Courteney Cox Says ‘There Was Nothing Worse’ Than Her Notorious ‘Scream 3’ Baby Bangs
Courteney Cox may be best known for her hilarious run as Monica on Friends, but that isn’t the only iconic franchise she’s a part of. Cox is also a key player in the Scream movies. Alongside Neve Campbell and her former husband David Arquette, she’s been a constant presence in the films. She’s acted as connective tissue between the first film and the current iteration.
While most fans of the film would agree Cox always looks great, her appearance in one of the films wasn’t her favorite. Let’s take a closer look at what aspect of her Scream 3 look left Cox mortified.
How Courteney Cox has been a rock for the ‘Scream’ franchise
Cox wasn’t just a big part of the original film, she’s been in every subsequent update since. Cox has starred in Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, and Scream 4. According to IMDb, her character’s name is Gale Weathers. The first film premiered in 1996, with the second following closely on its heels a year later. Scream 3 debuted in 2000, leading to an 11-year gap until the next movie in 2011.
Cox’s character is a “main tritagonist” of the films with both Campbell and Arquette. Gale is a reporter who wants to make a name for herself. To do this, she reports on the original “Ghostface” killings depicted in the film. She writes a book about the experience, which becomes a movie-within-a-movie called Stab. She falls in love with Arquette’s Dewey Riley character and marries him.
Why Courteney Cox didn’t like her look in ‘Scream 3’
When actors are a part of a successful franchise, it’s often a challenge to reinvigorate the character. It’s up to them to bring back a character fans love, but also change them in some way so the role doesn’t feel stale. Cox attempted to do this, but according to her, it had disastrous results for Scream 3.
According to Insider, Cox talked to Drew Barrymore about her haircut in the series’ third film. She said, “Oh that was the worst. I forgot about that. There was nothing worse.”
Cox’s memorable hairstyle featured short bangs. While many people often lauded Cox for her great hair on Friends, this look was not as popular. She added, “That was a big lesson in life because that will forever be on film.”
Cox went on to say that this was just another attempt by her to change up the character, stating, “Each Scream I would try to come up with a different look for her that was just over the top gross, or ugly or too much,”
While her bangs may not have been very popular, it didn’t hurt Cox’s performance one bit. It also didn’t stop her from coming back for two more sequels – including one that hit theaters very recently.
Courteney Cox’s role in the latest installment of ‘Scream’
Cox is reprising her role as Weathers in 2022’s Scream. The fifth film in the series puts a modern spin on the classic franchise. There’s a new cast of potential killers and victims, but the three mainstays of Cox, Campbell, and Arquette are all back.
The film may have reunited the three main actors, but it was also another type of reunion of sorts for Arquette and Cox. The couple was married from 1999-2013 before they divorced. Despite their split, both actors seemed to enjoy the experience. Arquette told the Today Show that working with Cox was “cathartic.” Cox even said that Arquette “got very emotional while he was filming it.”
