Megan Denise Fox (born May 16, 1986) is an American actress and model. After a successful career as a model, Fox launched her acting career in 2001 with a supporting role as Brianna Wallace in Holiday in the Sun, starring opposite Mary Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen. Fox then guest-starred in various television series, including What I Like About You, Two and a Half Men, The Help, and Ocean Ave. She also played a recurring role as Sydney Shanowski on Hope and Faith.

In 2004, Fox began her film career starring opposite Lindsay Lohan in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. Her other films include Crimes Of Fashion (2004, TV), How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008) and Whore (2008). Fox's breakout role was as Mikaela Banes, Shia LaBeouf's character's love interest in the 2007 blockbuster film Transformers, a role for which Fox was nominated and won various Teen Choice Awards. She appeared in the sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Her upcoming films include Jennifer's Body,Jonah Hex, and The Crossing.

Early life
Fox was born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to Darlene Tonachio, and Franklin Foxx, Fox's father dropped an "x" from his surname. Fox has one older sister. Fox's parents divorced when she was young and she and her sister were raised by her mother and her stepfather. Fox said of her mother and her stepfather that they "were really strict" and Fox said of her childhood that "I was grounded for all of my childhood. Not most — all” and Fox said that “I wasn’t doing anything particularly crazy,” and that “I just never appreciated authority figures preaching to me.”Fox is of Irish, French and Native American ancestry.

Fox said of her living condition as a teenager that, "My mom lived with me until I started making enough money to support myself,” and that “I was asking her to leave the entire time. I’d been ready to move out since I was, like, 14.”Fox also said that while she lived with her mom she wasn't allowed to have a boyfriend. Fox has said that she grew up in a "very poor" household, commenting that "We were very, very poor when I was little. I didn't have a lot of toys and I had to make my own.

Fox began her training in drama and dance at age five, in Kingston, Tennessee. She attended a dance class at the community center there and was involved in Kingston Elementary School's chorus and the Kingston Clippers swim team. When Fox was 13-years-old, she began modeling. At 10-years-old, after moving to St. Petersburg, Florida, Fox continued her training. At 10-years-old, after moving to St. Petersburg, Florida, Fox attended Morningside Academy, a private Christian school, for her middle school years and finished her high school education at St. Lucie West Centennial High School, though when Fox was 17 she tested out of school via correspondence.

Career
When Fox was 16, she made her acting debut in the 2001 film Holiday in the Sun, as the spoiled heiress Brianna Wallace and rival of Alex Stewart (Ashley Olsen). The film was released Direct-to-DVD on November 20, 2001. In 2002 Fox landed the lead main role as Ione Star on the television series Ocean Ave. The series lasted two seasons, from 2002-2003 and Fox appeared in 122 one-hour-long episodes. Fox also served as an uncredited extra in Bad Boys II in 2003.

Also in 2002, she guest-starred on What I Like About You, appearing in the episode "Like a Virgin (Kinda)". In 2004 Fox guest-starred on Two and a Half Men in the episode "Carmel Filters and Pheromones". Also in 2004, Fox made her film debut in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen co-starring opposite Lindsay Lohan. In the film Fox plays a supporting role Carla Santi, a rival of Lola (Lindsay Lohan). Also in 2004, Fox was cast as a recurring role on the ABC sitcom Hope & Faith, in which she portrayed Sydney Shanowski, replacing Nicole Paggi in the role. In 2006 the television show was canceled due to poor ratings. Fox appeared in 36 episodes from seasons 2 to 3.

In 2007, Fox won the lead female role of Mikaela Banes in the 2007 live-action film Transformers, based on the toy and cartoon saga of the same name. Fox played the love interest of Shia LaBeouf's character Sam Witwicky. Fox was nominated for an MTV Movie Award in the category of "Breakthrough Performance", and was also nominated for three Teen Choice Awards, in the category of "Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure", "Choice Movie: Breakout Female", and "Choice Movie: Liplock".Fox has signed on for two more Transformers sequels.