Zooey Claire Deschanel born January 17, 1980 is an American actress, musician and singer-songwriter. In 1999, Deschanel made her film debut in Mumford, followed by her breakout role as young protagonist William Miller's troubled older sister Anita in Cameron Crowe's 2000 semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous. Deschanel soon became known for her deadpan or "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" supporting roles in films such as Elf 2003, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 2005, Failure to Launch 2006, Bridge to Terabithia 2007, and The Happening 2008. She then began playing lead roles in films, including Yes Man 2008 and (500) Days of Summer 2009. She currently stars in the Fox series New Girl. She has been nominated for Golden Globe and Grammy Awards.
