Interview: Courteney Cox Promoting Dirt

Hey Gasmii! I had a chance to talk to Courteney Cox promoting Season 2 of Dirt on FX starting tonight. I wanted to get some real “dirt” but she was only willing to talk about her show, c’est la vie. Some of the questions that I didn’t get to ask were 1) How did you feel when you were Monica in a fat suit and 2) Were you actually cast in the Springsteen video, or were you just a featured extra?? There is always next time, right?

Either way, Check out Dirt tonight at 10PM on FX if you’re around!

Nads: I hear this season is ripped from the headlines? Is that true, and if so, was that on purpose?

Courteney: No, it’s absolutely a choice. We thought that would be a good way to just start the season, and it is absolutely ripped from the headlines. We usually do a hybrid of celebrities and then add to the story like maybe what happened to cause this to happen to them or sum it up in a different way just for fun. But yes, it’s definitely relatable this year and I think it makes for just a more exciting television show.

Nads: You have very loud characters on the show, is it hard to keep your story lines tame, or is it so close to life where you just can’t make up stories that good?

Courteney: Well you know you would think that that would be a problem, but really if you just look at any magazine or follow any celebrity that people are fascinated with, they seem to do the outrageous things on their own. We’ll come up with something that we think “okay, now what’s really shocking,” because we want to make good television. So obviously we want to shock people. But then, lo and behold, it ends up happening or something. Life is outrageous enough. I don’t think that we have to worry about making anything seem crazy, because through time if you look at all the tabloids from the last whatever many years it pretty much speaks for itself.

Nads: I feel like Season one got really heavy towards the end. Will it lighten up, or is it going to stay a bit on the dark side?

Courteney: Last year I thought was really interesting, and we had kind of the subject was about the Apocalypse and it was heavier. This year we just want it to be a little bit more of a broader appeal. I think the people who loved Dirt last year will hopefully love it this year, but there will be just more of an audience because the people who read US and In Touch and all those tabloid magazines I think will get a kick out of the show.

Nads: How about the relationship between Lucy and Don??

Courteney: Well there definitely is more of it this season, and I think they’re kind of the core of the show, and that relationship is really important. And Don this year has taken, he’s on medication now so his schizophrenia has been toned way back and he’s much more in control, which makes him have to look at what he’s do for a living and how far he goes for Lucy. So they’ve kind of reversed roles a little bit. As opposed to her taking care of him, he’s taking care, did I say that right, yes, he’s taking care of her more. And so it’s an interesting change this year.

Nads: Do you feel like this show is great retaliation getting back at the paps and mags?

Courteney: Well, you know it’s funny because I definitely have a lot of experience with the paparazzi, but I don’t feel like it’s really a retaliation. I feel like we’re just kind of–I’ve said this before, but I really mean it, I think that no one’s really a good guy in this. I think it really shows the dark side of magazines, it shows the dark side of paparazzi and it also shows, I think we humanize everyone too. So it kind of is, I think, a little bit of an accurate portrayal of these kinds of characters.

Nads: Have your views changed towards the paps and magazines after doing this show?

Courteney: I would say that playing this character and working on this show has definitely shown me how hard it is and how competitive it is. It’s just really hard to run a successful magazine. I get that. And I’ve gotten just how many paparazzi there are out there and how hard it is to get the exclusive picture. So yes, I guess I’ve learned, it doesn’t mean that I agree with it all, and I definitely don’t agree with the obsession on certain celebrities. I understand the fascination, but when it gets obsessive I think it gets dangerous. So I haven’t changed my view, but definitely I’ve learned all sides of it, for sure.

Nads: Can we expect anything new this season? New cast members, new drama, etc…?

Courteney: Well, I think the whole show this year takes place, not solely, but much more, well maybe solely, in the offices of Dirt now and what it takes to run this magazine. So we have new cast members that are enriching that world. And I think that it’s great. It just kind of keeps it all within the office, and you’ll see love triangles and personal issues and stuff. We have a new character named Farber, and his name is Ryan Eggold, and he’s just a great actor and a great asset to the show. He’s got a little love thing going on with another character. I think it just makes for a much more enriched world within the walls of Dirt.

I want to thank Courteney for taking the time to talk to me and will be watching this season for sure! Check out Dirt on FX starting tonight at 10PM PT/ET