It has been nearly 40 years since the release of Bruce Springsteen’s iconic music video for “Dancing In The Dark.”

The video, directed by legendary filmmaker Brian De Palma, helped launch Springsteen’s career into the stratosphere, making him one of the most successful rock icons of the era.

“Dancing In The Dark” is famous for its iconic scene in which Springsteen invites a fan from the audience to dance on stage with him, launching the career of actress Courteney Cox.

In a recent interview, Cox admitted that she auditioned for the role because she was a huge Springsteen fan.

She reflected on the audition, saying: “I thought I was in the wrong place. I was like, ‘I don’t know what they’re doing but I can’t even bend my leg. This is it.’”

Cox explained that she went into De Palma’s office, where he put on the music and asked her to dance.

She said: “I thought, ‘Right now? Here? In front of you? Just the two of us?’”

Despite her nerves, Cox believes that her excitement at the opportunity to dance with Springsteen is what convinced De Palma to give her the part.

She said: “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.”

At the time of the filming, Springsteen was on the opening night of his “Born in the USA” tour in St. Paul, Minnesota. The director instructed Springsteen to pick a fan from the crowd to dance with during the shoot.

Springsteen believed that Cox was a fan and picked her to dance on stage, unaware that she was actually a plant. At the time, Cox was a complete unknown, so nobody knew she was an actress.

In her interview with Howard Stern, Cox spoke about how the experience helped kickstart her acting career.

She said: “Bruce Springsteen is such an amazing… God, he’s so incredible. I love that song.” However, she was also a little critical of her own dancing, saying: “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. I’m not a bad dancer, but that was horrible. I was so nervous.”

Since its release, “Dancing In The Dark” has become one of the most iconic music videos of the era. It helped cement Springsteen’s status as a rock icon, with hits like “Born To Run” and “Hungry Heart” filling arenas around the world.

The video also helped launch the career of Courteney Cox, who would go on to become one of the most recognised faces in film and television.

Cox’s career has spanned decades, with notable roles in hit TV shows like “Friends” and “Cougar Town,” as well as successful films like “Scream” and “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.” She has also been a mainstay on the Hollywood red carpet, known for her beauty and fashion sense.

Despite her success, Cox still has fond memories of her time dancing on stage with Springsteen. She said: “I was just so excited to be there and to be able to dance with Bruce Springsteen on stage. It was a dream come true for me.”

Looking back on the experience, Cox said she is still grateful for the opportunity and the boost it gave her career.

She said: “I never could have imagined that this one moment, this one audition, would change my life and launch my career. I will always be grateful to Bruce Springsteen and Brian De Palma for giving me that chance.”