Spotlight On: Busy Philipps

Currently co-starring in the ABC series Cougar Town, Busy Philipps is well-known for her sparking comedic presence onscreen. Early in her career, she landed the role of Kim Kelly in the cult-classic Freaks and Geeks and then effortlessly moved between the comedy and drama genres working on such shows as Dawson’s Creek, Love, Inc., ER, and even Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. She also managed to find time to play guest starring roles and squeeze in the occasional film role (most recently, He’s Just Not That Into You and Made of Honor). Busy has been a force of nature, racking up no less than 30 film and television roles in 10 years.

And as if all of that were not laudable enough, she is also credited with co-creating the story for the film Blades of Glory (which starred Will Farrell)!

Busy Philipps tries to get Courteney Cox to loosen up on Cougar Town / ABC

Clearly, Busy is a highly-sought after comedic and dramatic actor and it is no surprise that Kevin Biegel cast her in his debut television series Cougar Town. While only 30 years old, Busy would not normally be considered old enough to fit the stereotype that Cougar Town is looking to portray and capitalize on – but Kevin was smart enough to realize that every “cougar” needs a younger cohort to push her to try new things and Busy is the perfect fit with her buoyant enthusiasm and sassy persona.

Cougar Town would be a much more two-dimensional show but for the infectious energy and youthful camaraderie of Busy’s character Laurie. It makes the series relatable and playful, like the audience is included in the joke, and not just watching a caricature of older women preying on younger men.

It is to Busy’s credit that the standout line of the premiere episode of Cougar Town was her delivery of the line: “You left something at the bar!” It was her pitch-perfect delivery of this climatic line that invoked laughter fits so hard that audience members at the screening I attended could barely breathe because they were laughing so hard. (For those who did not see the premiere episode, that line only makes sense if you saw it. Watch it!)

With over 11 millions viewers tuning in for the premiere episode, Cougar Town looks to be a keeper and it will be a delicious treat to watch Busy and her character Laurie continue to shine, eclipsing her bigger name co-stars as the series unfolds.