Finding two actors with the magic of perfect chemistry is hard. And finding three? Near impossible. But in the underrated, unfortunately titled banter-fest that is Cougar Town, ABC has exactly that. The rapport among Courteney Cox, Christa Miller and Busy Philipps can’t be forced, faked or, yes, bottled. What makes their on-screen partnership work so well? The secret may lie in their easy off-screen camaraderie, evident even when the conversation is about career challenges and Emmy chances. It doesn’t really come from vino. We think. During this interview, they drank iced tea… (We’re pretty sure…)

TVLINE | The truth: Are your performances enhanced by alcohol?
COURTENEY COX | I think so.
BUSY PHILIPPS | I think so, too.
CHRISTA MILLER | Just a little free-er.

TVLINE | Kidding aside, there’s no actual alcohol consumption during shooting, right?
COX | I would not say the word never. At the very end of the day when we don’t have that much left to do, we ask for some “pomegranate tea.” That’s what we call it. I even got the craft services lady to hang a little teabag from my “tea cup.”
MILLER | But only if you have tiny things to say or no dialogue or you’ve finished your coverage.
PHILIPPS | I can’t drink it if I’m going to be talking a lot, because a) I’ll start slurring and nobody wants that, and b) I’m too much of a control freak.
COX | Her brain is very fresh, though. She’s very young so she has a great memory. I can’t remember anything sober, so I definitely can’t drink and [then] speak.

TVLINE | When did you feel the chemistry between the three of you start to click?
PHILIPPS | I don’t remember which episode it was where we were filming at the beach. What’s the name of that beach where the planes take off? Dockweiler Beach?
MILLER | Yeah.
PHILIPPS | Literally, it’s right in the takeoff path of LAX. So you can only film for five minutes at a time and then a jet comes overhead. But I remember doing that scene with the three of us sitting on a blanket and [executive producer and Miller’s husband] Bill [Lawrence] coming over and saying, “I just want you guys to know, this is the show. I love this.” It was the three of us sitting there drinking wine on the beach.

TVLINE | How familiar were you with each other’s work beforehand?
COX | I had personally known Christa years ago. I could tell we were going to become really close friends, and I don’t know what happened. We had all these plans.
MILLER | We had kids.
COX | Life happens. But we immediately were like, “Oh my God, I’ll tell you everything. I’m telling you everything — every secret.” But she has three kids and things happen.
PHILIPPS | Christa and Bill knew me personally from our mutual friend [and fellow actress] Nicole Sullivan (The King of Queens).
MILLER | I obviously can’t help but be very familiar with Courteney’s career. And then you [guested] on Scrubs. I think Bill and Courteney were both trying to see how it was going to be working together. It was like a little test run for both of them. Courteney was such a good sport, because Scrubs is hard to come on. It was such a tight, clique-y kind of group.
COX | I did three episodes in two days. It was the most work I’ve ever done. And Bill was so much fun that I was like, “Oh God, please, I hope we work together.”

