COURTENEY COX

COURTENEY COX 

Before hitting it big as Monica on Friends, Courteney Cox was better known as Michael J. Fox's girlfriend on the '80s sitcomFamily Ties and the babe in the Springsteen video for "Dancing in the Dark."1994 can be considered Cox's huge year, as she starred as Jim Carrey's love interest in the mega-hit Ace Ventura: Pet Detectiveand made her debut as neurotic chef Monica Gellar on NBC'sFriends.

Courteney Bass Cox was born in Birmingham, Alabama on June 15, 1964. The youngest of four children, Courteney was closest with her father, Richard, who was a contractor (he passed away in 2001). Her parents were divorced in 1974 -- her mother Courteney remarried Hunter Copeland, a businessman, in 1976, while her dad remarried in 1975. Courteney remained in Alabama with her mother and stepfather.

Courteney attended Mountain Brook High School and kept busy with .

Like most of her Friends co-stars, Courteney has tried to parlay her TV success into a big-screen career. Though she hasn't actually headlined any movie project on her own, she was an integral part of the Scream trilogy, and appeared in 2001's 3000 Miles to Graceland and 2005's The Longest Yard.

She will be busy in 2005 and 2006, with roles in Alpha Dog and 2006's Barnyard (she lends her voice to "Daisy") and Zoom.

Courteney took some time off after giving birth in June 2004 to Coco Riley, her daughter with actor David Arquette. Courteney teamed up with David to produce the interior design show Mix It Up, which airs on WE: Women's Entertainment.

activities like tennis, swimming and cheerleading.