Zooey Deschanel’s 10 Best Movies And TV Shows

Zooey Deschanel grew up singing and planned to pursue a career in musical theater, and some of her best movies and TV shows still make use of her vocal abilities. With parents and an older sister who work in the movie industry, it’s no surprise that Deschanel would pursue acting alongside music. She made her acting debut in 1998 in the television series Veronica’s Closet, and she has essentially not stopped working since.

In addition to singing, Deschanel has collaborated with several musicians and bands. She has also appeared in movies and television and lent her voice to animated projects and video games. She is known for playing particularly quirky characters, but her best movies and TV shows demonstrate that not all of those quirky roles are exactly the same.

10

Bones (2009)

As Margaret Whitesell

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Bones

Comedy

Drama

Crime

25

9.3/10

Release Date

2005 – 2016

Network

FOX

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Emily Deschanel

    Emily Deschanel

  • Headshot Of T.J. Thyne

    T.J. Thyne

Showrunner

Hart Hanson

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Zooey Deschanel only appears in a single episode of Bones, but it’s a good one for her. The crime procedural centers on Temperance Brennan, played by Deschanel’s real-life sister, Emily Deschanel. Brennan is a forensic anthropologist with a complicated family history which means she does not know her extended family members. Margaret is a cousin she has never met before the episode.

Zooey Deschanel’s Margaret does not initially get along with Brennan. Though the two have some similar traits when it comes to interacting with others, Margaret likes to use Benjamin Franklin quotes in order to deflect from herself. They eventually bond when Brennan reveals she is more interested in getting to know her cousin than Benjamin Franklin. The chemistry between the two is likely aided by their real sisterhood, but they play the awkward interactions brilliantly.

A composite image of the TV show Bones, showing David Boreanaz as Booth and his wedding to Emily Deschanel as Brennan.

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Bones produced 12 seasons and 246 episodes in total, but the best installments send Booth and Brennan on cases that stand the test of time.

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9

Our Idiot Brother (2011)

As Natalie

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Our Idiot Brother

R

Comedy

Drama

Release Date

August 26, 2011

Runtime

90 Minutes

Cast

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    Paul Rudd

    Nedrick Ned Rochlin

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    Elizabeth Banks

    Miranda Rochlin

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    Zooey Deschanel

    Natalie Rochlin

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    Emily Mortimer

    Liz Rochlin Byng

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Though this 2011 movie is really a better showcase for Paul Rudd as his character travels from family member to family member, the actors playing his sisters are also all incredibly funny and great in their roles.

Our Idiot Brother follows a man who finds himself kicked out of the home he shares with his girlfriend. He stays with each of his sisters, upending their lives and exposing cracks in each of their relationships.

Deschanel plays Natalie, one of the sisters. She is a hipster living with her girlfriend, so the character is a bit of a departure from some of her other roles. She is the only sister who actively confides in her brother, but her life is still upended by him when her girlfriend agrees to help him get his dog back, only to find out that Natalie cheated on her. Though Deschanel’s character makes mistakes and spends a lot of time fighting with her family, she is charming, and the chemistry between the cast members is great.

8

Bridge To Terabithia (2007)

As Ms Edmunds

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Bridge to Terabithia

PG

Drama

Fantasy

7/10

Release Date

February 16, 2007

Runtime

95 Minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Josh Hutcherson

    Josh Hutcherson

  • Headshot Of AnnaSophia Robb

    AnnaSophia Robb

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The role is very much a precursor to who she would be in her teaching scenes in New Girl.

As a novel, Bridge to Terabithia broke the hearts of an entire generation of children. The movie allowed it to do the same for a new group of kids.

The story follows two young friends who find an abandoned tree house and use the area to escape their reality. By imagining a whole new world, they are able to ignore the threats of bullies and troubles at home, bonding in their creativity.

While the more emotional performance in the movie belongs to Josh Hutcherson, Deschanel appears in the movie as the music teacher for the kids in the story. She plays the role as measured and fair and always ready to give just a little more attention to a kid who might be in trouble. The role is very much a precursor to who she would be in her teaching scenes in New Girl.

