As Downton Abbey continues to march towards its cinematic return, what we know so far about A New Era leaves the saga open for amazing possibilities. However, it’s not too early to think about the future, and Friends/Scream star Courteney Cox is doing just that. While she wants to play a “posh” character in the world of Julian Fellowes’ hit drama, there’s another door to poshness that Ms. Cox may have just opened for future self.
Why Courteney Cox Wants To Be Part Of Downton Abbey
With the air of sophistication present for her appearance on The John Bishop Show (via The Daily Mail, for those of you region locked), Cox had a very specific ask for her potential future gig. Friends fans might agree with her sentiment, as if she were to be drafted into the world of Downton, Courteney Cox is looking to avoid the following cliches:
I want to be in Downton. I think I'd like to be a posh one - they've got better frocks. I wouldn't want to play another competitive neat freak.
Strangely enough, half of her classic schtick mentioned above was present during a comedy sketch that gave Ms. Cox a chance to bring Monica Geller to Downton. Acting against fellow guest Hugh Bonneville, the scene saw Monica excited to be considered as a potential housekeeper for the Crawley family. Though thanks to Bonneville reprising his role of Robert Crawley, the 7th Lord of Grantham, there was a line of dialogue that could help Courteney Cox become one of the posh ones much faster.
Courteney Cox Could Be The Key To A Downton Abbey/Gilded Age Crossover
In what may seem like a throwaway line that may confuse anyone outside of the Downton Abbey fandom, Lord Grantham asks if Monica Geller is related to his wife Cora, played by Elizabeth McGovern. He does so in a roundabout way, asking the Friends character if she knows his wife from her days in Cincinnati. Obviously rebuffed, Courteney Cox points out that unless Mrs. Crawley (nee Levinson) happened to exist in 1990s New York, that’s about as likely as the Dowager Countess having an HBO Max subscription.
But like a flash, the pieces start to snap together for that potential Downton/Gilded Age crossover, thanks to New York City and some consideration of The Gilded Age timeline. As Cora Levinson was born in 1868, and the lush looking HBO Max show starts in 1882, the young Cincinnati heiress will obviously be too young to marry just yet. But as she doesn’t leave for London for another six years, this seems like a good opening for Courteney Cox to perhaps play a younger version of Cora’s mother, Martha Levinson; previously played by Shirley MacLaine.
Should Julian Fellowes or any other member of The Gilded Age team not want to hew too close to Downton Abbey’s timeline of events, that’s ok. It just means that Courteney Cox could still play a brand new character, created more specifically for the brewing conflict that’s starting between Christine Baranski and Carrie Coon’s warring families. There’s no wrong answers here, only possibilities!
Back in the modern day, Ms. Cox can be seen in Scream, which is currently one of the 2022 movie releases currently wowing audiences. Meanwhile, you can watch The Gilded Age on HBO or HBO Max, Monday nights at 9 PM ET. And as a kind reminder on your way out, Downton Abbey: A New Era can now be seen debuting, exclusively in theaters, starting May 20th in the US market.
