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Zooey Deschanel

Zooey Deschanel

Actor, also producer · Born January 17, 1980 (46) · Los Angeles, California, USA

Primetime Emmy nominee · Golden Globe nominee · 2 other major award bodies

Zooey Deschanel (born January 17, 1980) is an American actress and musician. She made her film debut in Mumford (1999) and had a supporting role in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous (2000). Deschanel is known for her deadpan roles in comedy films such as The Good Girl (2002), The New Guy (2002), Elf (2003), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Failure to Launch (2006), Yes Man (2008), and 500 Days of Summer (2009). From 2011 to 2018, she starred as Jess Day on the Fox sitcom New Girl, for which she received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. Deschanel is also a co-founder of the female-focused website HelloGiggles, which was acquired by Time Inc. in 2015.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 17, 1980 (46)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
48 on MovieCove · 60 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 29% in 30 days

What are Zooey Deschanel's films like?

Across their 38 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Animation4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile
: browse their Animation movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
34%
Bonds
33%
Survival
11%
Society
11%
Ideas
6%
Morality
5%
Family bonds13 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose11 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love10 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age6 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 34 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 23 · Serious 6 · Dark 5

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 15 · Stylized 13 · Heightened 6

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 17 · Charged 14 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 20 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 5

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 13 · Funny 14

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 18 · Even-paced 16 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 23 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 25 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 5

Roles they play

20 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 8 of 20 analyzed roles.

Ally
8 of 20
Hero
5 of 20
Shapeshifter
4 of 20
Herald
2 of 20
Threshold guardian
1 of 20
Show the 20 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
17
Warm
13
Contemplative
13
Absurd
10
Tense
10
Other
44

How their films linger

Feel-good21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet19
  • Ambiguous5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Zooey Deschanel's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 34 of their 48 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Zooey Deschanel's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

60 credits, 48 with a MovieCove page; 42 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Trash Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Abbi

  • Merv(2025)

    as Anna Finch

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Harold and the Purple Crayon(2024)

    as Terry

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Trolls Band Together(2023)

    as Bridget (voice)

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Dreamin' Wild(2022)

    as Nancy

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • What Am I Eating? with Zooey Deschanel(2023)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows

  • StoryBots: Answer Time(2022)

    Show 1 episode · as Cat Burglar

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all shows

  • Snoopy Presents: Lucy's School(2022)

    Songs

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Physical(2021)

    Show 7 episodes · as Kelly Kilmartin

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Trolls World Tour(2020)

    as Bridget (voice)

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Trolls Holiday(2017)

    as Bridget (voice)

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Trolls(2016)

    as Bridget (voice)

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Rock the Kasbah(2015)

    as Ronnie

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • The Driftless Area(2015)

    as Stella

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Brooklyn Nine-Nine(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Jessica 'Jess' Day

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • New Girl(2011)

    Show 146 episodes · Director · Co-Executive Producer · Producer · as Jessica 'Jess' Day

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Our Idiot Brother(2011)

    as Natalie Rochlin

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Your Highness(2011)

    as Belladonna

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Winnie the Pooh(2011)

    Songs · as additional voice

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • 500 Days of Summer(2009)

    as Summer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Yes Man(2008)

    as Renee Allison

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Gigantic(2008)

    as Happy

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Happening(2008)

    as Alma Moore

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Flakes(2007)

    as Miss Pussy Katz

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Tin Man(2007)

    Show 3 episodes · as DG

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford(2007)

    as Dorothy Evans

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Surf's Up(2007)

    as Lani Aliikai (voice)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Raving (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Katie

  • Bridge to Terabithia(2007)

    as Ms. Edmunds

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Go-Getter(2007)

    as Kate

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Good Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Frances

  • Live Free or Die(2006)

    as Cheryl

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Failure to Launch(2006)

    as Kit

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Winter Passing(2005)

    as Reese Holden

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Once Upon a Mattress(2005)

    as Lady Larken

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Bones(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Margaret Whitesell

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy(2005)

    as Trillian

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • American Dad!(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Dream Girl (voice) · as French Maid / Candy Striper Stripper (voice)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Eulogy(2004)

    as Kate Collins

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Cracking Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as Heidi

  • Players in Pigtails (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Actor

  • Elf(2003)

    as Jovie

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • House Hunting (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Christy

  • It's Better to Be Wanted for Murder Than Not to Be Wanted at All (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Gas Station Girl

  • All the Real Girls(2003)

    as Noel

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Whatever We Do (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Nikki

  • Manic(2001)

    as Tracy

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Abandon(2002)

    as Samantha Harper

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Sweet Friggin' Daisies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Zelda

  • The Good Girl(2002)

    as Cheryl

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The New Guy(2002)

    as Nora

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Big Trouble(2002)

    as Jenny Herk

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Almost Famous(2000)

    as Anita Miller

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Mumford(1999)

    as Nessa Watkins

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Veronica's Closet(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Elena

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • Frasier(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Jen

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • The Simpsons(1989)

    Show 3 episodes · as Mary Spuckler (voice) · as Quirk Girl (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Heather of the Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Trolls 4 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Bridget (voice)

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 60 titles, 58 of them dated from 1989 to 2026; peak year 2007.

Biggest box office

Trolls (2016)

$347M worldwide

Highest rated

Almost Famous (2000)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

New Girl (2011)

Film career

MilestoneNomination
19892026

Peak 2007 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 23 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting58 of 60: 56 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score56thDirecting1 of 60: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleProducing2 of 60: 1 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew2 of 60: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1980s1 · acting1990s4 · acting2000s34 · acting2010s9 · 9 acting · 2 crew2020s10 · 8 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 11% of 37 roles
99040919

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

6 major nominations and no wins, 2004–2014.

  1. 2014
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
  2. 2013
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
  3. 2012
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television
  4. 2004
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Female Lead

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Zooey Deschanel's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of all 37; across their 34 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 51st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Reach · how many have seen their films

90thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Midcredits score across 48 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th18
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th9

Shape of the crowd

24 of their 48 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser24
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed14

Most divisive · actor, producer

What Am I Eating? with Zooey Deschanel (2023)

76th percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Almost Famous (2000)

Midcredits 98th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 33 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 44. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Zooey Deschanel's work okay for kids?

Across up to 24 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore18 titles21–79 · median 31 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity24 titles16–59 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity19 titles24–74 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs19 titles7–61 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense17 titles10–60 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Zooey Deschanel work with?

People who share at least 2 of Zooey Deschanel's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Paul Schneider shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles