Jan 17, 1980

Los Angeles, California, USA

Zooey is often compared to golden era Hollywood starlets and is also a talented singer. She has said in interviews that she believes her singing ability was pivotal in gaining the role of Jovie in Elf (2003). She also sang (and acted) in the Disney-produced musical, Once Upon a Mattress (2005) (TV).
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Deschanel was born in Los Angeles, California, and brought up in various international locations because of her father's work. She is the daughter of Academy Award-nominated cinematograp... ... (read more...) her Caleb Deschanel and actress Mary Jo Weir; her sister, Emily Deschanel, is also an actress. Her paternal grandfather was French and the remainder of her ancestry is Irish American. The name "Zooey" was inspired by the male character of the same name in J. D. Salinger's novel Franny and Zooey.

Zooey attended the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, an elite performance summer camp located in New York. She attended Northwestern University before dropping out to pursue her acting career.