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Zooey Deschanel

Zooey Deschanel Quotes

Actress

Zooey Deschanel is an American actress, singer, and songwriter born on January 17, 1980, in Los Angeles. Known for her unique vintage style and quirky personality, she has appeared in films such as "Elf," "500 Days of Summer," "The New Guy," and "Yes Man." She gained critical acclaim for her role in "The Help," earning a Golden Globe nomination. Beyond acting, she co-founded the indie folk duo She & Him with musician M. Ward, showcasing her musical talents. Coming from a family in the entertainment industry, she has become one of Hollywood's most distinctive multi-hyphenate artists.

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All Thinking People Ifs Feels Knows Way Want Mean Song Actors

Famous Zooey Deschanel Quotes

“I'm a person who has a lot of energy. So, yes, I don't really stop to rest or de-stress. I just keep going. I figure that if you don't stop, then you'll never notice how tired you are.”

Ifs Persons Energy Figures Stress Tired Keep Going De Stress

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“The internet's like one big bathroom wall with a lot of people who anonymously can say really mean things. It's fine, I believe in freedom of speech and I think people should think what they want, but I don't care to hear it.”

People Thinking Want Should Believe Mean Bigs Care I Believe Freedom Wall Fine Internet Speech Don't Care I Believe In I Don't Care Freedom Of Speech Bathroom Really Mean Bathroom Wall

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“Classic Christmas cookies are really time-consuming. Instead, make a bar you can bake in a pan and just cut up, like a brownie or a blondie or a shortbread, which still has that Christmas vibe.”

Stills Cutting Bars Classic Cookies Consuming Time Consuming Brownies Classic Christmas Blondie

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“From my perspective, probably women are won over by people who are sweet and respectful and courteous and kind and funny. I think those are the things that win women over.”

People Thinking Kind Winning Sweet Perspective Respectful Courteous

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I wasn't really the most charming person, socially - it took me a long time to develop my people skills - but the one place I was always comfortable was onstage, acting or singing.”

People Persons Long Acting Skills Comfortable Long Time Singing Charming People Skills

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“It's an addiction. I love clothes. I like to go down Melrose and look in all the windows and I go to different flea markets. I have lots of costumes. You never know when you're going to have to dress up like a milkmaid from the 1600s.”

Knows Looks Different Clothes Window Dresses Addiction Costumes Fleas Flea Markets

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“Certain aspects of my personality are always going to come out on-screen. I guess that's just me - if they say I'm quirky, I'm quirky. It's better than being boring.”

Ifs Certain Personality Aspect Boring Screens Quirky

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“Every show is unique; some shows have the master plan and have everything figured out and that's just the way they do things. It's like high school. Some people write their papers the second they get their assignments, and some people write it the day after it's due.”

People Way Writing Shows School Plans Masters Paper Unique High School Dues Papers Assignments

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“Growing up in Hollywood meant there were a lot of film stars' kids at my school - but no conspicuous wealth. It wasn't cool to show off that you had money.”

Shows Kids School Film Stars Wealth Growing Up Growing Hollywood Showing Off Film Stars

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I always choose roles that are, you know, hopefully different from the last role. I don't wanna do the same thing over and over again because that's, well, first of all that's no fun.”

Knows Firsts Wells Different Lasts Fun Roles Hopefully

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I always wanted to be normal. I tried really hard, but it's like I try so hard and then people still say I'm offbeat. I've learnt to accept that and take advantage of it as an actor.”

People Trying Stills Hard Wanted Actors Accepting Normal Advantage Offbeat

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I did not have a date to the prom. I went to my junior prom alone, and my senior prom, I was doing my first movie. I went in a limousine with, like, a bunch of people to my junior prom. It was a group date.”

People Firsts Groups Bunch Senior Juniors Prom Limousines Senior Prom

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I feel there are tone singers, and there are more vocal gymnastics singers. And I think that's amazing when people can do that, but I think there's room for the tone singers. And there aren't a lot of them.”

People Thinking Feels Can Do Rooms Singers Tone Vocal Gymnastics

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I get embarrassed a lot of times getting attention, but I like being onstage. Do you know what I mean? If I'm in a crowd of people and they're all looking at me, I will feel embarrassed. It's a strange dichotomy.”

People Ifs Knows Feels Mean Attention Strange Crowds Do You Know Embarrassed Dichotomy

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I just feel like growing up in Los Angeles, you learn, 'Well you're never gonna be the prettiest girl in the room, so just don't even try.' I mean, I care about being pretty, but it's not my most valued thing.”

