Everyone knows Courteney Cox as an actress. You may have seen her in her most recent series, Cougar Town, or in one of the Scream movies or, of course, Friends, which will probably live on in syndication forever. She recently made her feature film directorial debut in the movie, Just Before I Go. In the film, a man [Seann William Scott] travels back to his hometown to make amends before he gives up on life. Just Before I Go costars Olivia Thirlby, Garret Dillahunt, Kate Walsh, Kyle Gallner, Rob Riggle, Evan Ross, Cleo King, Missi Pyle and Elisha Cuthbert. She recently sat down with a few of us to discuss the film.

How does it feel to wear the director’s hat for a feature film?

It feels good. I loved it. I can’t wait to do it again. I’m really excited, but I have to find something good. I just worked with the most amazing actors on a script that touched me and made me laugh. I got to be in charge of every little bit and nothing makes me happier.

Your daughter sang ‘Love Me Tender’ in the film. How exciting was that for you as a mom?

It’s great. I actually have a video of Coco [performing the song]. She was in the closet of our guest house. She had her ear phones on and said, ‘mom, we’re rolling!’ She kept getting mad at me as I was filming her. She’s got a beautiful, little haunting voice.

What was it about the material that excited you to bring it to life?

I just love human stories. My favorite movies of all time are the ones that have amazing characters that are just interesting to watch. I love Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter. [A film] doesn’t have to make me laugh or cry, but it should bring out huge emotions in me and this movie did that. This movie really made me cry and I was thinking what a challenge it would be to have the character at the end that meets Seann [William Scott] underwater. This [scene] could make [or break] the movie. People could cry over it or it could be the cheesiest thing that ever happened. It was a challenge for me. I just love stories about real people where things happen that you have to overcome.

Anytime you have a strong emotion and then it’s followed by something else – even watching the Scream movies, when someone would get killed or the bad guy was running around, and then you’d laugh – everything gets so heightened when you go from one extreme to the other. I noticed at [the screening of Just Before I Go] last night, the laughter came right after [Seann] was literally crying underwater and then was running around outside.

It seems like you gave actors a chance to do things that they’re not normally known for. Was that on your mind [in the casting process]?

With Garret [Dillahunt] for instance, I had done a movie with him and I had seen tons of his work. I had worked on a Lifetime movie with him called TalhotBlonde. It was a true story, a very serious, dramatic role. He is my muse. I will always work with Garret. I’ve been saying that since the first time we worked together. I knew he was going to be in the movie no matter what. Seann came in and he’s nothing like the other parts he’s played. He sat across from me and said, ‘this is why I became an actor – to play parts like this.’ I could see his sincerity and his honesty. I don’t know. I just saw it in his eyes and I just said, ‘alright, he needs to play this part.’ Kate is just great and she’s great in everything that she’s in. Everybody else read and I searched long and hard and found them.

One of the themes of the movie is about being there for someone. Being there for your family or friends or whomever, was this theme an important part of the process for you?

That’s who I am in life. I’m all about community and family. It was that way in making the movie. As I name the movies I love, they’re all about family. I love family dramas. I love Ordinary People. Kramer vs. Kramer was one of my favorite films – anything to do with real life and real people. My family alone is a lot of these characters in this movie. Family is very important and I relied on a lot of family in making this as well. Coco sings in it. Johnny [McDaid, music producer, member of Snow Patrol and Vega 4], my fiancée, and Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol wrote three original songs for the film. Kate’s [Walsh] in the movie. She’s now my sister.

It’s daunting enough to direct your first feature. You then went on to film underwater sequences.

Yea. Seann is a big fan of underwater sequences [laughs]. That [scene] was really hard. I had laryngitis and Seann’s not a big fan of staying underwater. I had to stretch a lot out of just a little. There was going to be much more underwater. I was going to have a [scene] of everyone mouthing the words. Some people were good and some people were not as good. Seann said to me, ‘I don’t think we’re going to be able to get this all in one day.’ I was like, ‘oh yea we are! We don’t have any money, so this is it. Get your ass in the tank and let’s shoot this shit.’ [laughs]

The scene with Seann and his father Clancy and the little boy on the boat, that was supposed to be underwater. I had to literally go, ‘I can’t get this. I can’t communicate and [Seann’s] not going to stay under long enough. He looks ridiculous with his hair like that. I was freaking out thinking, ‘what the hell am I going to do?’ I had to think on my feet but it worked out. It could have been a disaster. No one looks good underwater – nobody. Your hair literally goes like this [as she makes the big hair motion]. MacKenzie [Marsh] looked like The Joker and I’m like, ‘I can’t take this seriously.’ Seann’s in pain and it was just brutal, but it worked out.

Seann was smiling while he was in pain.

No, no, he’s charming. He got it and he tried, but it wasn’t easy.

Courteney, you’re no stranger to directing. You directed at least a dozen episodes of Cougar Town, a Lifetime movie, a short film. Is there a learning curve going from episodic television to directing a feature?

I know it seems strange, but you obviously have more freedom when you do a feature. It’s easier to tell the story. To do episodic television, and I’ve only done Cougar Town, but you want to do something that sets yourself apart from every other director. You have to follow the format, but you also want to make your own mark on it. With everything going so fast, you have to think, ‘how can I make this more interesting. How can I do it different than just master, coverage, coverage, coverage?’ I think [directing] Cougar Town made me think on my feet faster to make it more interesting for me. I don’t know if anyone else can notice it, but it’s the little things. That was great training for me [for directing a feature] because I have more freedom now. I don’t have to shoot in one shot. I don’t have to [shoot] tight there. I can use long lenses. I don’t have to film on a sound stage. It’s nice to direct and have freedom. I’m really specific about the way things look so that was fun.

And that probably relates to the use of color in this film.

Color is really important to me. I’ve actually just directed a music video [“Love Will Set You Free”] for a band called Kodaline. Johnny wrote a song with them about a month ago. I love the song and it literally gave me chills. I said to the guys, ‘I’m directing this video. I mean it. I’ll even do it for free.’ I kept saying, ‘don’t forget I’m directing the video.’ Then I got a ring from their manager and I got a full budget. I directed a freaking video.

Do you think directing will take up a larger percentage of your time going forward?

I want to do another series. I want to do a long running series. I don’t know when it’s going to happen or where it’s going to be or where I will find it, but I’d like to do a film before I do that if I can.

Just Before I Go releases on DVD May 12.