The Stunning Transformation Of Coco Arquette
It seems like just yesterday that we were celebrating Courteney Cox's pregnancy announcement, but her daughter Coco Arquette is all grown up now. Coco is the daughter of Cox, best known for her iconic role as the neurotic but lovable Monica Gellar on the hit '90s sitcom "Friends," and actor David Arquette, star of the "Scream" franchise. Cox and Arquette actually met while filming "Scream," and got married in 1999 after years of on-and-off dating. But just like Cox's character on "Friends," Cox struggled with fertility issues before her daughter was born in 2004.
While Coco has kept relatively out of the public eye, we've managed to watch her transform over the years from an adorable toddler to a rising star. She had a brief cameo on her mother's show "Cougar Town" in 2001, and Cox often posts pictures and videos of her daughter to her social media accounts. On Cox's Facebook Watch series "9 Months With Courteney Cox," Coco asked her mother to describe her in one sentence, to which she responded: "Absolutely adorable, curious, incredible sense of humor and quirky" (via The Sun). But now that she's an adult and interested in pursuing a career in singing and acting, we expect we'll be seeing more of Coco in the coming years. We've tracked Coco's stunning transformation, from a one-week premature baby to a beautiful college student.
Coco Arquette was born against all odds
Coco Riley Arquette was born June 13, 2004 in Los Angeles. She was a miracle baby, as her mother Courteney Cox was diagnosed with a rare MTHFR gene mutation that caused her to suffer several miscarriages. "I get pregnant pretty easily, but I have a hard time keeping them," Cox said (via The Sun). Cox also opened up about how difficult it was filming pregnancy scenes on "Friends." "That was hard," she told NBC back in 2004 (via The Mirror). "Sometimes, like I remember one time I just had a miscarriage and Rachel was giving birth. It was like that same time. Oh my God, it was terrible having to be funny."
Cox underwent two rounds of IVF before giving birth to Coco and was open about her fertility issues in the hopes of reducing the stigma attached to it. "I didn't want to give up," she said. "I just think it's important to get things out there so people can realize they're not alone."
Cox originally wanted to name her daughter Courteney, after herself and her mother. However, her ex-husband David Arquette is Jewish, and the religion frowns upon naming children after living relatives. Courteney found her way around it, opting for a name made up of the first two letters of her first and last name. "It's sort of an abbreviation of 'COurteney COx' ... 'CoCo,'" said Arquette on "Lopez Tonight" in 2010 (via People).
Jennifer Aniston is her godmother
Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston played on-screen best friends Monica and Rachel on the '90s TV show "Friends," and they're just as close in real life. So it's no surprise that Cox asked Aniston to be the godmother of her daughter, Coco Arquette. Although Aniston doesn't have children of her own, she once told E! News she's "a great babysitter" who lets the daughters of her friends rummage through her closet.
Aniston and Arquette appear to have a very close relationship. For Coco's 17th birthday, Aniston shared a throwback picture of herself holding Arquette as a baby against a sunset backdrop. "Happy birthday my sweet Cocolicious!" Jen wrote on her Instagram story (via Huffington Post). "Godmama loves you" She posted another picture of her and Cox together while Arquette sucks on her finger and sleeps on Aniston's chest.
When Cox received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an emotional and teary-eyed Aniston sat next to Arquette, both of them cheering her on. Another picture showed Coco leaning on Aniston with her arm looped through hers, showing their special bond. Cox commented on their relationship, saying "Coco calls [Aniston] Nouna, which is Greek for godmother; they see each other and play together every weekend," she told the Daily Mail. "The other day, Jen came over with her yoga teacher and Coco stuck it out for an hour doing yoga with them!"
Coco Arquette started performing at a young age
Coco Arquette seemed destined to follow in the footsteps of her famous parents. On an episode of "Live With Kelly and Ryan," Courteney Cox noted that her daughter Arquette began musical theater in kindergarten and has starred in around 33 plays since. According to Cox, her daughter has always loved the limelight. "Coco's very comfortable on the set, very comfortable around all the people. She's an actor, for sure; she's a little performer," she said (via People).
Cox recalled a time they had people over to watch the Oscars, and a young Arquette decided to perform for everyone. "Coco was hearing all the clapping, so she comes in the room and says, 'Mom, I'm going to come out and everyone clap for me,'" Cox said. They applauded her performance, which only left Coco wanting more. "So she goes back and puts on her Sleeping Beauty wig — not the whole costume, just the long blond wig — and a bathing suit and comes back out again for us to clap. The next time it was Jasmine."
