Zooey Claire Deschanel (pronounced
/ˈzoʊ.iː deɪʃəˈnɛl/ zoh-ee day-shə-nel; born January 17, 1980) is an American actress, musician, and singer-songwriter. In 1999, Deschanel made her film debut in
Mumford, followed by her breakout role as young protagonist William Miller's troubled older sister Anita in
Cameron Crowe's 2000 semi-autobiographical film
Almost Famous. Deschanel soon became known for her
deadpan or "
Manic Pixie Dream Girl" supporting roles in films such as
Elf (2003),
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) and
Failure to Launch (2006). She then began playing lead roles in films, including
Yes Man (2008) and
(500) Days of Summer (2009).
[1][2] She will next headline the new
Fox series
New Girl in fall 2011.
| Zooey Deschanel |
Deschanel performing as part of She & Him at Terminal 5 in New York, 2008 |
| Born | Zooey Claire Deschanel
January 17, 1980 (age 31)
Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Actress, model, singer-songwriter, musician |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse | Ben Gibbard (2009–present) |
| Relatives | Caleb Deschanel (father)
Mary Jo Deschanel (mother)
Emily Deschanel (sister)
|
For a few years starting in 2001, Deschanel performed in the jazz cabaret act If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies with fellow actress Samantha Shelton.[3] She plays keyboards, percussion, banjo and ukulele, and has sung in several of her films. Deschanel teamed up with M. Ward to release their debut album Volume One (recorded with M. Ward under the moniker She & Him) which was released in March 2008. The follow-up album Volume Two was released in the U.S. in March 2010. She is married to Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard.
