Zooey Deschanel is a woman of many trades. Over the course of her storied career, she's
dabbled in everything from acting and producing to writing and singing. What else is there
to know about her? This is the story of her stunning transformation.
Deschanel was born into a household of entertainment professionals. Her mom Mary Jo is an actress,
her dad Caleb is a cinematographer, and her older sister Emily also grew up to grace the
big and small screens. Caleb told The Hollywood Reporter in 2014,
"From a very early age, our daughter Zooey wanted to crawl into The Wizard of Oz and
be in that movie. She's always been that way."
He also mentioned that both of his daughters were pretty fearless from a young age. At
the age of around 12 or 13, they would get up and perform in front of 2,000 people and
not even feel nervous. It's no wonder then that Zooey Deschanel went on to pursue entertainment.
She began starring in movies with 1999's Mumford and dropped out of college to pursue her acting
career. It wouldn't be long until she reached the level of full-blown stardom.
The Cameron Crowe-directed film Almost Famous gave Deschanel's burgeoning career a jolt
into hyperdrive. She's forever immortalized as the flight attendant older sister of William,
the main character.
"One day, you'll be cool."
While Deschanel had already begun acting a few years before Almost Famous' release, this
would prove to be her first big breakout performance. Released in 2000, when Deschanel was just
20 years old, it wasn't a huge hit at the box office, though it did go on to become
a critical and fan favorite. Looking back on the early years of her career, Deschanel
told InStyle in 2018,
"I was just really lucky that I have really good parents. And because they were in the
business, I kind of went into it with a very down-to-earth sensibility. I was lucky that
way. So I don't look back on my younger years and think, 'Oh my gosh, I was so crazy.'"
While she may be mostly known for her quirky humor, Deschanel has shown a willingness to
take on characters across a variety of genres. From horror to drama, it hasn't been all giggles
for her. One notable early role was an 18-year-old virgin in the 2003 drama All the Real Girls,
which she discussed with Venice magazine the year it came out:
"Generally, most of the characters I do are somehow me, just maybe me at a different moment.
Sometimes it's the me who's alone, you know? Because nobody ever sees that person who's
alone. It's like the me driving in my car alone, nobody ever sees who that person is."
You can see just how diverse Deschanel's acting chops really are by scanning through her filmography.
She's been in M. Night Shyamalan's eco-horror flick The Happening, the coming-of-age fantasy
adventure Bridge to Terabithia, and the stoner fantasy comedy Your Highness, just to name
a few. And of course, who can forget the iconic rom-com 500 Days of Summer? Clearly, there's
a lot more to Zooey Deschanel than just being adorkable.
"I hardly think I'm Sid Vicious."
"No, I'm Sid."
While Almost Famous gave Deschanel an early burst of fame, it was her role in the 2003
family holiday favorite Elf that really solidified her status as a household name. Starring alongside
Will Ferrell in the Jon Favreau-directed comedy, she really got to show off her comedic timing
as well as her singing chops.
Elf was a huge hit and it has since become one of the most beloved Christmas films of
all time. It earned a whopping $220.4 million at the worldwide box office, so it's no wonder
that it sent Deschanel's star into orbit. The actress told InStyle in 2018,
"I definitely didn't realize how iconic [it would become], until it started playing every
year. And then I thought 'Oh, when you have something good that's a holiday thing, it
comes back every year!' I was 21 when I made that movie, so I didn't really have a lot
of perspective on anything. All I know is when I read that script, I was laughing out
loud the entire time and I felt like it was something that was special."
In addition to acting, Deschanel has also made a name for herself as a singer; Her love
of music started early, but it wasn't until she formed the group She & Him in 2006 with
fellow musician Matthew Ward, who goes by M. Ward, that her singing career really took
off.
Deschanel and Ward's paths first crossed on the set of the indie film The Go-Getter. While
working on the soundtrack for that movie, she told NPR,
"It wasn't until I met Matt that I really felt like I had found just the right person
to work with on this stuff."
With multiple records under their belts, She & Him have received plenty of love from both
critics and fans. Deschanel isn't in the record-making business because she wants to reach a new
level of fame. Instead, she's in it for the love of the music. She told Pitchfork in 2008,
"I don't really have so much interest in being a 'star' in this format. I just really enjoy
playing music."
When it comes to her personal life, Deschanel is known for a few rocky romances. Her first
marriage was to Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard. The pair were introduced by their
mutual music manager. They got engaged in 2008 and married the following year, but their
union was short-lived as they announced in 2011 that they were separating, with the divorce
becoming finalized in 2012.
A few years later, Deschanel was introduced to her future second husband, film producer
Jacob Pechenik, on the set of the 2015 comedy Rock the Kasbah. The pair got engaged in 2015
and married shortly after. They went on to have two children together, but in September
2019, they announced that they were separating. A rep for the pair gave a statement to People
Magazine that said,
"After much discussion and a long period of contemplation we have decided we are better
off as friends, business partners and co-parents rather than life partners."