Proud father David Arquette gushed to People about seeing his daughter grow as a performer over the years. "She's an incredible singer and she loves acting," he said. "It's getting more serious now, and you know, the performances even are becoming more, you know, polished. ... So it's exciting to see."
She's been singing since kindergarten
Coco Arquette may be the daughter of two actors, but she has a talent her parents don't: singing. In an interview with People, Courteney Cox praised her daughter's vocal abilities. "My daughter is an incredible singer," said Cox of the then-13-year-old Arquette. She added that she wants Coco to learn how to play an instrument to complement her voice. "She is really good. I want her to have a hobby, to make her play the piano. ... And she's got this instrument in her voice that I want to be backed up with either guitar, piano, I don't care, but she has to have an activity. That I'm strict about," she said.
Evidence of Arquette's vocal prowess can be found on her mother's Instagram page. The "Friends" star often posts adorable videos of their mother-daughter duets, with Coco covering hit songs and Cox accompanying her on the piano. "I love my Coconut's voice," Cox captioned one video on Instagram of Arquette singing "Chasing Pavements" by Adele. From Taylor Swift's "Cardigan" to "Burn" from "Hamilton," Arquette displays her vocal range and proves there's no song she can't nail.
Coco Arquette starred in a music video at age 12
Coco Arquette made her screen debut at just 12 years old, starring in a music video directed by her mom, Courteney Cox. There's more — Arquette actually served as the inspiration for the song, called "Coco," written by Irish singer-songwriter Foy Vance.
The video showcases Arquette engaging in a variety of childhood activities; breezing through the streets on a hoverboard, eating an ice cream cone, riding a bicycle, and dancing on the beach. According to Cox, the song perfectly encapsulates her daughter's spirit and the fleeting nature of childhood. "From the first time Foy played 'Coco' for me — and every time I've heard it since — I've felt he captured, not only Coco's unique personality but also the beautiful childhood innocence that sadly, but inevitably, fades with time," Cox told People. She also explained the video's meaning, saying, "It is like a snapshot of the world as seen through a child's eyes ... sung by a man who is moved by how the world seems from her perspective."
According to Vance, the song started as "an off-the-cuff verse to make Arquette laugh." When it became a full-fledged song needing a music video, it was a no-brainer who would direct. He gushed about working with the mother-daughter duo, praising the power of them working together. "They both have such beautifully inquisitive spirits and kind hearts," he told People. "Mix that with a killer sense of humor and you've got the Courteney/Coco double act."
She sang on stage with Snow Patrol at 14 years old
Not many 14-year-olds can say they've had the opportunity to sing on stage with Snow Patrol. Unless you're Coco Arquette, that is. Courteney Cox took to Instagram to share a video of her teen daughter onstage with lead singer Gary Lightbody as they performed the band's hit song "Chasing Cars." (You know, the one you sobbed to during that heartbreaking episode of "Grey's Anatomy.") "I have overwhelming gratitude towards @garysnowpatrol for sharing his time to perform at @chords2cure," wrote the proud mom. "I just love watching Coco and Gary sing together." The performance was also for a good cause — they sang for a charity event organized by the nonprofit Chords2Cure to raise money for pediatric cancer.
It's no surprise that Arquette performed with Snow Patrol — her mom was dating Snow Patrol member Johnny McDaid at the time. (The pair are now married). What does seem to have surprised fans was Arquette's vocal abilities. "Wow. I didn't know your daughter was a singer," commented one fan on Cox's Instagram post, amid tons of other comments praising the teen's voice.
Coco Arquette got a matching tattoo with her mother and Laura Dern
Maybe the coolest thing about Coco Arquette is that she has a matching tattoo with not just her mother Courteney Cox, but the iconic Laura Dern and her two children, Jaya and Ellery Harper. Cox and Dern are longtime family friends, and Arquette has known both Harpers since they were toddlers. 2023 marked the 16th Christmas Eve that the two families have celebrated together, so they decided to cement their bond with something a bit more permanent. Cox posted pictures on Instagram of the group proudly showing off their new ink. "Adding a new layer to our 16-year Christmas Eve tradition. Watch out ... we might have sleeves by 2025," read the caption. The tattoo features a flying paper plane alongside the words "go long." Actress Reese Witherspoon was clearly a fan, commenting, "Love it!" on the post.