Feels Trying Wells Mean Care Girl Rooms Growing Up Growing Los Angeles I Care Prettiest Being Pretty

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I like acting with no lines because all of a sudden you're able to express things without always worrying about the text. It's great to have a great text, but there's a lot of stuff you can't say in words, and I think there's something really nice about good physical moments.”

Thinking Moments Able Stuff Lines Acting Worry Nice Really Nice Always Worrying

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I listened to a lot of Joni Mitchell in high school. She was sort of an inspiration to me. I think she's a great lyricist, and she makes interesting choices.”

Thinking Inspiration School Choices Interesting High School Lyricists

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I love indie movies. I think that independent cinema is where it's at and where a lot of trends begin. It's where new filmmakers are breaking through.”

Thinking Independent Cinema Filmmaker Trends Indie Movie

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I put myself out there; it's part of my job, and I get it: people will attack me. At first I was thrown off, but now I have a pretty thick skin about it.”

People Firsts Jobs Skins Thrown Thick Thick Skin

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I sort of consider myself a comedic actress, not a comedienne. I think it's different. You know, I'm not a stand-up or anything, but playing into comedic situations is sort of where, I think, my strength lies.”

Thinking Knows Different Lying Situation Actresses Comedic

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I tend to like simple music. And clever, succinct lyrics. Songs that don't try to be more than they need to to be effective, to stir up something emotionally within you.”

Needs Trying Song Simple Clever Within You

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I think I'm a fun flatmate. I'm always cheerful. I go on tour with my band so it's 12 people on one bus and I feel like I'm the one who's happy in the morning. I'm not a chaotic person, but I might slack off on doing the dishes from time to time.”

People Thinking Feels Persons Might Fun Morning Goes On Band Bus Dishes Cheerful Chaotic Flatmates

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I think making a movie or a record, the best things happen by accident - and those end up being the magic. Every time I've followed my gut it's been better than when I've tried to do what I was supposed to do.”

Thinking Ends Happens Records Magic Accidents Things Happen Best Things Guts

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I think my own personal style always ends up seeping into characters that I play. I've always had a very distinct idea of fashion for myself, and what a character should wear.”

Thinking Should Ideas Ends Play Character My Own Fashion Style Personal Style

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I think the best comedic actors don't play it for comedy, they play it for reality. Then you find it funny because it's real. Playing the genre is the worst thing you can do - it's embarrassing.”

Thinking Real Play Reality Actors Can Do Comedy Worst Genre Worst Things Embarrassing You Can Do It Comedic Genre Is

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I wanted to be a child actor so bad that every day I'd beg my parents if I could audition, but my mom said, 'Not until you can drive yourself to auditions.'”

Ifs Children Said Wanted Actors Parent Mom My Mom If I Could Auditions Child Actors

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I went to Northwestern because I had gone to a really nontraditional high school. I was like, 'It'd be cool to have a traditional college experience.' Then I was like, 'Oh, but none of these people understand what's cool about me. My specialness is not appreciated in this place.'”

People School Gone College High School Traditional Appreciated Being Cool Specialness Northwestern College Experience Not Appreciated

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I'm a romantic, but I'm not a romantic in the traditional sense. I like to romanticize what happens to me. Whatever happens to me - you could quantify it as good or bad - I romanticize it. I think along the lines of 'When that thing happened, it made me who I am.' That kind of thing. It's a different way of being romantic.”

Thinking Way Kind Made Different Happens Lines Happened Who I Am Traditional Different Ways Whatever Happens

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I'm always trying to do stuff I haven't done before or challenge myself so I'm not resting on my laurels all of the time because if I just found my little niche and never left it, I'd be pretty boring, I think.”

Ifs Thinking Trying Littles Done Found Left Stuff Challenges Havens Boring Always Trying Niche Laurels

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I'm wary about this thing about being in the generation of social networking where people are like, 'I am my musical taste.' I am not just a collection of music. Or a collection of movies. I think that's a thing that people romanticize: 'Oh my God, she likes this band so she is a dream.'”

People Thinking Dream Social Generations Taste Band Musical Likes Collections Networking Social Networking Musical Taste

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I've always been really picky about roles and make a point of reminding myself that it's not about the money - because, obviously, there's a lot of money to be made in this business if you're willing to do anything.”

Ifs Made Roles Willing Lots Of Money Reminding Picky

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I've always straddled a weird line - there's a lot of mainstream stuff that I love. At the same, I still feel like an outsider. I'm the outsider who's on the inside.”

Feels Stills Stuff Lines Mainstream Outsiders

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I've had experiences where I wasn't allowed to change words around at all because you have to say everything, exactly as written on the page. That's not fun for me. For me, part of being an actor is being able to contribute to a character's rhythms. If there's room to explore, you find a happy medium.”

