:Emily Deschanel
{{short description|American actress (born 1976)}}
{{distinguish|Émile Deschanel}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Emily Deschanel (31638941363) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Deschanel in 2017
| name = Emily Deschanel
| birth_name = Emily Erin Deschanel
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1976|10|11}}
| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| occupation = Actress
| yearsactive = 1993–present
| spouse = {{marriage|David Hornsby|September 25, 2010}}
| mother = Mary Jo Deschanel
| father = Caleb Deschanel
| relatives = Zooey Deschanel (sister)
| children = 2
| education = Boston University (BFA)
}}
Emily Erin Deschanel ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|d|eɪ|ʃ|ə|ˈ|n|ɛ|l}}; born October 11, 1976){{cite magazine|title=Monitor|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=Oct 14–21, 2011|issue=1176/1177|pages=34}} is an American actress. She played Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan in the Fox crime procedural series Bones (2005–2017).
Early life and education
Emily Erin Deschanel was born in Los Angeles, California,{{cite web|url = http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/emily-deschanel-149257/bio/| title= Emily Deschanel | publisher= TVGuide.com| access-date= January 25, 2017| archive-date= February 14, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214030130/http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/emily-deschanel-149257/bio/|url-status=live}} to cinematographer and director Caleb Deschanel and actress Mary Jo Deschanel (née Weir). Her younger sister is actress and singer-songwriter Zooey Deschanel.{{cite web|url=http://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/emily-deschannel-talks-to-womens-health|title=Interview with Emily Deschanel|date=April 2007|last=Miller|first=Sarah|access-date=February 12, 2011}} Her paternal grandfather was French, from Oullins, Rhône; her roots also include Swiss, Dutch, English, Irish, and other French ancestry.{{cite web|last=Powell|first=Kimberly|url=http://genealogy.about.com/b/2011/11/01/ancestors-emily-deschanel.htm|title=Interesting Ancestors of Emily & Zooey Deschanel|publisher=Genealogy.about.com|access-date=2012-10-28|archive-date=May 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515023530/http://genealogy.about.com/b/2011/11/01/ancestors-emily-deschanel.htm|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|last=Olsen |first=Mark |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-16-ca-olsen16-story.html |title=A scene stealer steps off the sidelines |work=Los Angeles Times |date=February 16, 2003 |access-date=December 10, 2010}}
Deschanel attended Harvard-Westlake School and Crossroads School in Los Angeles.{{cite web |url=http://www.thedailytruffle.com/los-angeles-natives/ |title=Los Angeles natives |publisher=thedailytruffle.com |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-date=May 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503183728/http://thedailytruffle.com/los-angeles-natives/ |url-status=dead }} In 1998, she graduated from the Boston University College of Fine Arts.{{Cite news |last=Barlow |first=Rich |last2=Brown |first2=Joel |last3=Bouranova |first3=Alene |date=18 May 2025 |title=“Empathy Is Essential,” BU Commencement Speaker Emily Deschanel Tells 2025 Graduates |url=https://www.bu.edu/articles/2025/bu-commencement-2025/#comments |access-date=19 May 2025 |work=BU Today}}
Career
File:Emily Deschanel.JPG, March 2009]]
In 1994, Deschanel made her feature film debut in the romantic comedy-drama It Could Happen to You, on which her father worked as chief cinematographer. Her next notable role was as Pam Asbury in Stephen King's horror miniseries Rose Red in 2002. Then she appeared in Cold Mountain, The Alamo, and Glory Road and was named one of "six actresses to watch" by Interview Magazine in 2004.
In 2005, Deschanel was cast as Dr. Temperance Brennan on the Fox crime procedural comedy-drama Bones, based on the novels and the career of forensic anthropologist and author Kathy Reichs, created by Hart Hanson. The series ran for 12 seasons from September 13, 2005, to March 28, 2017. For her performance, she received a 2006 Satellite Award nomination and a 2007 Teen Choice Award nomination. Deschanel and co-star David Boreanaz served as co-producers at the start of the show's third season, before becoming producers in the middle of the show's fourth season. While Bones was still in production, Deschanel also played the Brennan character on a 2015 episode of Sleepy Hollow and a 2016 episode of BoJack Horseman.
