'Be the breadwinner': David Arquette admits feeling 'inferior to' ex-wife Courteney Cox's 'Friends' fame
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: David Arquette opened up about his marriage to his ex-wife Courteney Cox and the challenges they encountered because of her success on 'Friends'. Cox, 58, portrayed Monica Geller in the sitcom for ten seasons, which aired between 1994 and 2004.
The 'Scream' actor admitted to Andy Cohen on Friday's (April 28) broadcast of his SiriusXM show that he "absolutely" felt threatened by Cox's success in 'Friends,' especially considering that she is "someone who’s at the top of the television, iconic world."
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'Roller coaster of popularity'
When the host of SiriusXM's 'Andy Cohen Live' recently asked the 'Never Been Kissed' actor if he ever felt "inferior to" or "less than" the 'Friends' alum owing to the phenomenal success of the NBC comedy, the actor said, "Yeah, absolutely. It’s difficult, I mean in terms of like, I have some of the traditional male things where I want to like, provide and pick up the check and, you know, be the breadwinner," Arquette, 51, explained, as reported by Page Six.
Although he acknowledged that the acting industry was merely a "roller coaster of popularity," the differences in their levels of success caused a lot of "pain" and "arguments." He said, "In the acting world, in general, you're always going on this roller coaster of popularity and not able to get a job So it's like this weird thing. And then, when you're comparing yourself to someone who's at the top of the television iconic world, it's kind of hard to put yourself there."
Arquette gave his explanation of how the two handled the situation: "A lot of it has to do with the way you're taking things, the way you're saying things, the way you're responding to things, the way you're allowing other, sort of, outside influences affect how you feel about yourself."
Arquette responded that self-work and communication were the primary factors in how he and Cox, 58, overcame marital difficulties. To help him work out "some of the pain and trauma," Arquette continued, he focused on "building" confidence, "focusing" on himself, and expressing his "needs" and "boundaries."
Cox and Arquette got married three years after they met while co-starring in 'Scream' in 1996. Cox is best known for her role as Monica Geller in the hit sitcom 'Friends' from 1994 to 2004. In 2004, they gave birth to Coco Arquette, their only child. Despite getting divorced in 2012, the couple continued to get along and co-parent Coco, who is now 18.
David Arquette and Courteney Cox's relationship timeline
After co-starring in the 1990 film 'Scream,' Courteney Cox and David Arquette eventually developed closer relationships. The former lovers are still friends despite parting ways. According to Cox, her ex-husband is her absolute favorite person in the entire world. "He's my best friend. No matter what happens in our future, he's my very best friend." Here is a look at their relationship timeline.
1990s
Cox and Arquette got to know one another at a pre-Scream movie party. For the actor, it was love at first sight, but not for Cox, the actor claimed. He jokingly said, "I had to trick her."
December 1996
Both of the co-stars attended the premiere of the first Scream. Cox revealed to Robin Roberts of Good Morning America in 2011 that she and Arquette "fell in love on the first" motion picture. In the horror movie, the two actors portray Gale Weathers and David Dewey, respectively.
1998 - 1999
The costars got engaged while on vacation with family members on an East Coast beach, director Wes Craven announced to People. The See Spot Run actor knelt down and posed the question, "Courteney Cox Arquette, will you marry me?" while fireworks lit up the night sky. Arquette revealed to People in 2022 that Craven had initially persuaded him to date Cox.
Cox and Arquette tied the knot at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral on June 12, 1999. The bride's 'Friends' co-stars Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and Jennifer Aniston attended the wedding, along with Aniston's ex-boyfriend Brad Pitt.
2000s
In 2004, Cox and Arquette welcomed their daughter, Coco. According to Arquette, there was "nothing" wrong with the relationship between him and Cox. The actor stated, "Whenever things come up, we deal with them. We communicate."
The actress revealed that she and Arquette have "done couples therapy in the past" in an interview with InStyle, which Cox apparently showed up to without her wedding band. "We're not lazy about our marriage. We have the same arguments we've had for years," she stated.
Following an 11-year marriage, the couple declared their agreement to a "trial separation." They stated in a statement that the separation was necessary for them to "better understand ourselves and the qualities we need in a partner and for our marriage." They jointly said, "We remain best friends and responsible parents to our daughter and we still love each other deeply. As we go through this process we are determined to use kindness and understanding to get through this together."
While Cox is dating her longtime boyfriend, Johnny McDaid, David later got married to Christina McLarty in 2015.