Emily Deschanel

Emily Deschanel

Active - 1994 - 2014  |   Born - Oct 11, 1976 in Los Angeles, California, United States  |   Genres - Comedy, Romance, Mystery

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Biography by AllMovie

An actress whose piercing, pale blue eyes could give even Meg Foster a run for her money, Emily Deschanel has come quite a long way since being listed as one of Interview magazine's "Six Actors to Watch" back in 2001. The firstborn daughter of Oscar-winning cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and actress Mary Jo Weir (their second was starlet Zooey), Emily received her B.F.A. in theater from Boston University before launching her career on the stage and screen. Early roles in It's a Shame About Ray and Rose Red found the rising starlet gradually gaining her footing before the cameras, and as her confidence as an actress increased, so did her screen time.

By the time Deschanel appeared in such features as Cold Mountain and The Alamo, viewers were already beginning to pick up on her talent, while she could also still be seen acting on-stage, frequently appearing in plays for the Interact Theatre Company. In 2003, Deschanel appeared in minor capacity as a receptionist in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2, with her role in Ghost House Pictures' 2004 frightener Boogeyman serving to prove that she was much more than just another pretty face.

As the 2000's rolled on, Deschanel would prove to be an even bigger force on the small screen, playing forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan, partner of FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz), on the popular Fox crime drama series Bones.

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Factsheet

  • Her father is Oscar-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel.
  • Was a member of Interact Theatre Company in Los Angeles.
  • Named one of six actors to watch in Interview magazine's annual Young Hollywood issue in 2004.
  • Landed her first TV starring role in 2005, when she was cast as Dr. Temperance Brennan on the Fox crime drama Bones.
  • First major big-screen part came with the horror movie Boogeyman (2005); subsequently appeared in Glory Road (2006) and My Sister's Keeper (2009), among others.