Former Friends star Courteney Cox has spent years in the limelight. Whether it's for her business ventures, her love life, or her acting work, she's been a hot commodity in the media for ages.
Back before she was a star, Cox took part in Bruce Springsteen's iconic "Dancing in the Dark" music video. It's a fascinating bit of pop culture history, and what took place between Cox and Springsteen helped shape the video's legacy.
Let's take a look back and see what happened!
Courteney Cox's Acting Career Thrived In The '90s
In the 1990s, Courteney Cox became one of the most famous actresses in the world, and this was largely thanks to the success of the TV series, Friends. That sitcom was a game changer for the actress, and once she broke into the mainstream, and capitalized on her success.
Over time, the actress would add a number of hit projects to her filmography, and just last year, she starred in Scream, marking yet another major hit for her fantastic career.
Prior to breaking out as a mainstream star on Friends, Courteney Cox scored a part in an iconic music video in the 1980s.
Cox Appeared In Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark" Music Video
"Dancing in the Dark," one of Bruce Springsteen's most famous tunes, was a colossal hit in the 1980s. During that time, Springsteen was a man on fire with the release of his iconic Born in the USA album, and the success of "Dancing in the Dark" was instrumental in boosting the album's sales, as well as its legacy.
The music video for the song was a force on TV, and it featured a live performance by the boss, who pulls a young fan from the audience to dance with him on stage. That young fan was none other than Courteney Cox, who was an unknown at the time.
When talking to Howard Stern, Cox opened up about her audition.
"Bruce Springsteen is such an amazing… God, he’s so incredible. I love that song. I get a little embarrassed because I do feel like when I watch the video, when I see it…I mean, God. Did you see my dance? It was pathetic. I’m not a bad dancer, but that was horrible. I was so nervous," she said.
She then went on to talk about the awkward audition she had for the part.
"I thought I was in the wrong place. I was like, ‘I don’t know what they’re doing but I can’t even bend my leg. This is it.’ I went into on Brian De Palma’s office. He put on the music and said, ‘Well, you dance.’ And I thought, ‘Right now? Here? In front of you? Just the two of us,'" she continued.
This, Cox feels, helped her land the role.
She was right, and the element of surprise played a pivotal role in the video's authenticity.
Bruce Springsteen Had No Idea Cox Was An Actress
So, what happened between Bruce Springsteen and Courteney Cox while filming this iconic video? Well, nothing salacious took place, but a cool tidbit regarding the shoot is that Springsteen had no idea that Cox was an actor.
According to Smooth Radio, "Filmed in St. Paul, Minnesota during the opening night concert of the ‘Born in the USA’ tour in 1984, Springsteen was told to pick a fan from the crowd during the shoot. He believed Cox was a fan and was luckily picked to feature on stage, having no idea that she was in fact a plant. At the time nobody did, because she was a complete unknown. But her sheer delight at being able to dance on stage with one of her heroes was convincing enough."
This, combined with Cox' audition story, helps make everything feel so authentic. She genuinely loved the music, was not a professional dancer in the slightest, and The Boss was none the wiser.
After all this time, the music video for "Dancing in the Dark" remains one of the most iconic in music history. It helped Springsteen's legendary run in the '80s reach new heights, and it definitely helped Courteney Cox be seen by millions of fans worldwide. While unlikely, it would be great to see these two reenact this famous scene in the future.
