Neve Campbell and her older brother Christian were raised primarily by their father, Gerry, after their parents divorced when Neve was three years old. It was no surprise that Neve would eventually pursue a career in acting since acting is very prominent in the Campbell family. Her father teaches media and drama, her mother once owned a dinner theater, and her Scottish grandparents used to perform for the soldiers during World War II in their dinner theatre in Holland.
      Before the thespian way took root, Neve first studied ballet. She began dancing at the age of six, and at nine she got accepted into the National Ballet School of Canada, which takes only a handful of students each year from among thousands of hopefuls. While there, she performed in productions of The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty. Five years later she dropped out because she found the atmosphere far too competitive for a kid her age to handle.
      Six months later she got a part in the chorus of the Toronto production of Phantom of the Opera; at fifteen she was the youngest cast member. It was during that time she met her future husband, actor Jeff Colt [married in 1995 - divorced in 1997]. 800 Phantom performances later, she left the production and landed parts in the television series, Are You Afraid Of The Dark?, and My Secret Identity. In 1992, Neve got a lead role in the series Catwalk, but quickly grew tired of playing the femme fatale role and left after only one season. It was after the 1994 NBC movie, I Know My Son Is Alive, that Campbell decided to pack up her bags and make the big move to the lights of Hollywood.
      The move proved a good choice, when after only a few weeks in L.A. she won her role in the highly acclaimed TV series, Party Of Five. A string of feature film hits followed, including the teen-slasher Scream [along with its two sequels], and Wild Things, which interestingly she did on the advice of Robert De Niro, who assured her she was young enough in her career if it ended up being a flop. It wasn't and it only helped to further her career in that directors and producers saw her as more than just a pathetic, doe-eyed orphane from Party Of Five.
      Whatever the role, this brown-eyed beauty has the uncanny ability to get right under the skin of the character and make a lasting impression on both the professional community as well as on her fans.
Photo © E.J. Camp/Outline - Bio by ThespianNet.Com ©2002