it is. It’s better than, “I went to college,” or, “I’m out in the real world as an adult and I’m having my first meltdown.”

There’s something and we don’t know it at the time. It’s such a gift if they’re going to have to go through anything that they do while they’re still at home. When they talk about surrendering, for me, that’s what this has been. When they’re like, “The whole life is about surrendering.” I’m like, “I don’t know what that means.” Now, I do. Parenting brought that to me.

I’m thinking of your kids, they’re agile. Coco got her license. I don’t want her to get her licenese. I was like, “You’re going to go on the 405 today.”

I feel that way too.

She’s like, “Mom, I’ve been on it a million times.” I’m like, “I don’t want you to. Take a backstreet or something.”

“Find the back roads.” I don’t feel any different.

You need release control.

That’s it.

If anyone was going to drive me, I’d want it to be your kids. I had seen your youngest on Laird’s hands standing up at 3. It was a balance ball riding those jet skis. I hear you. Still, your children are out of the road even if it’s not them. There are crazy people out there.

For fun, it’s tennis and music for you.

I love music. I wish I’d been a musician in some ways.

Was that later? Did you bang the piano when you were a kid or anything? Did you play the piano?

I got a piano when I was young, my grandmother got it with green stamps. Those were $0.01 stamps. We used to use a sponge for those but when you got that $0.50 stand, that was like, “I’m going to lick that one.” That’s fire, as Coco would say. She probably will hate me if she ever hears this, the fact that her mother said fire. I can’t even believe I said it.

Coco knows her mom’s cool, she just doesn’t realize it.

That’s not even cool anymore.

Brody will say, “Don’t ever say that.” If I say something, she’ll be like, “Don’t ever say that.”

I did have one and I only learned to play Stairway to Heaven. I started taking piano again maybe in the last five years.

As somebody who’s hard on themselves and wants to be good and you are in a relationship with a musician, “I’m going to take piano,” where did that come from?

I love music so much and I have a lot of hobbies and that’s a hobby. I don’t take it like I have to do this. My piano teacher moved so I haven’t played one time, not once. I look by and I go, “Why am I not sitting there and remembering the songs that I do know?” Follow-through is not always easy for me. Tennis, I’ve been consistent with. My coach and I are friends, it’s not like he’s going to kick my ass or anything. He’s like, “Courteney, up and over.” He’s great. We’re so close now. I need more follow-through but I love having hobbies that are important to me. I took up piano because I’m obsessed with it. What if I say it again? I love music. That would be the most boring podcast if I kept repeating myself. I cook and I play the piano and I play tennis and I have these things that I love to do. I’ll decorate.

Every few years, do you think you’re going to redo your whole house every time?

The paint doesn’t dry before I’m already changing the color.

You’re like, “This has to go.”

I get bored. Something is like, “Oh my god.” I’ve had every kind of design in my house you can imagine or I’ve lived in houses, American country, gothic, French provincial, or whatever that’s being sold at the flea market. Now, I’ve found a style for me that I like, it’s a simple box but with classic pieces. It’s like what you have right there, couches that you could change the color of the pillows and it changes. I change lamps. I put plants in. Basic pieces, as long as they are timeless, then great.

That works.

I’ll still sell those too or give them away.

You’re like, “That made it through two cycles.” Jim Kwik has this theory that we are all walking around with a question in our mind and that we lead with this question. I’ve never asked anyone else this except you. My question is, what’s the point? He goes, “Do you know your question?” I was like, “Absolutely, I know what my question is. What’s the point?” There’s something utilitarian about me and I have to work on that, I’ve been saying that. That’s part of who I am.

What was the word you said?

Utilitarian. There has to be a point. I’m not much for extra.

What does that mean? Is that what it means?

It’s something that’s practical. It can be an anchor. Sometimes it’s good when you go, “Gabby’s so grounded.” Sometimes it’s not good because you got to fly, you got to be light, and you got to move around. I’m always trying to bridge that. Do you think you have a question or a thing that drives you when you walk into situations besides everything that is in its place that you might be moving through?

