Courteney Cox was starring in the NBC sitcom "Friends" when she was cast in Scream, marking a new trend: casting established and popular actors and actresses in horror films. Craven opined that her presence, like Neve Campbell's, helped raise the profile of "Scream" and attract a large female audience. Brooke Shields and Janeane Garofalo were the original choices for the role of Gale. Cox was not even considered at first, as it was not believed that she could play Gale's selfish, abusive and aggressive character after playing the softer, nicer role of Monica Geller in "Friends". Cox, however, was eager to play a "bitch" character, specifically to contrast with her "Friends" character, and repeatedly lobbied the production team until she won the role.