Zooey Deschanel

Zooey Deschanel
Deschanel in 2012
Born
Zooey Claire Deschanel

(1980-01-17) January 17, 1980 (age 44)[1][2]
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
EducationNorthwestern University (dropped out)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • musician
Years active1997–present
WorksFull list
Spouses
​
​
(m. 2009; div. 2012)​
Jacob Pechenik
​
​
(m. 2015; div. 2019)​
Partner(s)Jonathan Scott (2019–present; engaged)
Children2
Parents
RelativesEmily Deschanel (sister)
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
Years active2001–present
Labels
Member ofShe & Him
Signature

Zooey Claire Deschanel (/ˈzoʊi ˌdeɪʃəˈnɛl/ ZO-ee day-shə-NEL; born January 17, 1980[1][2]) is an American actress and musician. She made her film debut in Mumford (1999) and had a supporting role in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous (2000). Deschanel is known for her deadpan roles in comedy films such as The Good Girl (2002), The New Guy (2002), Elf (2003), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Failure to Launch (2006), Yes Man (2008), 500 Days of Summer (2009), and Our Idiot Brother (2011).[3][4][5] She has also ventured into dramatic film territory with Manic (2001), All the Real Girls (2003), Winter Passing (2005), Bridge to Terabithia (2007), The Happening (2008), and The Driftless Area (2015).[6][7] From 2011 to 2018, she starred as Jess Day on the Fox sitcom New Girl, for which she received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.

For a few years starting in 2001, Deschanel performed in the jazz cabaret act If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies with actress Samantha Shelton.[8] In 2006, Deschanel teamed up with M. Ward to form She & Him, and subsequently released their debut album, Volume One, in 2008. They have since released six albums: Volume Two (2010), A Very She & Him Christmas (2011), Volume 3 (2013), Classics (2014), Christmas Party (2016), and Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson (2022). She received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media for "So Long", which was featured on the soundtrack of the 2011 film Winnie the Pooh. Besides singing, she plays keyboards, percussion, banjo, and ukulele.

Deschanel is also a co-founder of the female-focused website HelloGiggles, which was acquired by Time Inc. in 2015.[9]

  1. ^ a b "UPI Almanac for Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023". United Press International. January 17, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference TV Guide was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Douthat, Ross (August 24, 2009). "True Love". National Review. Vol. 61, no. 15. p. 50. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  4. ^ Shafrir, Doree (July 20, 2009). "Indie Dream Girls". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  5. ^ Alter, Ethan (September 19, 2011). "New Girl: Zooey Deschanel Talks Music, Motivation, and Manic Pixie Dream Girls". Television Without Pity. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012.
  6. ^ Berardinelli, James (February 17, 2003). "All the Real Girls preview". ReelViews. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  7. ^ Axmaker, Sean (February 20, 2003). "Up-close and uncomfortably personal 'Manic' is more symbolic and less genuine than its parts". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  8. ^ DiCrescenzo, Brent (May 5, 2010). "That's What She Said". TimeOut Chicago. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dave 2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).