TVLINE | Courteney, as a producer on Cougar Town, I’m guessing you had a hand in casting… Did you instantly know Busy was your Laurie?
COX | I knew instantly. We read tons of people. We took a couple of people to the network. But hands down, hand to God, on everything I have inside of me, when she came in, I was like, “I love that girl. I love her energy.” She was my first choice. There wasn’t a question.
PHILIPPS | It was actually one of the crazier testing experiences for me, because the other girl I [competed against] had another test offer, which happens a lot in pilot season… [She was also] up for another job at ABC. Bill came out into the waiting room and he’s like, “OK, so Busy, you’re going to get [this] job,” and he turned to the other girl and he’s like, “And you’re going to get that other show. I already talked to the showrunner. I just want you to know that that’s what’s happening right now. I’m only saying this because I just want to alleviate all the pressure from the room, so Busy, you have [this] and you, you’re getting this other job this afternoon in two hours.” … And he walked away and she was like, “Well that was weird.” I’m like, “Yeah. It was super weird.” She’s like, “I mean, awesome for you.” I was like, “No. Awesome for you too, you have a job too!” It was like one of the greatest testing experiences ever.
COX | I didn’t know that story. That actually is crazy.
PHILIPPS | I have been in many situations before where I’ve been told by showrunners and executive producers going into a network test that I am the first choice, that they will be damned if I don’t get this part. I’ve had more than my fair share of phone calls and e-mails after the fact saying, “I’m just so sorry. They just really feel like this 23-year-old Canadian girl is fresher.”
COX | That happens at the network?
PHILIPPS | Yes. Part of the reason why I had [my daughter] Birdie, this is no joke, is because that happened with me with Kath & Kim [NBC’s short-lived Molly Shannon/Selma Blair-starring adaptation of the Australian sitcom]. I wanted that show so badly. It was the same exact situation, and then the next day, the showrunner wrote me this crazy email. “I don’t feel like this is the end of our story, but [then-NBC president] Ben [Silverman] wants to just go in a different direction and we have to play that out…’’ I just looked at [husband] Mark [Silverstein] and was like, “F— it, should we just have a kid? I can’t do this anymore.”

TVLINE | What is your perspective on the Emmys? Do you think about that stuff?
PHILIPPS | I had a dream the other night that I was not nominated for an Emmy and I was really upset in my dream. So I don’t think about it on a daily basis, but clearly, in my dream world, it affects me.
COX | I’ve never been nominated for an Emmy, and I’ve been doing this for a long time.

TVLINE | Did getting snubbed for Friends all those years harden you to award shows?
COX | No. I’d love to be nominated. God, it would be such an honor. I’d be so excited. I’d probably be one of those people who just cried. I wish I could say I didn’t care about stuff like that. Maybe if I didn’t, it would be some sort of karmic thing for me, but I actually do. I think it’s nice to be recognized. [Not being so] makes me go, “Oh s–t maybe I don’t know what the f— I’m doing.”
PHILIPPS | Sorry, but it’s crazy that you were never nominated.
COX | Now I’m going to get really personal. When the first person [on Friends] was nominated for an Emmy, I think it was [David] Schwimmer, you’re so excited. Then the second person, [still] so excited. The only time I was like, “Whoa!” was [in 2001 when Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow] were both nominated and not me. That’s when it’s like, “I have a lesson to learn here.” I had a hard time not taking it personally when it was both Lisa and Jennifer at the same time. One guy, one girl, whatever. But both girls and not me? It hurt. I’m very sensitive, though.
PHILIPPS | For me, it doesn’t even really seem like a possibility. So, it would be the most exciting thing ever and I would love it. Clearly, my dreams are stating so. But it just doesn’t feel like it’s even going to [be a possibility]… Especially our category is like the hardest ever.
MILLER | You don’t want to look at it. You want to pretend it doesn’t happen, but then there’s that secret part of you that thinks, “Wouldn’t that be the greatest, most fun thing?”

TVLINE | Courteney, what would a nomination mean now versus if you had gotten one during Friends?
COX | It would mean more now. Don’t get me wrong, it would have been great back then. But I think it would mean [now] that I’m on another show that is regarded and is written and performed as well as [Friends] in some ways.
MILLER | Let’s see how much work Michael wants to put in so he can get all three of us nominated.
PHILIPPS | You have a lot of work ahead of you.
MILLER | What would we buy you? I’m going to say a house. Courteney?
COX | Do you like to fly privately?

TVLINE | I’d be happy with just an upgrade to Business.
COX | Done. You’re getting that today.

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We first loved her as Audrey on ‘The Creek’ – the popular teen drama Dawson’s Creek, that is. Now we can’t get enough of Busy Philipps and her wino pals on the quick-witted sitcom Cougar Town. The 31-year-old actress sat down with Celebrity Baby Scoop to chat about her “sweet” and “cuddly” daughter Birdie who is all about the potty training these days. The mom-of-one also talked about teaming up with Pepto-Bismol just in time for Cinco de Mayo, Birdie’s upcoming third birthday and plans for Baby No. 2.

CBS: Birdie is so cute!

