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Courteney Cox Gets By With a Little Help from her "Friends"
Cox dishes the "Dirt" on pal Jennifer Aniston and makes peace with the enemy

Article by Gayl Murphy for Hollywood Today

Coureney Cox

HOLLYWOOD, CA (rushprnews) 01/11/2007 -- It seems as if actress Courteney Cox, a frequent subject of tabloid fodder, may be warming up to the gossip queens loathed by her celebrity counterparts. Cox's starring role as Lucy Spiller on FX's new "Dirt" has allowed her to see the human side of paparazzi - something many in Hollywood might declare impossible.

"We all have issues, and we all have a dark side," Cox told Hollywood Today (www.hollywoodtoday.net). "I think these people are living in a world that's competitive and they want to do their best job they can."
Cox is also the producer of the show, which highlights Cox as the editor of a pairing of celebrity-infatuated gossip magazines, premiered to the second highest ratings of any series ever on the FX network. The newbie-gem also ranked big with the online audience, coming in at No. 5 on this week's TV shows sold on iTunes. But television audiences aren't the only ones enjoying the dish - Cox's own celebrity pals have been doling out their compliments on the debut as well. "Jennifer [Aniston] loves the show. She's already going, 'what am I going to do?'" Cox said, referring to Aniston's interest in appearing on the series herself.Cox surmised that Aniston might play a character dedicated towards shutting the doors of a high-profile gossip-infused glossy."I'm sure she would love to take one of the magazines down," she guessed.
Despite her newfound understanding of the 'enemy,' Cox said she still draws the line when the show's writers encroach on the boundaries of her star pals.

"There are times when I'll call up and say 'Guys, I really know that person.'"
Another close celeb close to Cox is her husband, David Arquette, who is also involved in the show - though the actress said she and her counterpart remain separated during some of the show's more intimate moments.
"He doesn't come to the set ever on those days," Cox said of the hours in which she films love scenes for the series.
On the show Cox plays Lucy, the salacious go-getter of gossip who she says is "obsessed with making sure she tells the truth and exposes it." The role represents a marked changed from that of comical Monica, the character Cox embodied for ten seasons on the beloved series "Friends."

"I wouldn't have done anything that was like Monica, just because … I did it for ten years, and I'm older now."
In preparation for her part, Cox researched the very paparazzi who stalked the actress herself.
"I made my own deals," she shared. She went to a group of paps who were hovering for a Courteney photo op and invited them into the office. "'You want a picture from me? I need a little something from you…'"

And the media seems to be giving back to Cox indeed - with the San Francisco Chronicle even deeming her worthy of illicit male self-gratification fantasies after her appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel show last week.
"That actually made me feel really good," she admitted.

Writers haven't always been so kind to Cox, who shared stories of the outlandish stories invented about her in years past.
"There was a period … when I was really thin, really thin. And I thought I looked great. In retrospect, not so good," the still-skinny star claimed. "But I did not have anorexia. And they just kept writing about it. It was tough."
Cox also recalled frustration over being chased by paparazzi during her pregnancy with young daughter, Coco.
"That to me was too far," she stated.

Today, with these stories behind her, Cox sounds like a changed woman in body and spirit. She even admitted to picking up the occasional tabloid while at the airport newsstand herself.
"I don't read them, I usually just look at the pictures because I love to look at pictures," she said. "I love to see what people are wearing."

And while she's flipping through the pages of said magazines - is there even a bit of jealously when the tabloids pay more attention to buddy Aniston over the "Dirt" star?
"Not a smidgeon."

Guest stars Wayne Brady, Paul Ruebens, Christopher Knight and Adrianne Curry are scheduled to appear on "Dirt" in future episodes.

Permission to re-print or rebroadcast granted provided entertainment newsmagazine Hollywood Today is credited and web address (www.hollywoodtoday.net) is listed whenever possible.

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