From playing the girl-next-door on the sexy Melrose Place to becoming the girl-who-just-lost-the-guy on Ally McBeal, Courtney has become one of Fox's favorite regulars. Her natural, fresh-faced beauty and wholesome but sophisticated style also earned her a new gig as Almay spokesperson. Here, we caught up with the talented actress to bor-row some of her secrets for beauty, happi-ness, positive self-image and well-being.
Looking Back "Growing up, I wanted so desperately to be popular, and I wasn't. I had all these fantasies about the 'in' crowd. I thought, I'll get famous and then those people will want to be my friends, Part of the pain is that when you get famous, those people do want to be your friends because that is what they value, and you realize you don't like them."
Off Camera �Some people thrive when they're working. I thrive when I'm hanging out with my friends and doing yoga, Exercise is my time. As an actor people are always touching your face and futzing with your hair and telling you what to do. My workout time is when I get to take care of myself."
In the Spotlight "One of the strangest things about being an actor is that people you don't know feel that they are allowed to comment on your hair, body, clothes, rela-tionships."
No Pain, No Gain "As a woman, I just love to feel strong I love to be able to lift things and move things, and feel like my body works well. I mean, that's an incredible feeling."
On the Move Courtney acts as her own personal trainer and exercises daily-varying her workout with yoga, free weights, running, Pilates and cardio. "When my body gets used to an exercise, I stop seeing results," she explains. "I think that's where a lot of people quit, but it's not the time to quit, it's just the time to try something else."
Getting Started Courtney wasn't always so self-motivated when it came to fitness, admitting shedidn't start exercising until she was 19 - after putting on the "freshman 15." "You don't start off running seven miles. You start by walking a mile and then you add and add. Eventually, it gets to the point where it feels good because you're accomplishing so much."
Body Image "It's incredibly difficult to keep a healthy body image in this business.... I think about little girls and how they grow up believing in these crazy diets. You need to eat normally and healthfully, and you need to exercise. We look at women who are successful and smart, who have done incredible things, and we talk about their bodies. That infuriates me.
The Bottom Line "True love really matters, friends really matter, family really matters. Being responsible and disciplined and healthy really matters. There's too much emphasis on stuff that doesn't matter. One of the greatest blessings I've received is that I became successful so young. I learned that lesson early."