Ifs Character Able Actors Fun Rooms Written Pages Mediums Rhythm

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“I've never pursued a role. I always hear stories about actors going after parts and I'm, like, 'How do they do that?' It seems so weird. It seems like a total myth or something.”

Stories Seems Actors Roles Myth Pursued

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“If you're eight and you live in Los Angeles and everybody has toys and you go to a country that has a Marxist dictatorship and there are no toy stores and nobody speaks English and it's blazing hot every day and they only have fish, which you don't like, then you tend not to appreciate the cultural lessons you're learning.”

Ifs Country Speak Lessons Appreciate Hot Fishes Eight Stores Los Angeles Toys Dictatorship Marxist Blazing Speak English

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“It's a lot harder to do an ensemble because your energy is going in so many different places, and you have to cover everybody. You have to sort of split your attention.”

Different Energy Attention Harder Splits Different Place Ensemble

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“It's very much a piece of myself when I write a song. I don't mean to say it's very personal, like the lyrics mean something personal to me. When I write a song, that's my taste in music - my taste in chord progressions and melodies.”

Writing Mean Song Pieces Taste Melody Chords Progression Taste In Music

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“Modern recording has made it so that people can spend forever taking shortcuts and making everything uniform, but that strips music of what makes it exciting.”

People Made Forever Modern Exciting Made It Uniforms Shortcuts

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“My nursery school did a production of 'The Three Little Pigs.' I played the third pig. When the wolf knocked on my door, I refused to get up and answer it because, to me, he was knocking the wrong way. I just lay there, snoring away on stage, fully immersed in my character. My dad turned to my mom and said: 'Dustin Hoffman.'”

“Not that there is anything wrong with confessional songwriting, there are plenty of people that do that I admire. I think it is great; it just isn't how I do things.”

People Thinking Admire Plenty Songwriting

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“Oh my God, there are so many songs I wish I had written. 'Waters of March,' I wish I had written 'My Baby Just Cares for Me,' I wish I had written 'This Will Be Our Year,' I mean, there's millions of them. 'Wouldn't It Be Nice?'”

Years Mean Care Song Wish Water Millions Nice Written Baby March Being Nice My Baby

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“People sometimes say, 'Oh, you were a movie star,' and I'm like, 'No, I was a supporting actress.' I wasn't an A-list actress, and I'm fine with that. I'm proud of what I did in film.”

People Sometimes Film Stars Fine Proud Actresses Lists Movie Star

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“The moment you sense someone is making something because they think people are gonna buy it or like it, it's just so phony! The public has a nose for phony like nobody else.”

People Thinking Moments Noses Phony

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“True love that lasts forever... yes, I do believe in it. My parents have been married for 40 years and my grandparents were married for 70 years. I come from a long line of true loves.”

Years Believe Long Has Beens Lasts Parent Lines Forever Married Grandparent Long Lines

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“Well, my piano's really beautiful. I actually have two pianos. I have a Yamaha upright from the '60s that's blond, wood, and black, and I also have one from the '20s from Chicago - not a well-known brand or anything.”

Wells Two Beautiful Black Known Woods Brands Piano Chicago Well Known Really Beautiful Yamaha

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“What led me to be an actor is that I have a strange something in me that can drastically change the way I appear to the world. Growing up, I couldn't understand why people would always have different ideas of me - but because of that I became aware of how you can manipulate your own ability to change. And then I learned to make a career of it.”

People World Way Ideas Different Actors Ability Careers Growing Up Growing Strange Manipulate Different Ideas Ability To Change

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“When I exercise, I like to take lots of different classes because I want to really apply myself and feel like I'm learning a new skill. Not that I ever want to have to demonstrate any of those skills!”

Want Feels Different Class Exercise Skills New Skills

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“When you have endless time, you take all day to go to the grocery store. But, if you have to be at work for 14 hours a day, you manage your time better. I know I do.”

Ifs Knows Hours Stores Endless Manage Groceries Grocery Stores Endless Time

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“Women I admired growing up - Debra Winger, Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep - were all beautiful and thin, but not too thin. There are a lot of actresses who are unhealthy-skinny - much, much too skinny. You can't Pilates to that.”

Beautiful Growing Up Growing Actresses Skinny Unhealthy Pilates

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“You go to something like the Golden Globes, and it's the most glamorous place you could ever be, but then you go home and you're still like, 'Urgh, this dress is too tight, I wanna take off these shoes and put on my pyjamas.' At the end of the night all the glamour goes away and you're just a human.”

Humans Stills Ends Home Night Dresses Shoes Golden Globes Glamour Glamorous

Author:Zooey Deschanel

About the Author

Born: January 17, 1980
Known for: Actress
Quotes: 259

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