Cougar Town

Premise

Cast and characters

Main cast

• Courteney Cox as Jules Cobb – a recently divorced, single mother exploring the truths about dating and aging. Jules spent most of her 20s and 30s married to Bobby and raising a son, Travis. Because she has been out of the dating world for a while, Jules discovers it is difficult to find love again. At first, she tried to make up for lost time by dating younger men, thus becoming a "cougar", but the show quickly took a different turn as the character began to pursue men her own age. From the end of season 1, she began dating her divorced neighbor Grayson, whom she married in Season 3. She resides in Gulfhaven, Florida and is a successful real estate agent. A close-up of her driver's license in a season 2 episode reveals her full first name to be Julia and her birth date to be November 15, 1968. Her self-centered, demanding behavior is usually overlooked by her friends and family, who balance it with her generosity and basic decency. Gregarious and optimistic, she's also an unapologetic anti-intellectual who loves wine and always drinks it out of an oversized, named glass that she quickly replaces once broken. She is often visited by her father, Chick, who is a widower since his wife, Jules' mother, died several years prior to the series. An only child, she often struggles with insecurity and abandonment issues.
• Christa Miller as Ellie Torres – Jules' feisty next door neighbor and best friend. A former corporate attorney turned stay-at-home mother, Ellie is easily the most intellectual among the group. She is married to Andy Torres, and the two have a son named Stan. She is Jules' sarcastic, unapologetic confidante who takes pleasure in teasing Laurie, and to a lesser extent, Bobby, Grayson and Travis. Ellie's hard-polished guardedness belies a fierce loyalty. Ellie is a somewhat reluctant mother, demanding a nanny despite being a stay-at-home mom. She is usually quite dominant over Andy, who adores her. In Season 6, she goes back to her corporate attorney job, after becoming bored and learning that Andy really wants to be a stay-at-home dad.
• Busy Philipps as Laurie Keller – Jules' young attractive employee who is known for her fun-loving personality. Laurie works with Jules in the same real estate office, as her assistant. Prior to Jules' relationship with Grayson, Laurie encouraged Jules to get out and have some fun and tried to reacquaint her to the world of dating. Laurie has survived a rough childhood in foster care, and is initially a trashy party animal, but matures throughout the show as she learns how to become a functional grown-up. Ellie is initially openly hostile towards Laurie, but their relationship develops into a grudging respect and eventually a close, open friendship. She initially had many short-lived boyfriends and one-night stands, before enjoy a long-term relationship with a young lawyer Smith Frank in seasons 1 and 2, and later a long-distance relationship with Wade, a soldier in Afghanistan in seasons 3 and 4. She leaves Jules' employ and starts a successful cake shop in season 4. During season 4, she develops a crush on Travis, and they get together at the end of the season and date for the rest of the series. She and Travis have a son at the beginning of season 6.
• Dan Byrd as Travis Cobb – Jules' and Bobby's son, who is a senior in high school at the start of the series, then later attends a local college. He loves both of his parents although he is frequently embarrassed by both of them. In high school, he dealt with humiliation from his friends and classmates but has made friends at college. He is generally supportive of his mother, but finds her parenting style a bit too smothering. After dealing with his mom's real estate ads around town and his dad's new job as his former high school's grass cutter, his father helps him realize not to worry about what other people think. Spending a lot of time with his parents and their friends, he often flirts with Laurie and is shown to have a crush on her. At the end of season 4 he gets together with Laurie. During season 5 their relationship is shown to be in constant competition with Jules and Grayson's, and he and Laurie have a son named Bobby at the beginning of Season 6. He has a passion for photography and attends art college. Finding few career prospects after graduating college, he starts a mobile wine delivery business.
