Christine Taylor is an American actress, and wife of Ben Stiller. She was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Joan, a homemaker, and Skip Taylor, an owner of a security company. She grew up in neighboring Wescosville, Pennsylvania. Taylor has a brother, Brian, and attended Allentown Central Catholic High School in Allentown.

Taylor began her acting career in 1989 at the age of 18 on the Nickelodeon Network children's television series Hey Dude where she played the lifeguard Melody Hanson. She continued in that role through 1991 while making various guest appearances on other programs. In 1996, Taylor was awarded the lead role in the television series Party Girl, based on the 1995 film of the same name. The title character is a self-destructive rave party organizer who indulges in drugs and all-night partying.

Following Party Girl, Taylor's career advanced rapidly, highlighted by guest television appearances on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, NBC's Friends and Seinfeld. She also played Drew Barrymore's cousin, Holly Sullivan in the 1998 comedy The Wedding Singer and made several successful comedic guest appearances on Ellen. In 1995, Taylor was cast as Marcia Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel.

In the 1990s, Taylor dated actors Neil Patrick Harrisand Matthew Lillard On May 13, 2000, she married actor, writer, and director Ben Stiller whom she met while filming Heat Vision and Jack. Taylor has since appeared opposite Stiller in three films: Zoolander (2001), Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004) and Tropic Thunder (2008). On April 10, 2002 Taylor and Stiller had their first child, a daughter named Ella Olivia Stiller. They had a second child, a son named Quinlin Dempsey Stiller, on July 10, 2005.