Courteney Cox Biography

Courteney Cox, actress

Birthdate: June 15, 1964

Birthplace: Birmingham, Alabama

Sign: Gemini

Although Courteney Cox had appeared on television and a few movies prior to landing the role of Monica Geller on "Friends," it was her role as the uptight chef Monica that made her a household name. The show aired for 10 years, from 1994 to 2004.

During her run on "Friends," Cox starred in all three "Scream" movies. On the set of the first movie she met David Arquette, and the two were married on June 12, 1999. Both Arquette and Cox had the inscription "A deal's a deal" inscribed on their wedding rings.

Cox announced in September of 1999 that her new legal and professional surname would be Courteney Cox-Arquette. The cast and producers of "Friends" all added "Arquette" to their own names in the opening credits of the 1999 season's premiere episode.

Cox and Arquette have a daughter, Coco Riley Arquette who was born June 13, 2004. Cox originally wanted to name the baby after herself as Courteney Cox Arquette. Her husband's family objected on the grounds that naming a child after a living relative goes against Jewish tradition, and David Arquette's mother is Jewish.

So they named the baby Coco, which was Cox's nickname when she was a child. "Friends" co-star Jennifer Aniston is Coco's godmother.

Cox was born on June 15, 1964 in Birmingham, Alabama as Courteney Bass Cox to her mother, Courteney, and her father Richard Lewis Cox. She has two older sisters and an older brother.

Her parents divorced in 1974, and Cox grew up with her mother and stepfather, New York businessman Hunter Copeland. She grew up in a wealthy suburb of Birmingham and was a cheerleader, tennis player and swimmer.

After high school, she went to Mount Vernon College for Women to study architecture and interior design. She dropped out after a year to pursue modeling, after signing with the Ford Modeling Agency in New York.

Cox first jump into the spotlight came when she appeared for 26 seconds as the girl-pulled-onto-the-stage in Bruce Springsteen's 1984 music video "Dancing in the Dark." She then went on to star in several movies such as the 1987 "Master of the Universe" and the 1988 "Cocoon: The Return.

She then landed the role of Michael J. Fox's girlfriend on "Family Ties," a role she played from 1987 to 1989.

In 1994, she appeared in the Jim Carrey comedy "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective." Shortly after that she and the other five stars of the sitcom "Friends" became television icons.

In 1995, Cox was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People and appeared on the cover. She was also named "Hottest Babe" that year by Playboy.

In 1995, she ended a six-year relationship with actor Michael Keaton and that same year hosted the MTV Movie Awards.

Cox is the only cast member of "Friends" not to receive an Emmy nomination.

Cox has spent the past few years focusing on her daughter, but in 2008 she took the role of Lucy Spiller, the editor of a tabloid, on the FX Networks drama "Dirt." She and her husband are the executive producers of the series.