Age, Biography, and Wiki
Zooey Deschanel was born on January 17, 1980, in Los Angeles, California, to a family deeply rooted in the entertainment industry. Her father, Caleb Deschanel, is an Academy Award-nominated cinematographer, while her mother, Mary Jo Deschanel, is an actress. Her sister, Emily Deschanel, is also an actress. This family background set the stage for her career in acting and beyond. Deschanel began her acting career in the late 1990s with small roles in films and TV shows, eventually gaining widespread recognition with her breakout role in the 2003 Christmas comedy "Elf" alongside Will Ferrell.
| Occupation | Game Show Host |
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| Date of Birth | 17 January 1980 |
| Age | 45 Years |
| Birth Place | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Capricorn |
| Country | U.S |
Height, Weight & Measurements
Zooey Deschanel stands at 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm) and during her active acting years, maintained a weight of approximately 54 kg (119 lbs), though this may have varied over time.
| Height | 5 feet 6 inches |
| Weight | 119 lbs |
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Dating & Relationship Status
Zooey Deschanel has been in several high-profile relationships. She was married to Ben Gibbard, the lead vocalist of Death Cab for Cutie, from 2009 to 2012. Later, she married Jacob Pechenik in 2015, with whom she had two children before their divorce in 2019. Currently, she is in a relationship with Jonathan Scott, a Canadian television personality and co-host of HGTV's "Property Brothers".
Following early notice, Deschanel took on supporting parts in four feature films released throughout 2002: Big Trouble, The New Guy, The Good Girl, and Abandon. In the comedy Big Trouble, with Tim Allen and Rene Russo, she played the daughter of a devoted and reluctant woman, and in the teen comedy The New Guy, starred as a guitar player in a band. Deschanel portrayed a cynical, plain-spoken young woman working in a big-box store in the black dramedy The Good Girl, opposite Jennifer Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal. The psychological thriller Abandon saw her play the roommate of a woman involved in her boyfriend's disappearance. Deschanel also made a one-episode appearance in Frasier, as Roz's out-of-control Cousin, Jen. The New York Times reported that Deschanel was "one of Hollywood's most sought-after young stars", in 2002, and the Los Angeles Times wrote in early 2003 that Deschanel had become a recognizable type, due to "her deadpan, sardonic and scene-stealing [film] performances" as the protagonist's best friend. Deschanel objected to her typecasting, arguing, "A lot of these roles are just a formula idea of somebody's best friend, and it's like, I don't even have that many friends. In high school, I stayed home all the time, so I don't know how I'm everybody's best friend now."
In 2004, Deschanel starred in Eulogy, and in 2005 played Trillian in the film adaptation of Douglas Adams's science fiction novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. She acted in Winter Passing (2005), co-starring Will Ferrell. Deschanel next appeared in Failure to Launch (2006), as the neurotic roommate of Sarah Jessica Parker's character. She also had a recurring role in four episodes of the Showtime television series Weeds from 2006 to 2007 where she played Kat, Andy Botwin's ex-girlfriend. In September 2006, it was announced that Deschanel had signed on to play 1960s singer Janis Joplin in the film The Gospel According to Janis, to be co-written and directed by Penelope Spheeris. The film was scheduled to begin shooting in 2006, but was then postponed indefinitely; it was then resurrected again, with a planned release date of 2012, before being cancelled altogether in 2011. Deschanel expressed frustration with the cancellation, saying she had spent three years working on imitating Joplin's scratchy singing voice.
In M. Night Shyamalan's thriller The Happening (2008), she starred opposite Mark Wahlberg as a couple trying to escape from an inexplicable natural disaster. Despite largely negative reviews, critic Roger Ebert felt that Wahlberg and Deschanel's performances "bring a quiet dignity to their characters", and globally, the film made US$163 million. She starred in the independent comedy Gigantic (2008), which screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and was distributed for a limited release in certain parts of the United States only. In the comedy Yes Man (also 2008), she played an unorthodox singer and the girlfriend of Jim Carrey's character. The film grossed US$223.1 million around the world.
Deschanel reunited with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the independent romantic drama about the development and demise of a relationship (500) Days of Summer (2009). The film garnered critical acclaim and became a "sleeper hit", earning over $60 million in worldwide returns, far exceeding its $7.5 million budget. Mark Adams of the Daily Mirror found the film to be a "modern romance for grown-ups" and a "sweet-natured, funny, deeply-romantic tale" blessed with "top-notch performances by Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt, who are both charming and have real chemistry". In December 2009, Deschanel guest-starred in a Christmas episode of the Fox crime procedural comedy-drama Bones, which was the first-ever on-screen pairing of the Deschanel sisters.
