Zooey Deschanel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zooey Deschanel
Deschanel in 2012
Born	Zooey Claire Deschanel (1980-01-17) January 17, 1980 (age 45) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	Northwestern University (dropped out)
Occupation	Actress musician
Years active	1997–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Ben Gibbard ​ ​ (m. 2009; div. 2012)​ Jacob Pechenik ​ ​ (m. 2015; div. 2019)​
Partner(s)	Jonathan Scott (2019–present; engaged)
Children	2
Parents	Caleb Deschanel (father) Mary Jo Deschanel (mother)
Relatives	Emily Deschanel (sister)
Musical career
Genres	Indie pop folk jazz
Instruments	Vocals piano ukulele
Labels	Merge Double Six Columbia Fantasy
Signature

Zooey Claire Deschanel (pronounced ZO-ee day-shə-NEL; born January 17, 1980) is an American actress and musician. She first appeared in a film called Mumford (1999). She also had a supporting role in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous (2000).

Deschanel is known for her calm and funny roles in movies like Elf (2003) and Yes Man (2008). She also starred in 500 Days of Summer (2009). From 2011 to 2018, she played Jess Day on the TV show New Girl. For this role, she was nominated for an Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.

Since 2006, Deschanel has been part of the music duo She & Him with M. Ward. They have released several albums, including Volume One (2008). She was also nominated for a Grammy Award for the song "So Long" from the 2011 film Winnie the Pooh. Besides singing, she plays piano, percussion, banjo, and ukulele.

Deschanel also helped start HelloGiggles, a website for women.

Early Life and Education

Zooey Claire Deschanel was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Caleb Deschanel, is a cinematographer and director. Her mother, Mary Jo Deschanel, is an actress. Zooey was named after a character from a book called Franny and Zooey. Her older sister, Emily Deschanel, is also an actress. She starred in the TV show Bones.

Zooey spent much of her childhood traveling because of her father's film work. She went to Crossroads, a private school in Santa Monica. There, she became friends with future actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Kate Hudson. She loved singing in high school and wanted to work in musical theater. She attended Northwestern University for nine months but left to become an actress.

Acting Career Highlights

Early Roles (1997–2002)

Deschanel first appeared on TV in Veronica's Closet in 1998. Her first movie role was in Mumford (1999). She also had a role in the music video for The Offspring's song "She's Got Issues".

In 2000, she co-starred in Almost Famous. She played Anita Miller, the rebellious older sister of a young journalist. The film was praised by critics. Deschanel then appeared in the drama Manic (2001). Critics noted her natural and emotional performance.

In 2002, Deschanel took on supporting roles in four movies. These included Big Trouble, The New Guy, The Good Girl, and Abandon. She also appeared in an episode of Frasier. By 2002, she was seen as a rising star in Hollywood. She was often cast as the main character's funny, sarcastic best friend. Deschanel did not like being typecast. She said she didn't have many friends in high school and stayed home a lot.

Becoming a Star (2003–2010)

Deschanel got her first main movie role in the drama All the Real Girls (2003). Her performance was highly praised, and she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Actress. In the same year, she starred with Will Ferrell in the Christmas comedy Elf. She played a department store worker and the love interest of a man raised by elves. The movie was a big success and loved by families.

Deschanel at the premiere of 500 Days of Summer (2009)

In 2005, Deschanel played Trillian in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. She also appeared in Winter Passing (2005) and Failure to Launch (2006). From 2006 to 2007, she had a recurring role in the TV series Weeds.

In 2007, Deschanel played a music teacher in Bridge to Terabithia. She also voiced a penguin in the animated film Surf's Up. She starred as DG in the miniseries Tin Man, a science fiction version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. She also voiced Mary in three episodes of The Simpsons.

In 2008, she starred with Mark Wahlberg in the thriller The Happening. She also appeared in the comedy Yes Man with Jim Carrey. This movie earned a lot of money worldwide.

Deschanel worked again with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the romantic drama (500) Days of Summer (2009). The film was very popular and received great reviews. Critics praised Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt's performances. In December 2009, Deschanel appeared in an episode of Bones, which was the first time she acted on screen with her sister, Emily Deschanel.

