Zooey Claire Deschanel is an American actress and musician. She made her film debut in
Mumford (1999) and had a supporting role in Cameron Crowe's film
Almost Famous (2000). Deschanel is known for her deadpan roles in comedy films such as
The Good Girl (2002),
The New Guy (2002),
Elf (2003),
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005),
Failure to Launch (2006),
Yes Man (2008),
500 Days of Summer (2009) and
Our Idiot Brother (2011). She has also ventured into dramatic film territory with
Manic (2001),
All the Real Girls (2003),
Winter Passing (2005),
Bridge to Terabithia (2007),
The Happening (2008) and
The Driftless Area (2015). From 2011 to 2018, she starred as Jess Day on the Fox sitcom
New Girl, for which she received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.