BP: “Well, I’m obviously a huge fan!”

CBS: How is she? What is she into these days?

BP: “She’s great. The biggest thing of recent months is the potty training which she basically did on her own. I feel so lucky! When we went to Hawaii to shoot the season finale of Cougar Town 6 weeks ago, she didn’t want to wear her diapers anymore because it was too hot. So she just took them off and started using the potty. We haven’t gone back and now she’s sleeping through the night with no diaper. She actually woke up in the middle of the night, went to the bathroom, and got back in bed! I’m really excited about it! It’s the type of thing that I can only talk to other moms about. My friends without children are like, ‘Can we stop talking about your kid’s bathroom habits.’ It turns out nobody else cares [laughs]!

I’ve heard that if you’re having problems potty training your kids, just wait until the summer because it gets hot and uncomfortable and you can just have them go diaper-less outside and they’ll figure it out. But we were lucky that she just brought up the idea – she was only 2 1/2 at the time.

The other thing we’re doing is a lot of pretend-play. She’s into playing shop. So she’ll set up her toys or clothes, lined up on the floor to make a little store. And then depending on how she’s feeling, either of us will be the shopper, and we’ll go shopping with her stuff. She also likes playing school and we’re getting ready for her to start preschool in the fall.”

CBS: Do you have any party plans for her third birthday in August?

BP: “We’re doing a giant renovation on the exterior of our home. Part of it is adding a big, flat front yard that will be hedged in and will – hopefully – be beautiful. I’ve told my contractors that it has to be done by her birthday because I’ve promised her a beautiful outdoor party.

She loves the movie Tangled and we read the books from the movie – and she wants lanterns. I think I’ll hang Chinese lanterns outside and I thought a fun activity for the kids would be getting white lanterns in China Town and all the kids could decorate them with glitter and paints. And of course she wants a Rapunzel cake so I’m going to make her the Rapunzel tower for her cake.”

CBS: What are some of your favorite mommy memories?

BP: “Every day there’s something new and fantastic that happens! My daughter is very cuddly and sweet and has gotten to the point where throughout the day she’ll throw her arms around me and say, ‘I love you mommy, you’re the best,’ which is really sweet and makes me feel so lucky that I have a cuddly kid because not all kids are really cuddly. She’s a really sweet, thoughtful kid.”

CBS: Any plans for baby No. 2?

BP: “Not imminently. It’s really difficult working on a show with long hours. I was so lucky that the first year of Birdie’s life I didn’t work. I did the pilot of Cougar Town and I think I worked a total of seven days the first year of her life! I was really able to be there with her and be a full-time mom. I didn’t even have a nanny – or any help – for the first 6 months. I would like to think that with a second child I’d be able to give them the same amount of attention and time. That’s just not possible when you’re doing a network television show. We’ll see, I’m still young. Who knows what will happen in the future.”

CBS: Tell us about teaming up with Pepto-Bismol just in time for Cinco de Mayo.

BP: “Pepto-Bismol asked if I’d like to make a funny video on YouTube for Cinco de Maya. It was the perfect pairing because Cinco de Mayo is one of my favorite cultural holidays. I love Mexican food, so I celebrate! They’re making these really funny videos on YouTube and I was on board! The campaign is about smashing piñatas and if you happen to have a sore stomach, be sure to have some Pepto-Bismol on hand. Which is actually something that I do keep around the house.

If you’d like to see the video that I made, you can go to YouTube and from there you can create your own perfect piñata smash by choosing a bunch of different options. There’s some pretty funny ones on there. My favorite is the turkey that explodes the pinata. It’s fun and a good thing to do if you’re sitting at your desk on Cinco de Mayo!”