In December 2020, Deschanel appeared in the music video for Katy Perry's song "Not the End of the World". In 2021, she co-hosted the ABC television series The Celebrity Dating Game with Michael Bolton.
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| Husband | Ben Gibbard (m. September 19, 2009-December 12, 2012) Jacob Pechenik (m. June 2015-June 1, 2020) |
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Net Worth and Salary
As of 2025, Zooey Deschanel's net worth is estimated to be around $25 million. Her salary from her popular TV show "New Girl" was $125,000 per episode. In 2012, she earned over $9 million from her various roles in television, movies, and commercials.
Career, Business, and Investments
Deschanel's career spans acting, music, and voice acting. She has appeared in notable films like "(500) Days of Summer" and "Failure to Launch," and voiced characters in animated films such as "Trolls" and "Surf's Up". She was also a key cast member in the hit TV series "New Girl," which ran for seven seasons.
In addition to her acting career, Deschanel has made significant investments in real estate. She has bought and sold several properties, including homes in the Hollywood Hills and Manhattan Beach, California. Her music career involves being part of the indie pop duo She & Him, which she formed with M. Ward.
She attended Crossroads, a private preparatory school in Santa Monica, where she befriended future co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Kate Hudson. She sang throughout high school, planning to pursue a career in musical theatre and attending French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts. She attended Northwestern University for nine months before dropping out to pursue acting.
Deschanel obtained her first leading film role debut in the independent drama All the Real Girls (2003) as Noel, a sexually curious 18-year-old virgin who has a life-changing romance with an aimless 22-year-old. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was an arthouse success. Her performance received wide critical acclaim, and Variety remarked: "Performances are all credible and naturalistic, but standing out from the rest is Deschanel's work, which evinces an impressively direct connection to her character's emotions. The actress does a wonderful job presenting a young woman who is trying, with varying degrees of success, to give voice to all sorts of things she has never felt or expressed before". She received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress. Also in 2003, Deschanel starred opposite Will Ferrell in the Christmas comedy Elf as a deadpan department store worker and the love interest of a man raised by Santa's elves. Reviewers found the film to be a "spirited, good-natured family comedy" as part of an overall positive critical response; and, budgeted at US$33 million, Elf made US$220.4 million worldwide.
Deschanel signed on to star as a bubbly and offbeat teacher Jessica "Jess" Day on the Fox sitcom New Girl, created by Elizabeth Meriwether. She became a producer on the show and helped build the character, which she has described as a part of her, especially in regards to "the sort of enthusiasm and optimism" of her youth. The series premiered in September 2011, and USA Today described her performance as "a role tailored to launch her from respected indie actor to certified [television] star, Deschanel soars, combining well-honed skills with a natural charm". She has received an Emmy Award nomination and three Golden Globe nominations for her role. The series finale ran on May 15, 2018.
Social Network
Zooey Deschanel maintains a strong presence on social media platforms, often engaging with fans and sharing updates about her life and projects.
A Very She & Him Christmas was announced on Pitchfork.com in September 2011. The 12-track Christmas album was released October 25, 2011, under Merge Records. On December 28, 2011, she and Joseph Gordon-Levitt recorded an informal version of "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" for her HelloGiggles YouTube channel. It was immensely popular and within four days had over 6 million views. Deschanel was featured on bandmate M. Ward's sixth solo album, A Wasteland Companion (2012).
In May 2011, after the success of her HelloGiggles YouTube channel, Deschanel, along with producer Sophia Rossi and writer Molly McAleer, founded the website HelloGiggles.com, an entertainment website geared towards women. HelloGiggles.com was acquired by Time, Inc. in 2015.
Education
Zooey Deschanel attended Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles and later studied at Northwestern University in Illinois, though she did not graduate, opting to pursue her acting career instead.
In 2007, Deschanel played a music teacher in Bridge to Terabithia, and the voice of a penguin in the animated film Surf's Up. She had a small role as Dorothy Evans in the revisionist Western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and starred in the B comedy Flakes, which was released in only one theater. Deschanel starred as DG in the Syfy miniseries Tin Man, a re-imagined science fiction version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It aired in December 2007. Deschanel also narrated the children's book Players in Pigtails. She voiced characters including Mary, Cletus's daughter, in four episodes of The Simpsons since debuting in the April 27, 2008 (Season 19) episode, "Apocalypse Cow", returning in seasons 24 (twice) and 36.
In 2007, other singing credits followed: the television musical Once Upon a Mattress ("An Opening for a Princess", "In a Little While", "Normandy", and "Yesterday I Loved You"); an old cabaret song in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford ("A Bird in a Gilded Cage"); and the short film Raving ("Hello, Dolly!"). Deschanel and a cast of school children sing the Steve Earle song "Someday" and War's "Why Can't We Be Friends?" in Bridge to Terabithia.
