Zooey Claire Deschanel (born January 17, 1980 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress of French and Irish descent. She is the daughter of Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and actress Mary Jo Deschanel. Her sister Emily Deschanel is also an actress.

Noted for her unconventional beauty and a chameleon-like ability to change personas to suit a given role, Deschanel has steadily expanded her Hollywood profile. After her film debut in Lawrence Kasdan’s (1999) comedy Mumford,

Deschanel drew attention with eye-catching roles as Patrick Fugit’s hippie older sister in Cameron Crowe’s acclaimed Almost Famous (2000) and the gothy, disaffected drugstore make-up clerk in the Jennifer Aniston film The Good Girl (2002). She won high praise for her sensitive, naturalistic portrayal of an innocent, self-assured,

sexually curious 18-year-old virgin who has a life-changing romance with an aimless 22-year-old man (Paul Schneider) in David Gordon Green’s acclaimed cult film All the Real Girls (2003); Deschanel was voted Best Actress at the Mar del Plata Film Festival and nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

More recently, she played a department store elf opposite Will Ferrell in the popular Christmas comedy Elf (2003), and starred as Trillian in the movie adaptation of Douglas Adams's science fiction series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005).

Deschanel has appeared on the talk show circuit (including Jay Leno and Letterman) and presented film industry awards. Her TV portfolio also includes Frasier and various MTV clips including Offspring's video "She's Got Issues".

She appears with fellow actress Samantha Shelton in a cabaret act named If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies.

The name "Zooey" was inspired by the male character of the same name in J. D. Salinger's novel Franny and Zooey.

Deschanel is a huge fan of singer Ella Fitzgerald and actress Parker Posey. One of her favourite songs is "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey (band).

Filmography
Year Film Role Other notes
2007 Surf's Up Lani Announced
2006 Failure to Launch Filming
2006 Flakes Miss Pussy Katz Post-production
2006 Live Free or Die Cheryl Post-production
2006 Winter Passing Reese Holden
2005 Once Upon a Mattress Lady Larkin
2005 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Trillian
2004 Eulogy Kate Collins
2003 Elf Jovie
2003 House Hunting Christy
2003 It's Better to be Wanted for Murder Than Not to be Wanted at All Gas station girl
2003 All the Real Girls Noel
2003 Whatever We Do Nikki
2002 Abandon Samantha Harper
2002 Sweet Friggin' Daisies Zelda
2002 The New Guy Nora
2002 Big Trouble Jenny Herk
2002 The Good Girl Cheryl
2001 Manic Tracy
2000 Almost Famous Anita Miller
1999 Mumford Nessa Watkin

source from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

More Articles..