7

Tin Man (2007)

As DG

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tin man

TV-PG

Adventure

Fantasy

Drama

Release Date

2007 – 2006

Network

SyFy

Cast

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    Andrew Wheeler

    Ralph Bedose

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    Blu Mankuma

    Toto

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    Carmen Aguirre

    Cafe Waitress

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    Craig Veroni

    Resistance Fighter

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Tin Man might not be a miniseries too many people are familiar with, even die-hard Zooey Deschanel fans. The series was made for the Sci-Fi Channel (now SyFy). At the time, the network was experimenting with taking classic stories and reimagining them as science fiction tales. Alice in Wonderland became Alice, Peter Pan became Neverland, and The Wizard of Oz became Tin Man.

The series focuses on a small-town waitress who ends up in a world called The O.Z. There, she crosses paths with the titular Tin Man, who is actually a former law enforcement officer instead of a woodcutter made of tin. He gets the nickname from his badge. The world is ruled over by a powerful sorcerer, and it becomes DG’s mission to stop her.

The miniseries proved to be a fascinating way to adapt the story that people already knew from the novel or the 1939 movie. Deschanel had the perfect wide-eyed innocence that Judy Garland had as Dorothy, while still making DG a modern young woman in a sci-fi epic.

Tin Man was nominated for nine Emmys, winning one.

6

The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (2005)

As Tricia “Trillian” McMillan

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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

PG

Adventure

Comedy

Sci-Fi

Release Date

April 29, 2005

Runtime

109 Minutes

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    Bill Bailey

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    Martin Freeman

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    Yasiin Bey

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    Sam Rockwell

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The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy is the name given to a series of novels (and one within it) by Douglas Adams. Adams also co-wrote the screenplay for the movie before his death, and the movie is actually dedicated to his memory.

The story follows a man from Earth who is rescued from Earth’s destruction by a friend of his who is actually an alien penning The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. On their trip away from Earth, they cross paths with another human in space, a relative of the rescuer, and a depressed robot, all embarking on an adventure across the galaxy.

Deschanel plays Trillian, the human woman who happens to have also ended up on a spaceship on an adventure. The movie has a lot going on and a lot of quirky characters for the audience to keep up with. Deschanel’s is actually not the quirkiest of the bunch this time around. While the movie has a distinctly British sense of humor and is a lot of fun, it earned mixed reviews from critics, many of whom rightly presumed that general audiences not familiar with the book might get lost in the story.

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The Trolls Franchise (2016-2023)

As Bridget

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Trolls

PG

Animation

Adventure

Family

ScreenRant logo

5/10

8/10

Release Date

November 4, 2016

Runtime

93 Minutes

Cast

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    Russell Brand

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    Caroline Hjelt

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The 2016 animated movie Trolls brought audiences a fun new franchise for families to enjoy. Though the look of the animated movie might have been inspired by troll dolls, the movies are jukebox musicals using modern hits as well as classic songs. The fusion means parents as well as kids can find catchy songs to sing along with.

Deschanel debuts in the first movie of the franchise as Bridget, a Bergen and maid for another Bergen. The Bergen are originally the enemies of the Trolls. When Princess Poppy’s party leads to the Trolls being discovered by Bergen, she and Bridget end up meeting and becoming friends as Poppy decides to rescue the other trolls.

Bridget is such a fun character because she is presented as one of the only good Bergen who is allowed to grow – at first. The reality is that most of the Bergen are willing to be good and not go after the Trolls once Poppy and Bridget point out they don’t have to actually eat Trolls to be happy. Deschanel’s role as Bridget is a supporting one in the rest of the franchise, but she clearly has a good time with the voice work, which she, surprisingly, does not do much of in her career.

4

Elf (2003)

As Jovie

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Elf

PG

Family

Comedy

Fantasy

ScreenRant logo

10/10

20

9.2/10

Release Date

October 9, 2003

Runtime

97 minutes

Cast

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    Will Ferrell

    Buddy

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    James Caan

    Walter

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Elf has become a modern Christmas classic thanks to a fun script and some great comedy from Will Ferrell. While the movie undoubtedly belongs to Ferrell with his exuberance and childlike wonder in the role of a human raised as an elf, Deschanel plays an important supporting role.

The movie follows Ferrell’s Buddy as he journeys from the North Pole to New York City to meet the father he never knew. While he connects with his family, he also celebrates Christmas in the city and falls in love for the first time. Deschanel is an employee at a department store where Buddy accidentally ends up with a job. She appreciates his enthusiasm for things she may have taken for granted, like Christmas decorations.