It’s important to ask, are you doing it out of fear or connection? That’s a mantra in my head to make sure I’m not trying to people please or to be liked. It doesn’t make me happy. Do I want to connect with this person? Do I need extra people so I feel good about myself? That’s a big one. I don’t know if I would say that word about myself because I can’t even say the word. I don’t want extra things. I want what’s important. I’m a practical person. As life goes on, I used to think, “Don’t waste your money on flowers. That’s not practical.” I’d rather have a screwdriver, I’m not kidding, that’s why it’s important to me.

Who taught you that? Who’s the flower guy?

Erik. No, that’s not that. As things change, now I do enjoy. For Christmas, I want something that doesn’t need to be practical anymore, it could be like, “I would never get that myself.” It can be practical, like, “I want a gift certificate at whatever.” I do love flowers. I love plants. I love things that I’m not as practical anymore. I am maybe a little more whimsical than I used to be.

Courteney Cox caption 4

Courteney Cox – As far as a relationship goes, it’s respecting each other and making sure that if you do get attention, it’s not like you forget, it’s being respectful of each other.

We have Homecourt and you’re going to keep focusing. Is that direct-to-customer? Is it online?

It’s online.

Do you have a new project that’s coming out? You’ve just wrapped something difficult.

I wrapped the second season of Shining Vale on Starz.

That’s Greg Kinnear.

Mira Sorvino and there are other cast members that are incredible.

Are you having fun with that?

There’s a kid named Dylan Gage and Gus Birney, they’re playing my children, and they’re incredible actors. I forget people’s names when I get nervous and when I’m on the spot.

You’re not on the spot.

I do it to myself. That was great. I loved it. I have Scream 6.

That’s amazing. Don’t you love that though?

It used to be Jamie Lee Curtis but now I’m the longest-running person who hasn’t died and has been in every single movie of a franchise.

When you have to be scared, is it easy to do?

I was taught by the best, Wes Craven.

How does one teach somebody to be scared?

It was hard to learn how to scream. First of all, I’m scared of everything so that’s not that hard for me. To let go and scream, you don’t scream from here, you scream from here. It was a thing that I had to learn. I had to learn to let go. I am easily scared. If you were behind that refrigerator, I’d jump out.

You’re the youngest so grew up with siblings scaring you all the time. I’m an only child so if you jumped out, I don’t jump.

You go, “What are you doing?”

It took me a long time to figure out why but it’s because when you have siblings and they’re always freaking you out, they wind you up.

That’s a good point.

I go like this, “Oh.”

What about movies though? Do you jump?

I sometimes will. I don’t love to be scared, which is a control thing probably. When you’re screaming, is it also going like, “Screw it, I’m just going to scream.” It’s also part of it, just letting it go and go from down and below in your belly.

If you watch back, I will go in and loop if I see a cut and go, “That seemed a little throaty.” That warrant’s a bigger emotion and I will go in and loop it and make it more guttural. I will watch Scream and I will close my eyes. I’ve never seen someone being stabbed in Scream. I can’t do it.

I don’t even like to watch athletes, when they’re playing, get hurt. If they do the replay, I will not look. I don’t want to see people getting hurt.

Me too.

Is it fun being in those movies?

Yeah, except for the blood is sticky and gross and you have to match it the next day and they got to pour all over you and you’re like, “I want to wipe my hands.” They stick together and I hate it. Always, the cast has been incredible and fun. Who doesn’t want to work with Ghost Face? Sometimes I think about Emma Roberts as Ghost Face. She is beautiful and sweet. I love that girl. She’s my height. How is this person, the stunt guy, playing? It was like 6’2”. You get lost in the story.

Are there still professional dreams? You’ve done a lot.

Take chances and be willing to get out there. I know it seems that I was too afraid to go for something. It’s like, “I don’t know if I’m going to be great at it.” I don’t love rejection. I didn’t take chances. I was too afraid. I’m talking about my career in the last 30 years. Now, it doesn’t matter. Take the chance. If you think you could bring something to it and even though you have to convince other people you can, try to convince them. If you don’t do it, you don’t do it but at least try.

Justin, you get your one question. It could be an A and a B if you want.