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Busy Philipps has been involved with a number of TV series since getting her big break at 20, but it’s that big break that remains her most beloved role for many TV fans. In the vital role of Kim Kelly on Freaks And Geeks, Philipps turned what could have been a stereotypical stoner’s girlfriend into something heartfelt and vulnerable, to the point where an early episode focused on the Kim character kept getting rescheduled by the network because it was so dark. Since then, Philipps has bounced around the world of film, but she may be better known to TV fans for major recurring parts on both Dawson’s Creek and ER, as well as guest roles in series like How I Met Your Mother. Philipps’ latest role is the self-assured, breezily trampy Laurie Keller on ABC’s Cougar Town, a series that has made an unlikely journey from punchline to critical favorite in the two seasons it’s been on the air. Philipps talked with The A.V. Club about the evolution of the show, its relationship with fellow comedy Community, and the Carlos Jacott/Noah Baumbach sitcom you’ll never get to see.

The A.V. Club: Cougar Town has evolved a lot. What did that feel like as an actor, that creation process?

Busy Philipps: It happened really organically. It wasn’t like [co-creators] Bill Lawrence and Kevin Biegel sat us down one day and were like, “Okay guys, we’re gonna change the show.” I think when you get into filming a television show, if you’re able to have writers and actors who can roll with the flow and play on the show’s strengths, you’re going to have a better shot of having a show that works, as opposed to having people who get bogged down in the pilot or in what they thought the show was going to be. What Bill brings in his years and years of successful television experience is that quality and that ability to see what’s working in the show and what isn’t, and they just started writing for that. And it was due in large part to the chemistry that they saw the seven of us cultivating offscreen as well as onscreen. And I always think that the kiss of death for a show is a really, really fantastic pilot, because then there’s just nowhere to go.

Television is about building, and I feel really lucky that ABC believed in the show and saw where it was going. And now with the support of stuff like A.V. Club and Entertainment Weekly online and Vulture, we’ve gotten this core audience. And I hope that more people check it out when we re-launch, because the show is really good and really funny and has a lot for a lot of different people. It’s not as polarizing as maybe the name or the pilot may have made it seem.

AVC: Was there a moment when it really started to click for you?

BP: Yeah, about the third or fourth episode of the first season. We were just trying to get our groove. In fact, there was a scene on the beach with Christa [Miller] and Courteney [Cox] and myself, where Bill came over and was like, “I love this; I just love the three of you talking.” And, you know, we started to feel like the show was getting its footing, and then towards the end of last season we really got our groove. And this season just flew by. I was laughing the other day while I was brushing my teeth because I thought of an episode that hasn’t aired yet that we shot a few months ago, and it was cracking me up just thinking about it. Jules [Cox's character] has an issue with the Pledge Of Allegiance… I don’t want to give it away, but some of the stuff that the writers have come up with this year is just really creative and funny and cool. I really like our show. I’m an avid television watcher—my husband and I have more shows on our TiVo than anyone I know—and at the beginning of the show I was nervous, but by the third or fourth episode, I was on board.

AVC: Do you think your character has evolved?

BP: I think she definitely has. One of the reasons why I do television is the ability to create a character and watch them grow. I think Bill and Kevin are incredibly sensitive to that, and they try to give us a chance to have our characters grow and expand. And that’s more fun as an actor than saying the same dumb thing over and over again. And that’s what makes really successful shows. You get to know the ins and outs of these characters. This year my character had her heart broken, and then you got to see a little bit of a softer side to her.

AVC: It often seems like Bill Lawrence’s shows will have huge supporting casts that come in for an episode or two here or there, like Carolyn Hennesy as Barb or Bob Clendenin as Tom. Is it nice to have that bench as backup?

BP: Yeah, like the extended family. It certainly takes pressure off you, although I have to be honest with you, towards the end of the season, I said to Kevin, “I feel like Bob is getting all the funny lines; let’s bring it back to the main cast please.” But Bob is just so funny, and to have people like that who can come in and out of the show just makes the show richer and makes the world richer. It makes it feel like you’re actually watching a real group of friends and extended friends and neighbors. We love having those guest stars around. And it also speaks to Bill that most of the crew has carried over from Scrubs sand some of them from Spin City. It’s just a feeling of family, and we mess around and just be funny.

AVC: One of the things that I’ve noticed is that Laurie could come across as crass, but you keep that from happening.