Deschanel’s Jovie is initially a little more cynical than Buddy, but she comes to enjoy his antics. Once she gets swept up in his excitement for things like the world’s best cup of coffee, Jovie sparkles. Deschanel even gets to sing in the movie as the character.

3

(500) Days Of Summer (2009)

As Summer Finn

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(500) Days of Summer

PG-13

Comedy

Documentary

Drama

Romance

ScreenRant logo

9/10

8/10

Release Date

July 17, 2009

Runtime

95 minutes

Cast

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    Joseph Gordon-Levitt

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    Zooey Deschanel

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The audience knows how their story ends, but cannot help watching them get there.

(500) Days Of Summer is a romantic comedy made on a relatively small budget that became a sleeper hit at the box office. Word of mouth helped to make the movie a hit, and it’s become a modern rom-com classic.

The story is not told in a linear fashion as Joseph Gordon-Leavitt’s Tom chronicles his relationship with a woman named Summer. While Tom is a romantic who believes in love, Summer is upfront with him after they first meet, telling him she does not. She maintains that they will have a casual relationship, but Tom grows to need to be certain of where he stands with her. Their different approach to their relationship is ultimately their downfall, and Tom grows despondent after their breakup.

Part of what makes this movie so great is that it does not treat Tom and Summer’s romance as the perfect happy ending as so many rom-coms do. It takes a more realistic approach to dating and drives the point home that someone does not have to be “the one” in order for you to have an important relationship with them.

Deschanel and Gordon-Leavitt are both charming and work well together. It’s their chemistry that helps make the non-linear narrative work. The audience knows how their story ends, but cannot help watching them get there.

500 days of summer timeline

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500 Days of Summer Movie Timeline Explained

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2

Almost Famous (2000)

As Anita Miller

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Almost Famous

pg-13

Drama

Documentary

10/10

Release Date

September 15, 2000

Runtime

122minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot OF Billy Crudup

    Billy Crudup

  • Headshot Of Frances McDormand In The Los Angeles Premiere Of `Women Talking`

    Frances McDormand

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Almost Famous was only the second movie Deschanel acted in. While (500) Days Of Summer might be the best performance that Deschanel has given in a movie, Almost Famous is her best movie overall. It’s been widely recognized as one of the best movies of the modern era.

Almost Famous follows Patrick Fugit as a teenage journalist who travels with a rock band while writing about them for Rolling Stone. The job is his first cover story. Set in the 1970s, the movie has the feel of a road trip adventure, but it’s also a coming-of-age story as the teen at the center gets caught up in the antics of the band.

Deschanel’s role in the movie is relatively small. She plays Patrick’s sister who is only in a handful of scenes. The movie, however, could be credited with opening wider doors for her in Hollywood.

Despite poor box office performance, critics loved the movie. Audiences spread the word about how great Almost Famous really was, and it became a cult classic. The movie was nominated for four Oscars, winning one.

In 2021, Rolling Stone published the fictional article that was supposed to be written in the movie, “Stillwater Runs Deep!” and backdated it to August 30, 1973.

1

New Girl (2011-2018)

As Jess Day

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New Girl

TV-14

Comedy

ScreenRant logo

9/10

9.4/10

Release Date

2011 – 2017

Network

FOX

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Zooey Deschanel in The Fashion Trust U.S. Awards 2024

    Zooey Deschanel

  • Headshot Of Max Greenfield

    Max Greenfield

Showrunner

Elizabeth Meriwether

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Prior to New Girl, Deschanel was likely better known for portraying Summer Finn. Jess has become the most iconic character of her career now. That is partly because the show ran for much longer than she was involved in other projects and the audience essentially got to watch Jess grow up in New Girl.

New Girl follows Jess as she moves in with three strangers after her boyfriend cheats on her. Throughout the series, she bonds with them despite their massive differences. The series utilizes a lot of typical sitcom tropes, but it also acts as a coming-of-age story for adults in their thirties who work to find stable jobs and relationships.

Deschanel was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Emmy for New Girl.

Deschanel not only appeared in the leading role in the ensemble, but she also performed the theme song in the show and acted as a producer. The series allowed her and the rest of the cast a lot of creative freedom to improvise in their scenes and try new things, which allowed the show to become even funnier. New Girl’s cast had fantastic chemistry as well, which is why, years later, Zooey Deschanel and the rest of the cast often find themselves asked about possible reunions or revivals.