Lauren Miller is the girlfriend of Alex P. Keaton, later in the series of Family Ties. Lauren is a psychology major. Lauren Miller is portrayed by Courteney Cox.
Background[]
Lauren has always wanted to be a psychologist. Once when she was a kid, her mom screamed at her for making a mess in the kitchen, and she calmly replied, "So how does that make you feel, Mom?" In grade school, she had a picture of Freud in her locker.[2] Her father was overprotective. She is currently a psychology major at Leland University, becoming the first woman in her family to go to college. She's been working on her senior thesis since 1986, and since then she's had little time for her old hobbies, like cooking.[3] For almost a year she was involved with Eric Matthews, but they broke up because he wanted to take a job offer from an investment firm on Wall Street, and she got sick of interpreting his dreams, which were all about BMWs. Although it was an amicable breakup, Lauren has been wary about dating anyone since then.[4]
On the series[]
Lauren, now a senior, is doing a paper on overachievers and puts an ad in the Leland Gazette looking for people to interview. Alex sees the ad and signs up for the study. When he meets Lauren, they immediately get into an argument about how much Alex is going to be paid, and about Lauren's view of overachievers as shallow and unfeeling. But despite their differences, the romantic tension they share is undeniable. They share a few awkward kisses in the classroom, and a few weeks into the study they start going out.
A few months into their relationship, Lauren uses the Keaton family as a case study for a paper she's working on.[5]
Towards the end of her senior year, Lauren becomes so stressed out from working on her senior thesis that she temporarily quits and devotes herself to cooking, watching soap operas, and catering to Alex's every whim. Alex is delighted at first, but soon finds the new Lauren so annoying that he talks her into going back to work on her thesis.[6]
In the spring of 1989, Lauren goes to Detroit for a few weeks for a psychology conference. When she comes back, Alex tells her that he's fallen in love with Marty Brodie. Lauren and Alex decide to break up.
However, Lauren does visit Alex just before he moves to New York to give him a going-away muffin and wish him luck.