Do you ever take those What Friend’s character are you based on, the tea drink?

Based on the tea?

Yeah. Based on your Zodiac sign, which Friends character are you? Based on your favorite color. Does that ever pop up on your feed?

No.

I’ve seen the one here where you do the app one.

Which Friends character are you based on your favorite color?

Should we play the game?

Maybe.

How do you deal with people that assume they know you because they’ve seen you on TV for so long?

I assume that I know them and then I go, “I don’t know you.” If someone says, “Hi, Courteney.” I’m like, “Hi. Who is that?”

You don’t want to be rude.

That happens a lot. I then realize they know me because I’m in their house. I don’t know them.

You assume you’re the character or not.

I am thrilled that people know me or that I make people happy. The Friends reunion brought so much emotion to all of us because we saw the impact we had all over the world whether people learn to speak English because they watched friends. It’s universal. I love that it’s brought so much joy to people. I’m still making videos for people that are either in the hospital, dying, to make them happy.

I saw your couch one where you pop up behind and they take the picture and they don’t know you’re there and then they look at the picture.

It’s so stupid.

It was awesome. You’re taking me way too long to get up and down. I was thinking that when you were doing it. I go, “Look at her, she’s so nimble, up and down.” Courteney, I appreciate you as a person so much. I love you. I am excited to see that you are continuing to expand and do new things because it inspires those people who know you around you and to also see you so happy.

Thank you. I got a tattoo with Coco. She told me she got this tattoo.

I went through that too with one of my girls. I’m like, “Is that a tattoo?”

I saw it and I was like, “Coco.” She goes, “Mom, it’s just a stick and poke.”

They all say the same BS. I know that. We’re like, “Okay.”

We decided to get these tattoos because it’s a real way that I want to live my life but I want her to live her life because she’s a people pleaser and co-dependent. I was like, “No. This has to be a new way to think and live.” We got these tattoos, it’s my handwriting, and it says, “Lead with the truth.” We went in and we got it together and we held hands.

Two days later, she got another tattoo. I was like, “Do you know this is special? I’m going to take a potato peeler and scrape that off your arm. I’m so mad at you.” It’s cute. I don’t know these little ghosts, I’m not sure where they’re from but something. I was like, “Coco, this means so much and that is not leading with the truth.” I guess it was because it’s her truth. She didn’t tell me right away. I saw it and then it came out. That’s my new whatever it is, tell the truth. No little, “I want to make you feel better.” It’s just tell the truth.

We can’t go wrong with that.

You feel so much cleaner.

It’s a practice. It’s like saying you’re sorry. Once I learned how to apologize, it got so much easier, and the same is with the truth. Thank you.

Thank you, honey. Love you.

Yes.

—

Thank you so much for reading this episode. Stay tuned for a bonus episode where I go deeper into one of the topics that resonated with me. If you have any questions for my guest or even myself, please send them to @GabbyReece on Instagram. If you feel inspired, please hit the follow button, and leave a rating and a comment, it not only helps me but it helps the show grow and reach new readers.

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About Courteney Cox

Courteney Cox headshotCourteney Cox is an American actress, director, and producer. She is best known for her role in the TV series ‘Friends’ and for playing one of the main roles in the ‘Scream’ movie franchise. She was born in Birmingham, Alabama and developed an interest in acting as a youngster. She enrolled to study architecture at Mount Vernon College in Washington, DC; however, she eventually left her studies to pursue a fulltime acting career. She made her film debut with a role in ‘Down Twisted’. She started gaining fame after playing one of the important roles in the horror slasher film ‘Scream’. The film was very successful commercially and earned around eleven times its budget. It was also appreciated by the critics. She reprised her role in all the three sequels of the film. Her popularity reached new heights after she played a main role in the popular sitcom ‘Friends’. She received several awards and nominations for her performance. The series, which was a huge success, aired for ten years. Her most recent works include a supporting role in the drama film ‘Mothers and Daughters’. Some of the awards won by her are the TV Guide Award for her performance in ‘Friends’ and the Golden Derby Award for her role in the TV series ‘Cougar Town’.