Bubbly and bright, Zooey Deschanel is as California as it gets. She grew up in Los Angeles’ thriving entertainment scene to a family of creatives—her dad is a cinematographer while her mom and sister (Bones star Emily Deschanel) are both actors. Naturally, Deschanel decided to join the family business.
Deschanel made a name for herself with breakout roles in acclaimed films like Almost Famous, Elf, and 500 Days of Summer. She is best known, however, for her portrayal of the dorky-yet-lovable Jessica Day on Fox’s hit sitcom New Girl. (She also lends her voice to the show’s catchy opening theme song.) New Girl, which premiered in 2011, gained a second life and a new generation of fans after all seven seasons were added to Netflix. Today, it remains one of the streaming platform’s most popular shows.
Beyond acting, Deschanel is an accomplished singer and currently forms one half of the vintage pop duo She & Him alongside folk artist M. Ward. She has also made significant contributions as an entrepreneur and advocate for accessible, healthy living through her ventures Lettuce Grow and Merryfield. The 2024 California Visitor’s Guide cover star sat down and took the California Questionnaire, sharing her enduring love for the Golden State.
Where do you live? Los Angeles.
Why there? Because that’s where my family lives.
What is your greatest California love? I love the redwood forests. And the Hollywood Bowl.
What is the biggest misperception about Californians? That we’re all surfers, that we all love the beach.
What is the stereotype that most holds true? That we’re pretty friendly. We really are.
What’s your favorite California splurge? A smoothie from Erewhon.
Time for a road trip. Where are you going? A great road trip is going up to Ojai and then on to Montecito—you get the valley and the beach. Ojai is so cute. There are so many lovely restaurants and shops to visit. You can spend time just enjoying that beautiful place, and then it’s only a half-hour drive to Montecito, which is on the beach. You could have lunch in Ojai and dinner in Montecito.
Where would you go for the ultimate shopping spree? Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice has great shopping. It’s unique, and there are a ton of stores there. It feels very California. I can’t think of any other place that’s like it. Melrose Place also has a lot of really nice stores. It’s a little tiny street off Melrose Avenue, and it feels very random and very L.A. Those are two good places to shop.
If you could decree an official state culinary experience, what would it be? Tacos!
Best California song? There’s a Beach Boys song called “Surf ’s Up.” It feels very California. It’s a very beautiful, classically influenced pop song, and it’s lovely.
How would your California dream day unfold? I’d start by going to a wonderful place, the Huntington Botanical Gardens in Pasadena. The gardens look so beautiful— you feel like you’re in Europe. There’s another botanical garden nearby called Descanso Gardens, which feels more California-specific. I would go visit both gardens and then explore Pasadena, which is a lovely city. It’s very historical. It has lots of beautiful architecture. After a full day like that, I’d probably go out to dinner. I like to cook, but I really love and appreciate going to restaurants.
