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Zooey Deschanel

Zooey Deschanel is an entertainer in every sense of the word, who brings the classical leading lady back to the modern audience with her old

fashioned charm. Lauded as timeless, vintage and ethereal, Deschanel's recent projects, (500) Days of Summer, opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Warner Bros.' Yes Man, opposite Jim Carrey, have cemented her place as a mainstream presence with a handle for nuance.

Cinemaphiles have long known Deschanel for her breakout performance in Cameron Crowe's ensemble film Almost Famous, opposite Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand, and All the Real Girls, for which she received a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead. Indie film buffs often cite Deschanel's depth in films like The Good Girl, with Jennifer Aniston, and Eulogy, with Debra Winger and Ray Romano, and kids of all ages fell in love with her memorable theatrical and vocal performances in the Jon Favreau Christmas classic Elf, opposite Will Ferrell.

In 1999, Deschanel made her feature-film debut in Lawrence Kasdan's ensemble drama Mumford. She played the loveable sidekick Kit in Failure to Launch, with Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker, and starred in the box-office hit The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, with Sam Rockwell, Mos Def and John Malkovich.

Deschanel was seen in the Walt Disney film Bridge to Terabithia, based on the Newbery award-winning children's novel, and she provided the voice of a surfing penguin, alongside Shia LaBeouf and Jeff Bridges, in the animated hit movie Surf's Up. She also co-starred in the Warner Bros. film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, opposite Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, in addition to the independent films Live Free or Die, with Aaron Stanford; Gigantic, with Paul Dano; Flakes, with Aaron Stanford; The Go-Getter, with Lou Taylor Pucci; The Good Life, for writer/director Stephen Berra; and Adam Rapp's Winter Passing, opposite Will Ferrell and Ed Harris.

She starred, with Mark Wahlberg, in the 20th Century Fox thriller The Happening; in Abandon, for director Stephen Gaghan; in Big Trouble, for director Barry Sonnenfeld; and in the hit Syfy channel Emmy Award-nominated miniseries Tin Man.

In addition to Deschanel's on-screen work, she has also earned rave reviews and popular acclaim for her collaboration with M. Ward on her band She & Him. Pitchfork Media said, "She & Him has given Deschanel her best role yet, one that shows off her charm and intelligence to best effect—one that she is essentially writing for herself." Music has always been a passion for Deschanel, and her band has produced two albums: She & Him: Volume 1 and She & Him: Volume 2. The albums boast 21 original songs written by Deschanel and four covers of some of her personal favorites.

Additionally, the band has sold out tours in the U.S., the U.K. and Europe.

Deschanel's music has only added to her performance tapestry. Her latest album, She & Him: Volume 2, debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard Top 200 and was one of the most critically acclaimed albums in 2010.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2011.
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Zooey Deschanel Facts

Birth NameZooey Claire Deschanel
OccupationActress
BirthdayJanuary 17, 1980 (44)
SignCapricorn
BirthplaceLos Angeles, California, USA
Height5' 6" (1m68)  How tall is Zooey Deschanel compared to you?
Social Media therealzooeyd

Selected Filmography

Trolls
Bridge To Terabithia
Drunk History Vol. 1
Elf
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Almost Famous
Surf's Up
Yes Man
The Happening
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