Zooey Claire Deschanel (/ˈzoʊ.iː deɪʃəˈnɛl/; born January 17, 1980) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. 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.