Friend Moves to Cougar Town

Courteney Cox sports brightly colored dresses on the new ABC show Cougar Town.

Fifteen years since she first made us laugh as the neurotically lovable Monica on Friends, Courteney Cox is back in the comedy game as a divorced mom on the dating scene in the new ABC sitcom Cougar Town, which premiered last night (the pilot re-airs tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. in case you missed it). After FX’s tabloid drama Dirt, Cox told us she was looking for a comedy, especially one tailored for her by creator Bill Lawrence (Scrubs). Cox says her Realtor character Jules Cobb “is totally me,” and that she loves the physical-comedy aspect. The wardrobe is a departure for her, though. “I never thought of myself as someone wearing bright colors, but this is set in Florida,” explains the actor, who in real life favors more muted, classic colors and pieces like the head-to-toe Marc Jacobs outfit she sported when we bumped into her.

As the name suggests, Cougar Town focuses on women of a certain age prowling for younger men, but Cox, 45, doesn’t see anything pejorative in the title. “['Cougar'] means someone older dating someone younger. Who cares? I don’t have a problem with it,” Cox says. “I only think of ‘cougar’ as negative if you’re thinking of women who are having a hard time getting older so they change their entire face, body, everything to stay young. It’s not about staying young.”

Cox should know the difference. “I’m married to someone who is completely nonjudgmental about aging,” she says, referring to actor husband David Arquette, who is seven years her junior. Meanwhile, the couple’s 5-year-old daughter Coco has an eye for older men, according to Cox: “She has a crush on Dan Byrd,” she says, referring to the actor who plays her teenage son in the series.

While dating after divorce is never simple, Cox has some advice for the suddenly single. “Be willing to put yourself out there,” she says. “I’m sure it’s not easy, but you’re not alone.”

For more of our TV picks, check out the Media column in VIVmag‘s September/October issue. And tell us: Is midlife dating fun or a fiasco? Share your stories below!

Photo credit: James White/ABC

Tags: actor, Age disparity in sexual relationships, Arab Banking Corporation (B.S.C.), Bill Lawrence, Coco, Cougar, Cougar Town, Courteney Cox, Cox, David Arquette, Dirt, Entertainment/Culture, Florida, Human Interest, James White, Marc Jacobs, Mass media, Monica Geller, Scrubs, Serial drama television series, Television