Zooey Deschanel has been gracing the screen since 1999 when she was just 19 years old. Hollywood is nothing new to her — her parents are actor Mary Jo Deschanel and director/cinematographer Caleb Deschanel. Deschanel had a slew of hits in the early 2000s, from Almost Famous to The Good Girl, where she starred alongside Jennifer Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Her career really took off in the early aughts where she had roles in box office hits like The Happening, Failure to Launch, and even the Showtime series Weeds. Over the course of her 20+ year career, she has starred in a myriad of genres, ranging from comedy to drama to a seven-year run of one of the most successful television shows of all time, New Girl. She was in such high demand that, at one point, she was considered for the part of Wasp in the MCU.
August 17, 2023: 2023 has been a major year for Zooey Deschanel, with multiple projects released, and this article has been updated to reflect those recent releases.
2023 has been a busy year for her. She appeared on the AppleTV+ series Physical, was a guest host on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, and headlined the Max Original series What Am I Eating? Her latest film, Dreamin' Wild, has recently opened in theaters, and she will reprise her role as Bridget in Trolls Band Together. She will also appear in Harold and the Purple Crayon, which was originally set for 2023 but has now been delayed to 2024. Deschanel's career is certainly not slowing down, and her career is going in some exciting places. Here are twelve of Zooey Deschanel’s best performances, ranked.
12 Failure to Launch (2006)
Sarah Jessica Parker stars as an expert interventionist hired to help get a 35-year-old man (Matthew McConaughey) out of his parents home in the romantic comedy Failure to Launch, which chronicles the hilarious process the determined Paula goes through in order to help the perpetual man-child Tripp finally leave the nest. Zooey Deschanel steals the show as Paula's offbeat and delightfully strange roommate Kit, who ends up falling for Tripp's pal Ace (Justin Bartha) despite their awkward beginning. The flick was a box office success and grossed $130 million and earned an A- CinemaScore.
11 Surf's Up (2007)
With an impressive voice cast led by Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, and Zooey Deschanel, the animated mockumentary comedy Surf's Up centers on ambitious surfer penguin Cody Maverick (LaBeouf) as he sets out to win the prestigious Penguin World Surfing Championship and finally earns the respect of his peers, receiving help and encouragement from the washed-up but wise surfer Geek (Bridges) and kind-hearted lifeguard Lani (Deschanel). The endearing film was both a critical and commercial success and left moviegoers feeling happy and motivated to pursue their own dreams, no matter how big or small.
10 Our Idiot Brother (2011)
Starring Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Rashida Jones, Emily Mortimer, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, and Zooey Deschanel, Our Idiot Brother follows Ned (Rudd) as he barges into the lives of his three sisters after a drug deal went wrong. After his release from prison, he moves in with the three sisters (Banks, Mortimer, and Deschanel), where he accidentally exposes the problems in each of their lives, including an affair. This dramatic comedy hit the big screen in 2011 and is a charming family story about how the truth will set you free.
9 The Good Girl (2002)
Jennifer Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal appear as two unlikely lovers who begin a passionate affair in the dramedy The Good Girl, in which the Friends alum portrays unhappy discount store clerk Justine Last, who is unsatisfied with her marriage to her lazy and unambitious pot-smoker husband (John C. Reilly) and develops a deep bond with the store's new shy stock boy Holden (Gyllenhaal).
Zooey Deschanel is right in her element as Justine's young and cynical co-worker Cheryl, often providing scathing commentary on the state of both their seemingly mundane lives. The Good Girl earned widespread acclaim upon its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, with praise for its compelling performances, wry humor, and compelling performances by Aniston and her fellow cast members.
8 All the Real Girls (2003)
David Gordon Green directed the romantic drama All the Real Girls, which chronicles the blossoming relationship between small town lothario Paul (Paul Schneider) as he strikes up a romance with his best friend's beautiful and virginal younger sister Noel (Deschanel). After a string of one night stands and meaningless dalliances, Paul must prove to his pal Tip (Shea Whigham) that he is worthy of his sibling's affection and sets out to be the man that Noel deserves. For her vulnerable and delicate performance, Deschanel was nominated for Best Female Lead at the Independent Spirit Awards.
