Zooey Deschanel Biography

Fast Facts

• Named for one of the two title characters in J
• D
• Salinger's Franny and Zooey
• Was raised in a showbiz family, but her parents didn't allow her to pursue an acting career until she was old enough for a driver's license
• First acting role came at age 16, when she played Little Red Riding Hood in Interact Theatre Company's production of Into the Woods
• Attended high school with future costars Kate Hudson (Almost Famous) and Jake Gyllenhaal (The Good Girl)
• Played ukulele and sang in a cabaret band called If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies
• Formed indie-music duo She and Him with M
• Ward in 2006
• Co-founder of Hello Giggles, an entertainment Web site geared toward women