Why Courteney Cox's Friends Fame Was A Major Obstacle In Her Horror Movie Casting

"Friends" is widely regarded as one of the best sitcoms of all time, but its success has occasionally been frustrating for its main cast members, especially when they have tried to spread their wings. For Courteney Cox (who played the lovable cleanliness freak Monica Gellar for the show's entire duration), it meant becoming synonymous with her character, at least until she was cast as Gale Weathers in the "Scream" movie series. However, she had to fight for the chance to portray the ambitious reporter, as her "Friends" fame gave some people the wrong idea about her talents. As Cox recalled in a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter:

"[Executive producer] Cary Woods was in my manager's office and she pitched me for the part of Gale. Cary thought it would be a nice surprise to have me play such a calculated character after being on 'Friends' and 'Family Ties,' but I had to convince [director] Wes [Craven]. So, I wrote him a letter and assured him that being "a b**ch" wouldn't be a stretch at all."

In the end, Craven gave her a chance, and Cox's outings as Gale have even allowed her to break some horror movie records. Indeed, she's actually the first woman to play the same character in six consecutive films in a horror franchise, so it is safe to say that she has more than proven herself as the best actor for the part of Gale. What's more, her tenure as the reporter is longer than that of her time as Monica on "Friends" — and she isn't done playing the character yet.

Courteney Cox will return for Scream 7

Courteney Cox is set to break even more records, as she will reprise her role as Gale Weathers in Kevin Williamson's "Scream 7." Details about the plot are unknown at this time, but the movie will reunite her with Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Scott Foley, Skeet Ulrich, and Matthew Lillard, which is interesting casting given that some of those actors' characters are canonically dead. Still, Williamson stepping behind the camera to direct the old guard is good news, as he helped create the slasher franchise in the first place.

Elsewhere, McKenna Grace, Ethan Embry, and Taylor Sheridan-favorites Isabel May and Michelle Randolph are slated to play new characters in the upcoming sequel, although information about them is scarce at the moment. However, only time will tell if they will survive Ghostface's latest reign of terror — not that it matters, mind you, as this saga's filmmakers are more than happy to repurpose dead characters if there is an opportunity to do so.

"Scream 7" is slated to slash its way into theaters on February 27, 2026.

Recommended