She loves her mother's style
Raiding your mother's closets for unique vintage finds is a rite of passage for teenage girls. But imagine your mother was Courteney Cox, a '90s fashion icon who rocked all the trends we see resurfacing today the first time around. Unfortunately for Coco Arquette, her mom is not one to hoard things from the past (unlike her character Monica Gellar, who had a closet full of things she couldn't let go.) "Coco, my daughter, is so mad at me for not saving all my clothes from the '90s," Cox told Refinery29. "But when I look [back], I don't go, 'Oh, I wish I could wear those clothes again.' Of course I didn't save them. But it's funny because all Arquette wants is everything I wore back then."
It seems Arquette managed to find at least one piece of '90s clothing from her mother's closet: a sheer navy dress with floral overlays that Cox wore on the red carpet in 1998. In 2019, Cox took to Instagram to post side-by-side pictures of herself wearing the dress on the red carpet and Arquette rocking the same dress 21 years later. "I'm not one to hold onto things but this was a damn good purchase! 21 years later." Cox captioned the post.
Coco Arquette is best friends with Iris Apatow
Over the years, Coco Arquette has developed a strong friendship with Iris Apatow, daughter of Hollywood power couple Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann. They're both children of extremely famous parents, so they can probably relate to each other a lot. Arquette gave us a glimpse into their friendship when she posted a series of photos on Instagram for Apatow's birthday. We see the girls getting glam for nights out on the town, belting out Taylor Swift on a karaoke machine, and getting cozy on the couch with a cat and lots of blankets. "Iris!!!! I can't express how beautiful of a human you are. Your kind heart is mesmerizing and I love you so much. Happy birthday," Arquette captioned the post.
From their social media activity, it's clear the girls are supportive of one another. When Cox posted an Instagram video of Arquette covering Fleetwood Mac's "Silver Springs," Apatow was quick to compliment her best friend. "Coco sounds so good," she commented. Another Instagram post shows Arquette jumping to her bestie's defense when Apatow's mother jokingly critiqued her makeup. "'Under eye concealer too light, [kisses], mom," commented Mann, while Apatow responded with, "A text would have been nice." Like any good friend, Arquette had her back and complimented her instead. "'U look WELL RESTED," she wrote.
She performs TikTok dances with her mom
Courteney Cox isn't a regular mom, she's a cool mom — thanks to her daughter, Coco Arquette. In 2020, Cox posted an Instagram video of her and Arquette performing a TikTok dance to the song "Whip Out the Stick" by PYT Ny. "Wanna see your child lose their patience? Do a TikTok with them #familyaerobics," Cox wrote.
It seems Arquette is helping her mom embrace the popular social media platform and giving her tips along the way. "Coco gets really embarrassed by a lot of the things I put on Instagram," Cox told InStyle in 2022. "Sometimes, I'll find something on TikTok and put it on Instagram and she'll say, 'Mom, that is so over.' Once, I did this dance, and she was mortified [laughs]. And actually, when I look back, I'm kind of mortified."
Arquette is seen all over her mother's social media accounts, much to her dismay. "She is tortured by me saying, 'Can we do something for Instagram?'" Cox told Extra. "I have to negotiate. I use her for Instagram and she knows it and she really rebels, since she's going to be in the business, I know ... She's going to have to get used to eyes on her."
Coco Arquette started college in 2023
Coco Arquette is all grown up now! In 2023, she started her freshman year of college, which makes many of us who remember her birthday feel very, very old. While Arquette seems like she's adjusting to college life, her mother Courteney Cox isn't handling the empty nest too well. "I miss that girl every minute," she told Marie Claire, admitting she's battling to cope with her daughter's new independence. "I found myself expecting [to run] into each other's arms. I expected her to need [me] more than she does. It's an adjustment." She added that the duo FaceTime often, and Arquette visits home as often as she can.
Cox was able to keep her daughter around for a little longer than most parents because Arquette didn't start college right away. She took a gap year, or as her mom jokingly calls it, a "nap year". "It's good. She's been home, so I haven't had that empty nest thing yet. But I know I'm gonna really ... I love having her around," she said on "Live with Kelly and Ryan" (via People).
Which college Arquette was accepted into remains unclear, but her parents have given us some clues. Judging by David Arquette's Instagram post in 2021, it's a "wonderful college" that made him proud. Ivy League, perhaps? Meanwhile, Cox hinted at its location. "She's going to go as far away from LA as she can get," she said on "The Ellen Degeneres Show" in 2022.