Zooey Deschanel

How Zooey Deschanel Got her Start

Zooey Deschanel was born into a family already heavily involved in film and television. Her father, Caleb Deschanel, is a cinematographer who has worked on films such as The Passion of the Christ and National Treasure. Her mother, Mary Jo Deschanel, played Eileen Wayward in Twin Peaks, and has had roles in other popular TV shows like Law & Order and JAG.

Zooey (pronounced zoh-ee) was named after one of the title characters in the J.D. Salinger novel Franny and Zooey.

Active in theater productions in high school, Deschanel also participated in the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts summer camp. After high school, she briefly attended Northwestern University.

Her first role for a major television production was a small part as a model in the sitcom Veronica's Closet, when she was 17 years old.

Film and Television

After her sitcom debut, Zooey Deschanel appeared in the film Mumford in 1999. The film wasn't a huge success at the box office, but she had the opportunity to work with such stars as Alfre Woodard, Jason Lee, and Mary McDonnell. This performance convinced her to drop out of University and pursue her acting career. Later that same year she starred in a music video for the band The Offspring.

Deschanel's film credits include:

• Almost Famous
• The Good Girl
• All the Real Girls (her first leading role)
• Elf
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
• Once Upon a Mattress
• Failure to Launch
• Bridge to Terabithia
• The Happening
• Yes Man
• 500 Days of Summer

Zooey Deschanel has also made guest appearances on a variety of television shows, including:

• The Simpsons
• Frasier
• Tin Man
• Weeds
• American Dad
• Talk shows such as Late Night with Conan O'Brien

Singing Career

Zooey Deschanel has a powerful singing voice and has contributed songs to several of the soundtracks for movies she has appeared in, including Elf, in which she sings a duet with Will Ferrell.

In 2001, Deschanel created the cabaret group If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies along with fellow actress Samantha Shelton and an eight-piece ensemble band. The group performs in the Los Angeles area, and you can find some of their songs available for purchase through iTunes.

In 2007, Deschanel contributed vocals on two songs, Mama and Ask Her to Dance, for the band Coconut Records, on their debut album Nighttiming, which also featured vocals by actress Kirsten Dunst. Later that same year it was announced that a solo album was in the works.

This album became Volume One, which was released in March 2008. Deschanel recorded the album with singer-songwriter M. Ward, and they call themselves She & Him. Ward has worked with many singers and musicians, among them Norah Jones, Cat Power, and the band Bright Eyes.

Volume One contains ten original songs written by Deschanel, and two cover songs. The covers are You Really Got a Hold on Me, originally recorded by Smokey Robinson, and I Should Have Known Better by The Beatles. The album ends with Deschanel's rendition of the traditional song Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

Volume One reached number 71 on the U.S. Billboard Top 100 chart, and number eight on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.

Zooey Deschanel on the Web

Like most rising stars, Deschanel has numerous fan sites where you can get up to date information and news about her career and personal life. She also has a page at the popular social networking site MySpace. Find her on the web at:

• Zooey on MySpace
• Zooey Deschanel Web
• Zooey-D.net

Trivia and Fun Facts

• Deschanel was tapped to play the role of Janis Joplin in a movie based on the singer's life. After she spent months training to copy Joplin's unique voice, the film was shelved.

• In addition to singing, she also plays the piano and ukulele.

• In 2003, Deschanel won an award for Best Actress at the Mar Del Plata Film Festival in Argentina, for her role as Noel in All the Real Girls.

• Deschanel promoted Barack Obama in the 2008 U.S. presidential election by modeling a t-shirt emblazoned with the word 'Hope' on the front.