What can a TV and movie star learn from watching Alabama football? Plenty, as it turns out.
Courteney Cox, an Alabama native, tells Marie Claire magazine that some crucial inspiration for her career came from watching the Crimson Tide play while she was growing up in Birmingham.
In a feature story published this week, the “Friends” star, 59, recalls how the University of Alabama team would “go long” on the field, as a quarterback attempted a deep pass to a receiver. At the time, legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant was in charge, and Cox said her father, Richard Lewis Cox, always wore a houndstooth hat to games, paying tribute to Bryant and his favorite team.
The idea of “going long” — to try something risky but rewarding — evidently made a strong impression on Cox during her girlhood. Now, it’s become an important touchstone for the star in her new ventures, including a line of household products called Homecourt.
Fans might not imagine that Cox, a successful actress and household name, would need any extra motivation or encouragement. She came to fame, after all, with a high-profile role in a hit TV series that ran for 10 seasons and continues to resonate strongly with viewers. Aside from her work in “Friends,” Cox is known for the “Scream” movie franchise and series such as “Cougar Town” and “Dirt.”
She’s a director and producer, as well as an actress, and has won trophies from Teen Choice, the Screen Actors Guild, People’s Choice and more. Cox has 13 million followers on Instagram and 1.3 million followers on X (formerly Twitter). In February, Cox received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Still, as Cox explains to Marie Claire, bold career moves haven’t always been natural or comfortable for her.
“I would stop myself from doing things, and I would talk myself out of stuff by justifying — oh, you know, that’s not really what I want to do,” Cox says.
Cox also talks about her mother, Courteney Copeland, and says she wishes her mom had been more of a risk-taker.
“My mother was a beautiful woman who did not have a lot of drive,” Cox tells Marie Claire. “I always wanted her to go long. Take a chance, take a risk, be bold.”
When her mother died in 2020, Cox says, she knew it was time to take her own advice. “Now, fear doesn’t play nearly as big of a part in my life,” Cox says. “I push myself more.”
Read the full Marie Claire feature on Courteney Cox.
Stories by Mary Colurso
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