Courteney Cox landed her role in 'Scream' by writing a letter to the film's director and assuring him she 'can be an absolute bitch'

• Courteney Cox had to tell the director of "Scream" she "can be an absolute bitch" to land the role.
• Before "Scream," Cox said she was known as the "girl next door" and "sweet."

In the late 1990s, young actor Courteney Cox was most well-known for her girl-next-door characters, after breaking out in the Hollywood scene first as Lauren Miller in "Family Ties," and then as Monica Geller in "Friends."

Two years into her stint on "Friends," Cox landed another major role that would carry her career for the next three decades: Gale Weathers in "Scream."

But because of her reputation, Cox told Variety she had to appeal to the franchise's director in a rather odd way to secure the job.

"I had to talk to [director] Wes Craven and write him a letter and say, 'I know that you don't think of me as this person, but trust me, I really can be an absolute bitch,'" Cox told Variety. "It was over the top in the perfect way."

Cox just received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame ahead of the premiere of the sixth movie in the "Scream" franchise, which hits theaters on March 10.

"That's a really fun character, especially at the very beginning when she was so ruthless," Cox said of Weathers.

As for the other characters in the "Scream" universe, "You really care about the characters because they were unique, and you don't laugh at them, you laugh with them because they're smart," Cox added. "If they were dumb, they were supposed to be and they're endearing."

Cox is the only original "Scream" cast member to return for "Scream VI," after Neve Campbell departed the franchise in 2022 because she was unhappy with her salary negotiations, Insider previously reported.

Cox told Variety she missed working with her longtime colleague.

"I missed working with her, but I'm going to support whatever she feels is right," Cox said.