Courteney Cox on 'Friends" Emmy Snub: "It Hurt My Feelings"

london, england february 21 editorial use only in relation to the brit awards 2018 courteney cox attends the brit awards 2018 held at the o2 arena on february 21, 2018 in london, england photo by karwai tangwireimage

(Image credit: Dimitrios Kambouris)

published 25 June 2021

Courteney Cox spoke about being the only Friends lead never to receive an Emmy nomination, admitting the snub "hurt."
Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow both won Emmys for their roles, while Matt LeBlanc received three nominations and David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry were both nominated once.
"When every single cast member was nominated but me, it definitely hurt my feelings," Cox shared. "I was happy for everybody, and then when it was finally like, 'Oh, I’m the only one?' It hurt."

Of the six actors who comprised Friends' core cast, Courteney Cox was the only one never to receive an Emmy nomination—and during an appearance on the Howard Stern Show, Cox said the snub stung. Speaking alongside co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow, who both won Emmys for their Friends roles, Cox shared, "It always hurt my feelings."

Alongside Aniston and Kudrow's wins, Matt LeBlanc received three Emmy nods, while David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry were both nominated once. "When every single cast member was nominated but me, it definitely hurt my feelings," Cox said, as Metro reports. "I was happy for everybody, and then when it was finally like, 'Oh, I’m the only one?' It hurt."

"I just sometimes want to be included in certain things," she continued, before addressing Kudrow and Aniston. "These girls on the show and the guys, everyone deserved every [nomination]. I’m in awe of both of your talent."

los angeles march 7 actress jennifer aniston, actress courteney cox, actor matt leblanc, actress lisa kudrow, actor matthew perry and actor david schwimmer attend the fifth annual screen actors guild awards on march 7, 1999 at the shrine auditorium in los angeles, california photo by ron galella, ltdron galella collection via getty images

Cox added that her 2010 Golden Globes nomination for Cougar Town helped to soothe her disappointment. "The only thing that made me feel good, because they’ve all won and they’ve gotten so many accolades, I got nominated for Cougar Town the first year—a Golden Globe," she said. "And I want to say, 'Oh, who cares?' It meant everything to me."

"I wanted my peers to respect me and I know that the Golden Globes is not your peers, necessarily, but it’s like, 'Ah!' It took a little of the sting out," Cox explained.

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.