• Josh Hopkins as Grayson Ellis – Owner of Gray's Pub, he lives across the street from Jules. Like Jules, he is newly divorced at the start of the series, but unlike Jules, he embraced his newly single lifestyle. Early on, Grayson enjoyed dating younger women and rubbing it in Jules' face. Eventually, he revealed that he wanted to have kids but his ex-wife didn't, a fact that becomes more painful when he learns that she and the man she left Grayson for are now expecting a child. He and Jules begin dating at the end of season 1, and in season 3, Grayson formally proposed marriage to Jules which she accepted. His desire to have children is a source of conflict with Jules until he discovers in season 3 that he has fathered a daughter, Tampa, during one of his post-divorce flings; he maintains an active role in Tampa's life, although this is seldom acknowledged in the show. He is a former model and aspiring but mediocre actor who plays guitar, and he often makes up songs about the group and reminisces about his acting days. He is nicknamed "Dime-Eyes" by Ellie, who believes his eyes are too small for his face.
• Ian Gomez as Andy Torres – Ellie's husband who is also Jules' next door neighbor. Andy, an investment advisor, is a devoted husband to Ellie and also a loving father to their son, Stan. He and Jules' ex-husband Bobby are best friends, and Andy is shown to have a hero worship for Bobby. From season 4 until season 6 he is the mayor of Gulfhaven, although this is rarely mentioned and he often forgets that he has the position. Upon losing his job in Season 6, Andy expresses a strong desire to be a stay-at-home dad, which results in Ellie going back to work.
• Brian Van Holt as Bobby Cobb – Jules' ex-husband who lives on his boat in a parking lot, which makes him legally homeless. Bobby married Jules after she became pregnant with their son, Travis. He was a professional golfer, and had numerous extramarital affairs during his career, which led to Jules divorcing him prior to the events of the pilot episode, although they still share a close friendship, even hooking up once. Bobby gives golf lessons and mows the lawn at Travis' former high school, and drives a well-worn golf cart. He frequently refers to Jules as "J-Bird". He also has invented a game, Penny Can, which is featured in several episodes. He has short-term relationships with Travis' photography teacher Angie in season 3 and surfing buddy Lisa Riggs in season 4. Van Holt exited the series at the beginning of the sixth season, as his character took a club pro job at a golf course in Georgia.
• Bob Clendenin as Tom Gazelian – Jules' widowed neighbor who expresses his attraction for her in weird ways, makes wine in his garage, and is always doing things for Jules and the gang without getting anything back in an attempt to become part of their group. He is frequently found to be peering into Jules' kitchen window, unnoticed by Jules and/or the gang until he says something. By season 4 he is considered one of the gang, appearing in most episodes and accompanying the group wherever they go, although still generally standing outside Jules' window instead of in the kitchen with the others. His behaviour is often weird and creepy, and details of his otherwise normal and successful life are slowly revealed as the series progresses.

