Zooey Claire Deschanel (born January 17, 1980 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress. She is the daugher of cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and actress Mary Jo Deschanel. Her sister Emily Deschanel is also an actress.
Noted for her unconventional beauty, Deschanel has steadily expanded her Hollywood profile, appearing first in Mumford (1999) and most recently as "Trillian" in the movie-adaptation of Douglas Adam's sci-fi radio series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005).
Deschanel has appeared on the chat 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.
