Zooey (pronounced /ˈzoÊŠiː/) Deschanel was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Academy Award-nominated cinematographer and director Caleb Deschanel and actress Mary Jo Deschanel (née Weir). She is of 3/4 Irish descent and 1/4 French descent (her surname means "from the channels" in French). She was named after Zooey Glass, the male protagonist of J. D. Salinger's 1961 novella Read more...

Deschanel appeared in a guest role on the television series Veronica's Closet before making her film debut in Lawrence Kasdan’s 1999 comedy Mumford, and later in the year she appeared in the music video for The Offspring's single "She's Got Issues". In her second film, director Cameron Crowe's autobiographical Almost Famous (2000), Deschanel played Anita Miller, the protagonist's rebellious Read more...

Zooey Claire Deschanel (born January 17, 1980) is an American actress, musician and singer. Deschanel made her film debut in 1999's Mumford and soon became known for memorable, deadpan supporting roles in films such as Almost Famous (2000), The New Guy (2002), Big Trouble (2002) and The Good Girl (2002). She then began playing lead roles, including All the Real Girls (2003), Elf (2003), Winter Passing Read more...