Zooey Claire Deschanel (/ˈzoʊ.iː deɪʃəˈnɛl/; born January 17, 1980) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, model, musician, and producer. In 1999, Deschanel made her film debut in Mumford, followed by her breakout role as Anita Miller in Cameron Crowe's 2000 semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous. Deschanel soon became known for her deadpan comedy roles in 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). She also received acclaim for her dramatic turns in films Manic (2001), All the Real Girls (2003), Winter Passing (2005) and Bridge to Terabithia (2007). She has played Jessica Day on the Fox sitcom New Girl since 2011, for which she has received an Emmy Award nomination and three Golden Globe Award nominations. USA Today described her performance as "Given a role tailored to launch her from respected indie actor to certified TV star, Deschanel soars, combining well-honed skills with a natural charm."

For a few years starting in 2001, Deschanel performed in the jazz cabaret act If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies with fellow actress Samantha Shelton. Besides singing, she plays keyboards, percussion, banjo, and ukulele. In 2006, Deschanel teamed up with M. Ward to release their debut album Volume One, under the name She & Him which was released in March 2008. Their follow-up album Volume Two was released in the U.S. in March 2010, with their Christmas album A Very She & Him Christmas being released in 2011, Volume 3 in 2013, and Classics in 2014. She also received Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media nomination for her song "So Long" which featured in Winnie the Pooh soundtrack.

Deschanel is also co-founder of female-focused website HelloGiggles.