Courteney Cox Recalls ‘Pathetic’ ‘Dancing in the Dark’ Moves

Courteney Cox recalled her appearance in Bruce Springsteen’s music video for “Dancing in the Dark,” describing her dance moves as “pathetic.”

The actress was barely 20 years old when she filmed the video, many years before she found fame via the hit sitcom Friends.

The then-unknown Cox was selected for “Dancing in the Dark” by the clip’s director, Brian De Palma.

“I thought I was in the wrong place,” the actress recalled during a recent appearance on the Howard Stern Show, noting that most of the other women at the audition were professional dancers. “I was like, ‘I don’t know what they’re doing but I can’t even bend my leg. This is it.’ I went into on Brian De Palma’s office. He put on the music and said, ‘Well, you dance.’ And I thought, ‘Right now? Here? In front of you? Just the two of us?'”

Cox noted that her awkwardness likely worked in her favor. “I think that’s why I got it because I was like, ‘Okay!’ I think that’s what they wanted, a fan that just couldn’t believe it.”

Referring to Springsteen as “incredible,” Cox admitted she still listens to “Dancing in the Dark.” “I love that song. I get a little embarrassed because I do feel like when I watch the video, when I see it. I mean, God. Did you see my dance? It was pathetic,” the actress declared. “I’m not a bad dancer, but that was horrible. I was so nervous.”

Released May 9, 1984, “Dancing in the Dark” was the first single off of Born in the U.S.A. The track peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went on to sell more than a million copies. It also won Springsteen a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.