Zooey Claire Deschanel (born January 17, 1980) is an American actress, musician, and singer-songwriter. In 1999, Deschanel made her film debut in Mumford, followed by her breakout role as young protagonist William Miller's troubled older sister Anita in Cameron Crowe's 2000 semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous. Deschanel soon became known for her deadpan or "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" supporting roles in films such as Elf (2003), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Failure to Launch (2006), and Bridge to Terabithia (2007). She then began playing lead roles in films, including Yes Man (2008) and (500) Days of Summer (2009). She will next headline the new Fox series New Girl in fall 2011.
She is married to Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard.