Television and film Actress who plays the character Jess Day on the sitcom New Girl. Her film credits include The Good Girl, Elf, Bridge to Terabithia, Almost Famous and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
She befriended fellow actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Kate Hudson while attending high school with them in Santa Monica, California. She made her film debut in the 1999 film Mumford.
She formed the musical duo She & Him with singer/guitarist M. Ward. They released their debut album, Volume One, in 2008.
She was married to Death Cab For Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard from 2009 until 2011. In January 2015, she got engaged to Jacob Pechenik, and the couple married later that year. They are parents to a daughter named Elsie Otter and a son named Charlie Wolf. Her dad is Academy Award-nominated Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and her mom is acclaimed Actress Mary Jo Deschanel. Her sister is Actress Emily Deschanel.
She began starring alongside Jake Johnson on the series New Girl in 2011.