BP: I think the secret to a lot of that is in the sweetness of the delivery, you know what I mean? Ultimately, I think that Laurie is a very sweet character who maybe just didn’t have the best upbringing. And also, you just have to figure out how to turn them and make them not as horrifying as they may be. I was talking to Kevin one time, and I was like, “Really, I can’t do that, I just can’t make that work.”

(more…)

It was wine, a little vodka and penny cans tonight at the Leonard H. Goldstein Theatre as the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences presented “An Evening With ‘Cougar Town.’” Cast members Courteney Cox, Busy Philipps, Josh Hopkins, Ian Gomez, Christa Miller, Dan Byrd and Bryan Van Holt were joined by Executive Producer/Creator Bill Lawrence and Supervising Producer/Director Michael McDonald and all often broke into laughter as they talked about the hit ABC series and the fun times they have working together. Our Jim Halterman was on the red carpet during the arrivals to talk to cast and crew about who is better at playing penny can and what is to come in the remaining episodes of the second season.

Actress Busy Philipps stars in the ABC comedy Cougar Town and shares the highlights of her life – from high school to becoming a mom – with sentimental song picks. In her Guest DJ set, she calls Modest Mouse “perfect desert driving music” and names Elvis Perkins’ “While You Were Sleeping” as the ideal soundtrack to bonding with her newborn baby. Cougar Town is currently in its second season.

Tracks
1. Tori Amos – China
2. Modest Mouse – Trailer Trash
3. The Zombies – This Will Be Our Year
4. David Karsten Daniels – The Dream Before The RIng That Woke Me
5. Elvis Perkins – While You Were Sleeping

(more…)

Fun fact: The lady who plays Cougar Town’s delightful wackjob Laurie Keller—that would be Freaks & Geeks and Dawson’s Creek alum Busy Phillips—goes big at the Coachella Music Festival every year. (In fact, she’s probably rolling up there right about now.)

So considering that fact, and the fact that Cougar is returning from hiatus this coming Monday, April 18 in a special, we-need-viewers timeslot after Dancing with the Stars, we thought it more than high time to see what trips her fine-tuned musical trigger. (Surprise: She’s got a taste for indie rock!) Here’s what’s on Philipps’ iPod:

BEACH HOUSE, “WALK IN THE PARK”
“Victoria Legrand, who’s the lead singer, has more star power in her little pinky than I think anyone else I’ve seen on stage in the past year. She’s phenomenal and if you get the chance to see her live I highly recommend it. I love that song so much it’s even my ringtone. I love her voice. It’s ethereal and sort of mysterious and can kind of rock out as well.”

GRIZZLY BEAR, “READY, ABLE”
“I have kind of a commute to work, and I find myself listening to Grizzly Bear during that time. It’s like really great driving music in the morning with a cup of coffee. I just kind of zone out to the amazing vocal stylings of Ed Droste.”

JENNY AND JOHNNY, “MY PET SNAKES”
“My daughter Birdie, who’s two and a half, asks for it by name every time we get in the car, so I have probably listened to that song more than any other one in the past six months. I love it because it’s reminiscent to me of mid-’90s girl-guy music. Like, she [Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis] has a little bit of a Juliana Hatfield vibe about her music right now.”

THE BAND, “THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN”
“This is a song that I go back to on my iPod when I’m running because it always gets me going. I just love that song. I hadn’t heard it for years and my husband had it on a playlist, and now it’s on the hard rotation of my iPod.”

SUFJAN STEVENS, “FUTILE DEVICES”
“It’s the first song on the album. I think Sufjan can be a little inaccessible for people sometimes, and what I love about that song is I feel that it’s very accessible, even for me. I’m a huge fan, and I love almost everything he does. When the album [2010's The Age of Adz] came out, that’s the song that I had on repeat and listened to it 10 times everyday for three weeks.”

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Hollyscoop caught up with Busy Philipps at the ‘Freaks and Geeks’ PaleyFest in Los Angeles where she talked about Judd Apatow, & the Hawaii Season 2 Finale.