Born in Birmingham, Alabama, and raised in nearby Mountain Brook, the photogenic teen-ager began modeling her senior year of high school, a career choice she pursued full time after dropping out of college to move to New York.

While modeling for such prestige firms as Maybelline and Noxema, Cox also took acting classes, a decision that paid off with a small part on the popular soap opera "As The World Turns" in 1984. Due to a breakthrough appearance in the video for the Bruce Springsteen song "Dancing in the Dark" and a recurring role on the hit series "Family Ties," the young actress had already been familiar to TV fans for nearly a decade when she got the part of the anal-retentive Monica on "Friends" in 1994.

In the years since, the actress has amassed a string of credits in television and film, including the first "Ace Ventura" and the "Scream" movies (where she met hubby-to-be David Arquette). But despite her crossover success, Cox still cites her work on "Friends," which begins its ninth and possibly final season this month, as the key that's allowed everything else to happen.

"As an actor, consistent work is really hard to find," she told Mr. Showbiz. "It's really taught me comedy. I feel really confident, like I know how to make a joke work, or I know what's funny. So when I do another project, I feel comfortable that I know the timing of things."

Fast Facts About Courteney Cox Arquette
• Nickname is CeCe.
• Appeared on the covers of Tiger Beat and Little Miss as a teen-ager.
• Married actor David Arquette on June 12, 1999.
• Previously dated actor Michael Keaton and Counting Crows singer Adam Duritz.
• Originally auditioned for the role of Rachel on "Friends."

Credits
• GET WELL SOON, 2001
• 3000 MILES TO GRACELAND, 2001
• SCREAM, 1996
• FRIENDS, 1994-present
• ACE VENTURA, PET DETECTIVE, 1994