7 Manic (2001)
The underrated and poignant independent drama Manic marks the first time Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt shared the screen as romantic interests (doing so once again in (500) Days of Summer), focusing on aggressive teen Lyle Jensen as he is sent to a juvenile psychiatric ward after violently beating another kid and connects with the hospital's fellow misfits.
Lyle develops a profound connection with sexual assault survivor Tracy (Deschanel) as the institution's caring faculty member Dr. David Monroe (Don Cheadle) attempts to help Lyle work through his issues during group therapy session. Manic is a gripping and moving picture that features some stellar performances by its then-up-and-coming leads, and the tentative-and-sweet relationship between Lyle and Tracy showcased the undeniable chemistry between the two dynamic actors.
6 Elf (2003)
One of the biggest Christmas movies to ever hit the silver screen, Elf is a cult classic starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, Ed Asner, Mary Steenburgen, Faizon Love, Amy Sedaris, Peter Dinklage, and Zooey Deschanel. This hilarious holiday movie tells the story of Buddy the Elf (Ferrell) as he leaves the North Pole for New York City to find his real dad. Along the way, he falls for his co-worker, Jovie (Deschanel). Elf won several awards, earned about $225 million at the box office, and had the fourth-biggest Christmas movie opening of all time.
5 Almost Famous (2000)
One of Zooey Deschanel's first roles, Almost Famous, also stars Billy Crudup, Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, and Anna Paquin. Almost Famous is set in the 1970s and follows William Miller, a teenager aspiring to be a rock journalist. When William gets his first gig writing for Rolling Stone, they send him on tour with Stillwater to document his entire tour experience — the good, the bad, and the ugly. While her role was small, Deschanel said the role was "career-making" and even did an interview with Rolling Stone on the twenty-year anniversary.
4 The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (2005)
Starring Martin Freeman, Yasiin Bey, Sam Rockwell, and Zooey Deschanel, The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy is based on the book of the same name by Douglas Adams. The movie follows a journeyman named Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman), who is rescued and transported from Earth by his friend Ford (Bey), moments before the planet is set to be destroyed by aliens. Deschanel portrays Arthur's love interest in the film, Trillian, who has been riding around the galaxy with Zaphod Beeblebrox (Rockwell). This sci-fi adventure comedy was nominated for ten awards.
3 Yes Man (2008)
Yes Man is a 2008 movie starring Jim Carrey, John Michael Higgins, Bradley Cooper, and Zooey Deschanel. This romantic comedy tells the story of Carl (Carrey), a man living a humdrum life who decides to say "yes" to absolutely everything after he takes a personal development course. During his journey of saying “yes” to everything, he meets Allison (Deschanel), a dazzling woman in a band called Munchausen By Proxy, who helps to turn his world upside down.
2 500 Days of Summer (2009)
Starring Joseph-Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, 500 Days of Summer is a romantic comedy about Tom (Gordon-Levitt) as he reflects on his relationship with Summer (Deschanel). Over the course of the movie, he tries to figure out how their relationship fell to pieces through snippets and vignettes of their 500-day relationship. 500 Days of Summer, a cult classic, received dozens of nominations and became an indie hit overnight. The movie veers away from the expected and therefore had a major impact on younger audiences.
1 New Girl (2011-2018)
Created by Elizabeth Meriwether, New Girl is one of the most successful television shows of all time. The series ran for seven seasons across eight years. The series stars Max Greenfield, Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, Damon Wayans Jr., and Hannah Simone. It all starts with Jess (Deschanel), a quirky teacher looking for a place to live, when she stumbles into a loft space ad with three male roommates — Nick, Schmidt, and Coach. Over the course of the series, Jess and her roommates have adventures as they grow in their careers and relationships.
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