It's tough to find an actress who is more beloved than Zooey Deschanel. She has cornered the market on being adorable and quirky while also being immensely talented. From shows like New Girl and Weeds to her film career, Deschanel is known to shine bright regardless of what she's doing.
Her movie career dates all the way back to 1999 and features a wide array of roles. While most of her work has been comedic, there are also sci-fi, fantasy, and voice acting roles, including a few where she busts out her incredible singing skills. The ratings at Rotten Tomatoes really help pick out what her greatest roles are.
Our Idiot Brother (70%)
It's always a treat to come across an independent movie that boasts a talented cast filled with notable names. In 2011, Our Idiot Brother was just that, featuring the likes of Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Rashida Jones, Emily Mortimer, Kathryn Hahn, and of course, Zooey Deschanel.
Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, Our Idiot Brother follows an idealistic yet dimwitted man (Rudd). He means well but ultimately wrecks the lives of his three sisters (Banks, Deschanel, and Mortimer) whenever he comes around. The screenplay and cast were praised for their charm.
All The Real Girls (71%)
One of the earliest releases on this list, All the Real Girls came before a time when Zooey Deschanel was a household name. It helped boost careers, though. Along with Deschanel, this was a launching pad for director David Gordon Green, who has since gone on to helm Pineapple Express and 2018's Halloween.
This 2003 film was co-written by Gordon Green and Paul Schneider. The lead role actually is also portrayed by Schenider, as he plays a womanizer who begins to fall for a girl named Noel (Deschanel). The issue is that Noel is his best friend's little sister. Deschanel earned a nomination for Best Female Lead at the 2004 Independent Spirit Awards.
Trolls (76%)
An animated movie where Zooey Deschanel can utilize her phenomenal singing voice? It's right up her alley. 2016's Trolls saw Deschanel join a wonderful cast also including Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, James Corden, and Gwen Stefani in this musical.
The movie is about two trolls who embark on a quest to save their village from creatures who eat their kind known as Bergens. Deschanel voices Bridget, one of the few kind-hearted Bergens. She returned in a brief cameo during the credits of Trolls World Tour, which has a 71% on Rotten Tomatoes and would've been listed if she had a bigger role.
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (76%)
As noted, the vast majority of Zooey Deschanel's career has seen her star in comedies of all different styles. There are a handful of oddities in there, though, and this is one of them. It might be the most dramatic movie she has appeared in and it's certainly the only Western.
Released in 2007, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is based on a 1983 novel. It tells the tale of the relationship between outlaw Jesse James (Brad Pitt) and Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) leading up to the fateful killing. Deschanel had a part as Dorothy Evans.
Surf's Up (79%)
Once again, Zooey Deschanel lends her voice to an animated picture. This one came nearly a decade before Trolls, as Surf's Up was initially in theaters in 2007. What made this particular film stand out was the way it used the mockumentary format in an animated setting.
Surf's Up focuses on the annual Penguin World Surfing Championship and Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf), who is entering for the first time. Deschanel voices Lani Aliikai, Cody's love interest. The film was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars and Deschanel reprised her role for the video game adaptation.
The Good Girl (82%)
Going back even further than All the Real Girls, The Good Girl hit theaters in 2002 after a run at the Sundance Film Festival. While it's not as widely known as some others on this list, it does feature a strong cast of Deschanel, Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, and John C. Reilly.
The central idea of The Good Girl sees a depressed store clerk (Aniston) make friends with a new co-worker who believes himself to be the human incarnation of Holden Caulfield (Gyllenhaal), the protagonist from The Catcher in the Rye. Deschanel plays Cheryl, another co-worker.
Elf (84%)
For the longest time, the holiday season was dominated by the likes of A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation. However, in 2003 the world was introduced to Elf. Since then, it has joined the ranks of the most iconic Christmas movies ever and is shown on TV consistently each year.
Elf centers on Buddy (Will Ferrell), a human who was raised on the North Pole after being adopted. Buddy returns to New York to meet his biological father and has to adapt to the regular world while spreading holiday cheer. In the city, he meets and falls in love with Jovie (Deschanel), who works with him.
Bridge To Terabithia (85%)
2007 was something of a banner year for Zooey Deschanel as this is the third movie from that year included. This is a coming-of-age fantasy tale based on a beloved 1977 novel of the same name. That made it one of the most anticipated movies of that year.
The story follows two neighbor kids who escape getting bullied by creating a fantastical world called Terabithia. The movie was led by future stars Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb. Meanwhile, Deschanel portrays Ms. Edmunds, a music teacher.
(500) Days of Summer (85%)
In 2001, Zooey Deschanel teamed up with Joseph Gordon-Levitt on Manic, a well-received indie film. They reunited in 2009 for an even better outing with the clever romantic comedy-drama, (500) Days of Summer. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and was considered one of the best films of the year.
Using a nonlinear narrative, the plot centers on the failed relationship between Tom (Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Deschanel) from start to finish. The performances of the leads were outstanding, the screenplay was brilliant, and the depiction of the romance was realistic. It also became a hit, grossing over $60 million and being nominated for a Golden Globe.
Almost Famous (89%)
It only took two feature films for Zooey Deschanel to truly have a role in a classic. Her second movie role came in 2000's Almost Famous, which has often been listed among the greatest films of all-time.Almost Famous sees a teenage journalist (Patrick Fugit) as he travels with a fictional rock band in the 1970s to write a story for Rolling Stone.
Parts of it are loosely based on writer/director Cameron Crowe's life. The film won a Grammy Award, the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, and Kate Hudson was nominated for several awards. Deschanel had a role as Anita, the older sister to the protagonist.