After years of finding herself focused in the long lenses of the increasingly persistent paparazzi and tattletale tabloids, Courteney Cox Arquette is turning the tables taking some unflattering snapshots of the seamy world of celebrity gossip, playing the ruthless, ethically unrestrained editor of a major magazine in her new FX series Dirt. She spills all the seedy secrets for Hollywood.com.
Hollywood.com: Is there anything that you liked or related to about your character Lucy at all. What redeeming features have you found about her?
Courteney Cox Arquette: I kind of love Lucy. Even though she does despicable things, I love the fact that she enjoys it so much. She loves her magazine, and she has such a good time doing it. I guess I related to that, because I love acting, and I love producing. And the ambition – I’m definitely a type-A personality too, so I related to that. And she loves her brother. I think it’s such a great odd couple.
HW: What’s the difference between doing a love scene, and a love scene with yourself?
CCA: Wow. When I did a love scene with myself, I was really nervous. And with the guys I’ve had love scenes with, too, but for some reason, that was very vulnerable and awkward. And I don’t even want to see it. I don’t watch it. I just close my eyes. I don’t need to see that’s possibly what I look like.
HW: Have you had interactions with the paparazzi where you conceded, “Maybe they’re human.”
CCA: Oh, they are. You know, they’re just doing what they consider their job. And there was one guy that – I went someplace the other day. And when I left I was like, “God, that guy looks so familiar.” And he goes, “Courteney, let me have a picture.” And I was like, “Not right now. I’m just coming out of the spa.” – I had just gotten a massage – and he’s like, “I painted your house when you lived on blanky-blank.” And I was like “Oh my God, you’re right. I met you through my boyfriend at the time. And why are you doing this?” And he said, “It’s my art. Like your painting.” The competition is so great now. There’s so many magazines. I know that that’s what they’re doing for a living. And they’re paying their bills. But some of it’s just really – what they do to get their pictures is too much.
HW: Isn’t there an upside to it, too? Many people in Hollywood get a little bit of exposure through the celebrity weekly magazines?
CCA: Yeah. I think if you’re not written in the magazines at all, it probably means you’re not hot right now. But because the competition’s so great, it becomes a little dangerous, and it’s a frenzy. So that’s the part that’s harder. I remember when I used to go out with this guy who was, like, the most famous person at the time. He had the biggest movie out. And it just wasn’t like that back then. Things have changed so much. Now it’s just gone crazy.
HW: What have you learned about yourself from doing this show?
CCA: I’ve learned that I’m not a girl any more. I’m a woman. I was really nervous at first about exposing myself in any way – even though it seems like I’m exposing a lot, I’m not really, because you can’t really show things. But it was like “You know what? I’m not gonna get a body double. I’m gonna be who I am.” And that was kind of a big change for me.
HW: Are your friends calling you up and saying, “I have a great idea for a story line. This just happened…” Are you getting those kind of responses?
CCA: I bet that’s gonna happen. I remember my sister-in-law Patricia [Arquette], we were at dinner. And she reminded me that when anthrax was being sent out, it was only The National Enquirer, the Pentagon, and the White House. So we put that in the script. And there’s stories that I hear, that, without revealing things that you wouldn’t know, are in the show.
HW: Can you elaborate a little on the focus on weight? It seems like every magazine now has some sort of weight story about a celebrity.
CCA: On Friends, I remember, we were kind of taken down at some point about being too thin. We all change, in different parts of our life. Sometimes we’re stressed out and we get thin. And sometimes we don’t know that we’re thin, and we think we look great. But there is so much emphasis on it. And it’s hard for people. I mean, it’s such a personal journey that people go through, with their weight. I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it, but it is hard on teenagers, I think, when they look at people, and they’re really thin. But you can’t be responsible for everybody. I mean, look, I’ve lost weight since I started this show, because let me tell you: a) I’ve been working out, b) I do a lot of scenes, and c) I’ve got a lot of pressure right now, so…
HW: Jennifer Aniston’s on record as saying she wants to be on the show. What scenes did she like the best? What made her laugh on Dirt?
CCA: She loved the whole thing. She just thinks that all the characters are great and fun, and – and she got a really big kick out of it.
HW: Is there anyone besides Jennifer who’s asked to be on the show, out of your friends?
CCA: My friend Laura Dern, she’d love the show. I’m sure I could say, “Laura, come on, you’ve got to do a part.” I mean, I know a lot of my friends would do it, just ‘cuz it’s fun. And why not work together and have a good time? Vincent Gallo is a good friend of mine – he did it. And Paul Reubens is a really good friend of ours, both me and David. And he did it. Lucas Haas is one of our closest friends, and he’s doing it this week. And – so we’re using our relationships, for sure. But for the right part. Like, good parts.
HW: And isn’t Perez Hilton gonna be on the show?
CCA: I hope. We’re trying to get him. And I think he is – I hope!
HW: And a few months ago there was some buzz about you and Jennifer wanting to do a Friends reunion. What’s the status there?
CCA: There is gonna be no Friends reunion. It’s too hard to get everyone together. The writers are doing their thing, and I just can’t see it happening. Not that I wouldn’t do it, ‘cuz it would be fun. I’d love to work with everybody again for kicks. But I don’t see it happening.
–Reported by Gerri Miller