  Recurring cast

• Carolyn Hennesy as Barb Coman – a man-hungry older cougar who is a competitor of Jules in real estate. She usually appears briefly to deliver a lascivious one-liner. As Jules observes in one episode, "do you just follow me around, waiting to say things?" In Season 3 it is revealed that Barb is now married to Roger Frank, a reference to the show no longer being about 'cougars'.
• Ken Jenkins as Chick – Jules' father who is a keen lover of horses and whose favourite holiday is Halloween. Chick officiates Grayson and Jules' wedding in the season three finale after becoming ordained as a minister online. In season four he is diagnosed with Alzheimers' disease, after complaining about his memory worsening for some time, and he moves in with Jules in season 5 to allow her to watch over him.
• Nick Zano as Josh – a younger man who had dated Jules, but who she felt wanted a more serious relationship than she did. Later Jules decided to break up with him due to his desire for a serious relationship. The actor Nick Zano left the show due to his offer on Melrose Place, which was later cancelled.
• Spencer Locke as Kylie – Travis' girlfriend at the start of the series. Travis loses his virginity to Kylie, but the two later break up after they both cheat on each other with Travis kissing Heather Spangler and Kylie kissing Joey Spangler. The couple later reconciles and continues to date into Season 2, even though Kylie reveals that she no longer wants to be exclusive with Travis. They break up for good when Travis meets his first college girlfriend.
• Ryan Devlin as Smith Frank – a young lawyer and Laurie's one-time boyfriend. In Season 2, Smith breaks up with Laurie after she admits to Jules that she is in love with him and he realizes he doesn't feel the same way. Still, he represented the longest and most serious relationship that Laurie had had up to that stage in her life.
• Barry Bostwick as Roger Frank – a wealthy businessman and Smith's father. He strongly disapproves of Laurie, receives golfing lessons from Bobby, and eventually buys "Penny Can" from both of them. In Season 3, he marries Barb Coman. Roger was the mayor of Gulfhaven until Andy's election.
• LaMarcus Tinker as Kevin – Travis' college roommate and friend. Travis annoys Kevin when they first meet, as he's trying to find his way in college. However, Travis earns Kevin's respect and they become good friends.
• Collette Wolfe as Kirsten – Travis' new, slightly older girlfriend, whom he met in his first semester of college. When she revealed she was moving away, Travis impulsively proposed to her, but she immediately rejected him and was not seen again on the series.
• Sheryl Crow as Sara Kramer – a likeable and sexy wine vendor whose semi-serious relationship with Grayson was his first with a woman his age after his post-divorce period of targeting younger, naive girls for affection. Sara breaks up with Grayson after it becomes clear that he also has feelings for Jules.
• David Clayton Rogers as Matt – Matt appears in the pilot episode who Jules meets at a bar and spills wine over. Matt is Jules's lover and is the first person she sleeps with after her divorce and therefore becoming a 'cougar'. The character of Matt appears in season two as a friend of Grayson's unknowingly to Jules, when Grayson learns that they have slept together.
• Gloria Garayua as Rosa – Stan's babysitter employed by Ellie and Andy to care for their son. Rosa was a recurring character often mentioned and seen during season two.
• Sarah Chalke as Angie LeClaire – Travis' photography teacher at his University in Florida. She becomes a love interest for Bobby after Travis shows her photos of him for one of his assignments. Jules sets up a planned date for Bobby and Angie involving Grayson, Laurie, Travis, Tom and Andy. She leaves after her impulsive unplanned lifestyle does not mesh with Bobby's.
• Nicole Sullivan as Lynn Mettler – Jules's new therapist whom she goes to for advice about her engagement to Grayson. Jules also uses therapy with Lynn as a punishment which she uses on Grayson, Ellie and Bobby.
• Edwin Hodge as Wade – Laurie's boyfriend in a long-distance relationship. He is a soldier stationed in Afghanistan. When he comes home, however, their relationship is short-lived.
• Briga Heelan as Holly – One of Grayson's former lovers from when he first became single, whom he found out has a daughter that is his.
• Shawn Parikh as Sig – Travis' new house mate, who doesn't like the fact that Travis' family shows up at any given moment.
• Sawyer Ever and Griffin Kunitz as Stan Torres – Known as the devil baby, his whereabouts never seems to be known to his parents. He likes to sneak out of the house with a hammer and smash the neighbors landscaping lights.
• Maria Thayer as Lisa Riggs – Bobby's surfing buddy whom he initially treats as "one of the guys" but later develops an attraction for, and the two begin a relationship. After a few appearances, her first name was revealed to be Lisa. She does not return in season 5 and no explanation is given for her absence.
• Brad Morris as Jerry - One of Bobby's friends that he kept avoiding because he owed him money, although the two settled the debt when Bobby let him use his boat's parking lot for his wedding. Jules and Grayson have grown to dislike Jerry and his wife, Bonnie.
• Emily Wilson as Bonnie - Bobby's AA sponsor when he was pretending to be Ron Mexico. Shortly afterwards, Bonnie and Jerry hired Jules to find them a house, and later had Jules and Grayson as maid of honor and best man at their wedding. She has a crush on Grayson and flirts inappropriately with him.

Synopsis

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