Aside from acting, singing, and writing, Deschanel has also found success as an entrepreneur
with her women's general interest website HelloGiggles. She launched the site in 2011
along with her friends and colleagues Sophia Rossi and Molly McAleer. Covering everything
from beauty, entertainment, news, and relationships, the site bills itself as "a positive community
for women." The founders wanted to create an environment free of negativity.
"So we created a system so that anything mean said gets immediately taken off or voted down."
Apparently the positive vibes that HelloGiggles encouraged stood out to Time, Inc., as the
media behemoth purchased the site in 2015. Rumor has it that the acquisition price was
somewhere around a whopping $30 million. When the deal was announced, Deschanel stated,
"With Time Inc. as our partner, we'll be able to expand the HelloGiggles mission and inspire
and support even more young women with a safe and positive media platform."
Bangs are possibly one of the most divisive hairstyles of all time. But there's one thing
we can say for sure about them: Zooey Deschanel's name is synonymous with the style. The actress
was known early on in her career for changing her look with each new character she played,
which she talked about with Venice Magazine in 2003,
"The chameleon thing, somehow I have something about me, I never even realized it, that looks
incredibly different if I change my hair color or my hair-cut or my make-up or my clothes,
I look like a totally different person."
Deschanel wrote about her hair for Glamour 2013, explaining why she committed to her
brunette locks and bangs a long time ago:
"When I first got into acting, I was a bit of a chameleon and just wasn't recognizable.
So I used my look to help create an identity. Now people know me as the girl with bangs.
They're not for everyone...but they work for me."
On September 20, 2011, Fox premiered the sitcom New Girl, starring Deschanel as bubbly thirty-something
teacher Jessica Day. It was created by Liz Meriwether and based on her own experiences
surfing on Craigslist from sublet to sublet. It followed the foibles of Jess and her three
new male roommates in a loft apartment in Los Angeles. Meriwether discussed the casting
of Deschanel with New York Magazine back in 2011, confessing,
"I didn't think I could find someone as weird as I am."
"Really? I don't look like a pirate bride?"
Millions of viewers are grateful that Meriwether was indeed able to find that perfect quirky
somebody. As a fearless career chameleon, Deschanel accepted the challenge of moving
to the small screen despite having to deal with some doubters. In a 2018 interview with
Newsweek, she revealed,
"When I decided to do New Girl, these people were like, 'Oh, you're doing television?'
It was kind of looked down upon to do television if you were a movie actor. My thought was
it's an opportunity to make funny content, and it's not really about the length."
Not only did Deschanel star on the show, she also wrote and performed the theme song. She
was also nominated for an Emmy and won a Critics' Choice Award. New Girl ultimately ended up
running for seven seasons, wrapping up in 2018.
During Deschanel's relationship with her second husband Jacob Pechenik, she became a mother
to two kids. Her daughter Elsie Otter was born in 2015, just months after she and Pechenik
tied the knot. Her son Charlie Wolf followed shortly after in 2017.
Deschanel discussed the topic of motherhood with Redbook in 2016, saying,
"I've never really felt like an adult. But I think it's a huge accomplishment to have
a child, so maybe I feel like an adult for that reason."
Since her kids have arrived, she's taken a very hands-on approach to being a mother.
She told InStyle in 2018,
"I'm driving my kids to every class, every day. I'm there with them all the time. It's
actually rare that I'm not with them. I try to be there as much as humanly possible."
Unsurprisingly, her children are her top priority in her life, as she told People Magazine in
2017,
"My kids are absolute No. 1. I know that's the truth for most people."
"What do you think that will do to her, seeing Mom be a Disney princess?"
"At least it will prove to her that I'm a singer, and she can't tell me to stop singing,
which is what she does, all the time."
Even though Deschanel is plenty busy with her acting and music careers, she still makes
time for giving back. It was notably revealed in her divorce filing from Ben Gibbard that
she donated $1,500 to charities every single month. Since having her own children, she's
focused on giving back to other kids. Working with Huggies and the charity Baby2Baby, she's
donated millions of diapers to people in need. She told the Huffington Post in 2017,
"It's an absolute bottomline basic need, and you shouldn't have to choose between diapers
and food or diapers and clothes. It should be something that's a given."
Deschanel has also worked alongside such organizations as Stand Up to Cancer, the Alliance for Children's
Rights, and the Alzheimer's Association. She wants to carry her passion for philanthropy
on to the next generation, so instilling a volunteer spirit in her children is a priority
for her. She told HuffPost,
"It's really important to teach your kids at a young age to volunteer and how to help
raise money and raise awareness."
Deschanel's seven-season foray on New Girl and her journey into motherhood may have put
her film career on a bit of a hiatus, but it doesn't look like she's planning on slowing
down her acting career anytime soon. When Deadline asked her in 2018 what was next for
her future, film or TV, she replied, quote, "Both, everything." When choosing what parts
to take on, she does have some parameters. She told InStyle in 2018,
"I'm just looking for something that would be exciting and fulfilling for me."
She also mentioned how much her children factor into her decisions, adding,
"I'm really focused on them, so I want to make sure that whatever I do next is really
good. It has to be really good for me to leave them."
With motherhood and charity work on her plate in addition to her career, she's clearly keeping
busy. We can't wait to see what this multi-talented star dreams up next!
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