New Girl and Recent Work

Deschanel at the 2013 Golden Globe Awards

Deschanel was chosen to play a quirky and optimistic teacher named Jessica "Jess" Day in the TV show New Girl. She also became a producer for the show. The series started in September 2011 and was very successful. Deschanel received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her role. The show ended in May 2018.

In 2012, Deschanel hosted Saturday Night Live. She also appeared in a commercial for the iPhone 4S's Siri.

In 2015, she played a singer in the film Rock the Kasbah. She also voiced Bridget, a kind character, in the animated movie Trolls (2016), which was a big hit.

In 2020, Deschanel appeared in Katy Perry's music video for "Not the End of the World". In 2021, she co-hosted The Celebrity Dating Game with Michael Bolton. Since 2022, she has co-hosted Welcome to Our Show, a podcast about New Girl, with her former co-stars Hannah Simone and Lamorne Morris. She has also appeared in recent films like Dreamin' Wild (2023) and Harold and the Purple Crayon (2024). In 2024, she was cast in a new romantic comedy film called Merv.

Music Career

Singing and Performing

In 2001, Deschanel started a jazz singing act called If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies with actress Samantha Shelton. They performed in Los Angeles.

In 2007, Deschanel sang on two songs for Jason Schwartzman's band, Coconut Records. Later, she and M. Ward formed the music duo She & Him. Their first album, Volume One, came out in 2008 and was very popular with critics.

Deschanel and M. Ward performing as She & Him on a Wurlitzer electric piano at the Newport Folk Festival on August 2, 2008

She & Him released their second album, Volume Two, in 2010. Deschanel also sang on songs for Tired Pony, a side project of Snow Patrol member Gary Lightbody.

Deschanel has sung "God Bless America" at a baseball game in 2010 and "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the World Series in 2011. She also covered songs for tribute albums to Buddy Holly.

In 2011, She & Him released a Christmas album called A Very She & Him Christmas. Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt recorded a popular video of them singing "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" for her YouTube channel.

She & Him's album Volume 3 was released in 2013. Deschanel wrote most of the songs on it. Their album Classics (2014) featured covers of classic songs with an orchestra. She also sang on Brian Wilson's album No Pier Pressure (2015). Their second Christmas album, Christmas Party, came out in 2016.

Music in Films

Deschanel first sang on screen in The New Guy (2002). In Elf (2003), she sang "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Will Ferrell. She also sang in Winter Passing (2006).

In Bridge to Terabithia, she sang "Someday" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?" with children. In Yes Man (2008), Deschanel sang several songs as part of a fictional band called "Munchausen by Proxy".

In 500 Days of Summer (2009), She & Him's cover of The Smiths' "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" was on the soundtrack. Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also made a music video for the film using the She & Him song "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?".

Deschanel sang with James Franco in Your Highness (2011). She also contributed songs to the soundtrack of Disney's Winnie the Pooh (2011), earning a Grammy nomination. She wrote and performed the theme song for New Girl. In 2016, she voiced Bridget in Trolls and sang in the film.

Other Projects

In 2011, Deschanel, along with Sophia Rossi and Molly McAleer, started HelloGiggles.com. This is an entertainment website mainly for women. The website was later bought by Time, Inc. in 2015.

In 2023, Deschanel hosted a show on Max called What Am I Eating?. The show helps people learn about food.

Personal Life

Deschanel has allergies to eggs, dairy products, and soy. She used to be a pescetarian (someone who eats fish but no other meat). She also used to be a vegan but found it hard to get enough calories due to her allergies.

In 2008, Deschanel got engaged to musician Ben Gibbard. They married in 2009 and separated in 2011. Their divorce was finalized in 2012.

Deschanel later got engaged to film producer Jacob Pechenik in 2015. They married in June 2015 and have two children, a daughter and a son. They separated in 2019 and divorced in 2020.

In 2019, Deschanel met Jonathan Scott, a star from the show Property Brothers, while filming a TV show. They announced their engagement in August 2023.

Filmography

Discography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Zooey Deschanel para niños