Friends star Courteney Cox thinks she’s a bigger neat freak than Monica
Courteney Cox reveals she’s cleaner than her iconic Friends character, Monica Geller, and inspired that personality trait in the role.
Friends Star Courteney Cox thinks she’s more obsessed with cleanliness than Monica. The actress played beloved character Monica Geller for 10 years on the NBC series from its debut in 1994 until its final season in 2004. After a 17-year absence, Cox and the rest of the core Friends the actors (Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, Matt Le Blanc and Lisa Kudrow) reunited again last year for HBO Max’s Friends: Reunion special.
The hit sitcom, created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, revolved around six friends navigating love and life in New York City, highlighting the importance of chosen family. Although many elements of the series have not aged well, Friends was widely acclaimed in its day and garnered 62 Emmy Award nominations. Already in possession of several acting credits (Science misfits, family ties, and a Bruce Springsteen clip among them), Cox found her breakout role in Monica Geller. Known for being fiercely competitive and meticulously tidy, fans have given the character reviews on these qualities and even Cox has previously said she worries about how people perceive Monica. However, in truth, Monica’s many neurotic habits ultimately proved to be the traits that made her so lovable to many.
Recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel live, Cox admitted to the host that she thought she was more of a neat freak than Monica. When asked if the shared character trait was just a coincidence, Cox replied that his own organized and clean nature played a huge role in portraying Monica. Giving a real-world example, Cox told a story about Kimmel chopping tomatoes while cooking dinner at her Los Angeles home, spilling tomato juice all over her kitchen counter, admitting she had to refrain from clean up the mess while he did.
“Well, I think, you know, I wasn’t typecast, but maybe a little bit. I think I added to Monica’s cleanliness, she was very competitive, but I think I was actually a little cleaner than it was.”
Cox’s comments comparing herself to Monica certainly seem grounded in truth, as the actress recently launched her own line of home care products, Homecourt, and brought them with her on Kimmel’s show. What’s more, Cox also recently combined her real-life “clean freak” nature with another of her iconic roles, and the actress even used the product in a Yellthemed TikTok “erase it”, honoring its character Gale Weathers from the famous horror franchise.
Among the incredibly strong and very different hard core of Friends, each fan had his favorite. For many, Monica’s extreme cleanliness and competitive nature, her memorable dancing, and her romantic relationship with Chandler put her at the top of the list. And while those qualities were clearly appreciated by audiences for their pure entertainment value, it’s also heartwarming to hear that Cox’s character was in many ways an extension of herself and heavily influenced the show, doing Friends that much more relatable and lovable.
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live
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