Courteney Cox was born on June 15th, 1964 into an affluent Southern family. Her father Richard L Cox (1930-2001) was a business man married to her mother Courteney. She was the baby of the family with two older sisters (Virginia and Dottie) and an older brother Richard Jnr. She was raised in an exclusive society town, Mountain Brook, Alabama. Courteney was the archetypal Daddy's girl, and therefore was understandably devastated when, in 1974 her parents divorced, and her father moved to Florida.

She became a rebellious teen, and did not make things easy for her mother, and new step-father, New York businessman Hunter Copeland. Now, she is great friends with both. She attended Mountain Brook High School, where she was a cheerleader, tennis player and swimmer. In her final year, she received her first taste of modelling. She appeared in an advert for the store, Parisians. Upon graduation, she left Alabama to study architecture and interior design at Mount Vernon College. After one year she dropped out to a pursue a modelling career in New York, after being signed by the prestigious Ford Modelling Agency. She appeared on the covers of teen magazines such as Tiger Beat and Little Miss, plus numerous romance novels. She then moved on to commercials for Maybeline, Noxema, New York Telephone Company and Tampax.

While modelling she attended acting classes, as her real dream and ambition was to be an actress. In 1984 she landed herself a small part in one episode of "As The World Turns" (1956) as a young debutante named Bunny. Her first big break however, was being cast by Brian De Palma in the infamous Bruce Springsteen video 'Dancing in The Dark'. In 1985 she moved to LA to star alongside Dean Paul Martin in "Misfits of Science"(1985). It was a flop, but a few years later she was chosen out of thousands of hopefuls to play Michael J. Fox's girlfriend, psychology major Lauren Miller in "Family Ties" (1982).

In 1989 Family Ties ended, and Cox went through a lean spell in her career, featuring in unmemorable movies such as Mr. Destiny (1990) with Michael Caine. Fortunes changed dramatically for Cox, when in 1994, she starred alongside Jim Carrey in the unexpected hit Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), and a year later she was cast as Monica Geller on the hugely successful sitcom "Friends" (1994). It was this part that turned her into an international superstar and led to an American Comedy Award nomination. In 1996 Cox starred in Wes Craven's horror/comedy Scream (1996). This movie grossed over $100 million at the box office, and won Cox rave reviews for her standout performance as the wickedly bitchy and smug TV reporter Gale Weathers. She went on to play this character twice more, as Scream became The Scream Trilogy. Not only did her involvement in this movie lead to critical acclaim, but it also led to her meeting actor husband David Arquette. He played her on screen love interest Dewey, and life imitated art as the two fell in love for real. Their wedding took place in San Francisco, at the historic Grace Cathedral atop Nob Hill, on June 12th, 1999. Joined by 200 guests, including Cox's film star friends Liam Neeson and Kevin Spacey, the happy couple finally became Mr and Mrs Arquette.

Appeared in 'Counting Crows' "Long December" music video.

(1999) Underwent laser eye surgery to correct her vision from 20/400.

(1997) Dated singer Adam Duritz. Duritz wrote the song "Monkey" for Courteney (off the Counting Crows album "Recovering the Satellites").

(1989-1995) Had a six-year relationship with actor Michael Keaton

Originally auditioned for the role of Rachel on "Friends."

Named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People of 1995 and appeared on the cover.

Parents divorced when she was 10, both remarried.

Studied architecture at Mount Vernon College for a year.

(1997) Was voted Best Dressed Female Television Star

In 1984, Corteney Cox worked at F.B.I. (Frontier Booking International) a concert booking agency in New York run by Ian Copeland (brother of Stewart of the Police) and a relative of Cox's.

Was the first person to ever say "period" on American TV, in a Tampax commercial.

Was the girl Bruce Springsteen pulled from the crowd to dance with him in the 1984 music video "Dancing in the Dark".

When she announced in September, 1999 that her new legal and professional surname would become Courteney Cox Arquette, the cast and producers of her Friends TV show also added "Arquette" to their own names in the opening credits of the 1999 season's premiere episode.

Has two older sisters and one older brother: Dottie Pickett (née Cox), Virginia and Richard.

Has three dogs: Ella, Rags and Mr. McBarker (Mac for short). The latter is rather unfortunately a female.

Sister-in-law of Rosanna Arquette, Richmond Arquette, Patricia Arquette and Alexis Arquette, daughter-in-law of Lewis Arquette, granddaughter-in-law of Cliff Arquette.

Is a big fan of the Foo Fighters.

Attended Mountain Brook High School

In the mid eighties she hosted a TV show called "This Week's Music"

She can play the piano and drums.

Was voted "9th sexiest woman in the world" by readers of FHM in 1997 and 1998.

Was named the "Hottest Babe" by Playboy magazine (1995)

Voted the 18th "Sexiest Woman in the World" by Stuff magazine (2002)

Drives a Jaguar and a silver Porsche Carrera.

Has her own lipstick called "Cece" by Cargo.

She was a cheerleader in high school.

She represented her school in tennis and swimming.

She likes to buy houses, renovate them, and then sell them off for profit.

Only female "Friend" not to be nominated for an Emmy, though she has had the most successful movie career out of the whole cast with the success of the "Scream" Trilogy.

"I like keeping Gale bitchy. She has a reputation to live up to. She may have changed her hair but not much else." about her character Gale Weathers in the Scream series

"I get so bored! I had a treadmill... I gave it to my mom. I had a stairmaster... gone. I had a recumbent bike...I dont know where that is. So I hate exercise except for Pilates."

"I'm a gemini, and I get so bored so easily. I mean, I have moved six times in the last eight years."

"A lot of my humor does come from anger. It's like, you're not gonna pull one over on me-which is pretty much my motto anyways."

"I'm not a huge fan of romantic comedimes- my taste goes much more to the offbeat and dark. I'd love to sink my teeth into something like 'Fargo'"

"I only have to do three things to look halfway decent, curl my eyelashes, fill in my eyebrows and put some lipstick on."

"I have to be physically attracted to someone. But I can't just be with someone just because it's great sex. Because orgasms don't last long enough."

"Honesty is the key to a relationship. If you can fake that, you're in."