Born October 3, 1973, in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, Neve Campbell knew she was meant to be on the stage, but not, as many would assume, as an actor. From the age of six, Campbell trained as a dancer, earning a place with the National Ballet School of Canada when she was just nine years old. However, her ambitions to be a professional dancer were cut short by a series of injuries, leading her to pursue an acting career. Campbell got her first break on the 1992 Canadian television series Catwalk, from which she garnered stateside attention. After a string of minor films, Campbell eventually landed the role of Julia Salinger on the TV series Party of Five (1994). While the program was being saved from cancellation by a massive base of fan support, Campbell was finding work in film, first in the teenage coven classic The Craft (1996). Next came a lead role in Wes Craven's horror flick Scream (1996), a huge success that would define American teen films for years to come. It was duly followed up the next year by Scream 2, which, like its predecessor, proved to be enormously popular. In 1998, Campbell appeared in three wildly divergent films, ranging from the small Canadian independent Hair Shirt to 54 to Wild Things, in which Campbell and Denise Richards starred as two high schoolers with morally questionable extracurricular activities. With the concurrent successes of these films and her television work, Campbell has proven herself to be a rare kind of performer, moving effortlessly from television to film and back, without the negative connotations experienced by previous generations of actors.
She appeared opposite William H. Macy in the drama Panic in 2000, and got to draw on her dance history by starring in Robert Altman's ballet film The Company. She earned strong reviews for her work in James Toback's drama When Will I Be Loved in 2004. She continued to work steadily, but didn't have a high-profile gig until she returned to the role that first brought her movie success by starring in Scream 4 in 2011.
