Courteney Cox (born June 15, 1964) is an American actress, producer, and director best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends from 1994 to 2004, Gale Weathers-Riley in the Scream slasher films, she also starred as Lauren Miller in the NBC sitcom Family Ties (1987–1989), Lucy Spiller on the FX drama series Dirt (2007–2008), and as Jules Cobb on the ABC/TBS sitcom currently stars as Jules Cobb on the ABC/TBS sitcom Cougar Town since (2009-2015).
Cox's other film credits include the action fantasy Masters of the Universe (1987), the comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), the animated comedy Barnyard (2006), the fantasy comedy Bedtime Stories (2008), and the independent drama Mothers and Daughters (2016). She owns the production company Coquette Productions, which was created by Cox and her then-husband David Arquette. She also worked as a director on her sitcom Cougar Town, the television drama film TalhotBlond (2012), and the black comedy drama film Just Before I Go (2014).
She hosted Saturday Night Live on April 15, 1995. She is impersonated by longtime former cast members Molly Shannon and Amy Poehler.