Deschanel, with Alyson Hannigan, Jaime King, Minka Kelly, and Katharine McPhee made a video slumber party featured on FunnyorDie.com to promote regular breast cancer screenings for the organization Stand Up 2 Cancer.{{cite news|first=Kate |last=Stanhope |title=Deschanel, Hannigan and Others Cop a Feel for a Cause |url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/Deschanel-Hannigan-Cop-1010367.aspx |work=TVGuide.com |date=October 1, 2009 |access-date=October 1, 2009}} In recent years, her passion for animal welfare has led her to providing the narration for My Child Is a Monkey and serving as an associate producer on the documentary film How I Became an Elephant.{{cite web|title=How I Became an Elephant: Film Crew|url=http://www.howibecameanelephant.com/film-crew/|work=Rattle the Cage Productions|access-date=25 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210033440/http://www.howibecameanelephant.com/film-crew/|archive-date=10 February 2012|url-status=dead}} Deschanel ranked number 72 in The 2012 Hot 100 on AfterEllen.{{cite web|url=http://www.afterellen.com/2012-hot-100#slide-31-field_photo_gallery-101918 |title=Emily Deschanel |work=AfterEllen.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815140251/http://www.afterellen.com/2012-hot-100 |archive-date=2012-08-15 }}
Deschanel starred in the 2022 Netflix miniseries Devil in Ohio.{{cite web|title=Emily Deschanel Leads Cast Of 'Devil In Ohio' Series Adaptation From Daria Polatin At Netflix |url=https://deadline.com/2021/09/emily-deschanel-devil-in-ohio-netflix-1234834023/|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Peter|last=White|date=September 15, 2021}}
Activism
Deschanel is a vegan and a supporter of animal rights causes. She has said she went vegan after watching the film Diet for a New America.{{Cite web|last=Miller|first=Sarah|date=2007-03-06|title=Interview with Emily Deschanel|url=https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a19932105/emily-deschanel-interview/|access-date=2020-08-22|website=Women's Health|language=en-US}} She can be seen in an Access Hollywood video at the book launch event of Karen Dawn's Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals, discussing her belief that vegetarian and vegan diets help the environment, and a video on the homepage of the book's website talking about the importance of animal rights.{{cite web|url=http://www.thankingthemonkey.com/|title=Interview with Access Hollywood}} She collaborated with PETA on a video encouraging mothers to raise their children as vegans."[http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/celebrities/emily-deschanel-promotes-vegan-diet-206469511.html Emily Deschanel promotes vegan diet]," Winnipeg Free Press, 9 May 2013. In September 2014, she joined the board of directors at Farm Sanctuary.{{cite web|title=In the News|url=http://www.farmsanctuary.org/media/in-the-news|publisher=Farm Sanctuary|access-date=October 25, 2015}}{{cite news|last1=MacVean|first1=Mary|title=L.A.'s Crossroads restaurant hosts Farm Sanctuary event|url=http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-crossroads-restaurant-farm-sanctuary-20140930-story.html|access-date=October 25, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=September 30, 2014}}
Personal life
Deschanel was raised Roman Catholic but is no longer practicing and has expressed agnostic views, saying "I am more of a spiritual person, if anything, and I am of the belief that we don't know, and I'm not going to pretend that I do."{{cite news|last=DeSalvo|first=Robert|title=Q&A: Emily Deschanel on Playing a 'Perfect' Catholic Lesbian|url=http://www.nextmovie.com/blog/emily-deschanel-interview-the-perfect-family/|access-date=September 8, 2013|newspaper=nextmovie.com|date=May 4, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921170416/http://www.nextmovie.com/blog/emily-deschanel-interview-the-perfect-family/|archive-date=September 21, 2013}}
On September 25, 2010, Deschanel married It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor and writer David Hornsby in a small private ceremony in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles.{{cite news|url=https://people.com/celebrity/emily-deschanel-weds/|title=Actress Emily Deschanel Weds |first=Suzanne |last=Zuckerman |date=September 25, 2010 |access-date=September 26, 2010}} On September 21, 2011, Deschanel gave birth to their first son.{{cite news|last1=Dyball |first1=Rennie| last2=Raferty |first2=Liz |title=Emily Deschanel Has a Baby Boy|url=https://people.com/parents/emily-deschanel-and-david-hornsby-have-a-son/|access-date=September 21, 2011 |work=People|date=September 21, 2011}}{{cite news|last=Paskin |first=Willa|title=Bones Creator Hart Hanson on the Show's New Season, Booth and Brennan's Future Make-Outs |url=http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/11/hart_hanson.html?mid=twitter_vulture |access-date=November 4, 2011 |work=nymag|date=November 3, 2011}} On June 8, 2015, she gave birth to their second son.{{cite web|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/emily-deschanel-gives-birth-welcomes-second-son-with-husband-201586|title=Emily Deschanel Gives Birth, Welcomes Second Son With Husband|date=8 June 2015|website=usmagazine.com|access-date=20 March 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.organicspamagazine.com/heart-heart-bones-star-emily-deschanel/ |title=A Heart to Heart with Bones Star Emily Deschanel |work=Organic Spa Magazine |date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925134117/http://www.organicspamagazine.com/heart-heart-bones-star-emily-deschanel/ |archive-date=2015-09-25 }}
In 2015, Deschanel, alongside Boreanaz, Reichs and Bones executive producer Barry Josephson, filed suit against Fox claiming they were cheated out of their share of series profits.{{cite news |url=https://deadline.com/2015/11/bones-lawsuit-david-boreanaz-emily-deschanel-fox-barry-josephson-1201647064 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151201193221/http://deadline.com/2015/11/bones-lawsuit-david-boreanaz-emily-deschanel-fox-barry-josephson-1201647064/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 1, 2015 | title =Fox "Cheated" 'Bones' Stars Out Of More Than $100M, New Profit-Participation Suit Claims/}} In February 2019, an arbitrator awarded them $179 million: $128 million in punitive damages, $32 million in compensatory damages, $10 million in prejudgment interest and more than $9 million in fees and costs. In May 2019, the Los Angeles Superior Court voided the punitive damages, with the plaintiffs' attorneys saying they would appeal.{{Cite web|url=https://popculture.com/tv-shows/2019/05/03/bones-fox-lawsuit-overturned-reversing-128-million-decision/|title='Bones': Fox Lawsuit Overturned, Reversing Original $128 Million Decision|website=TV|date=May 3, 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-07-18}} In September 2019, the parties came to an undisclosed settlement.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/09/bones-profit-lawsuit-settlement-emily-deschanel-david-boreanaz-fox-disney-barry-josephson-1202731588/ |title='Bones' Profit Battle Ends As Fox & Disney Settle With Stars Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz & EPs |work=Deadline |date=September 11, 2019}}
In January 2025, Emily and Zooey Deschanel's childhood home was destroyed in Pacific Palisades due to the events of the January 2025 Southern California wildfires and the Palisades Fire.{{cn|date=February 2025}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"| Notes |
|---|
| 1994
| Animal rights activist | |
| 2000
| It's a Shame About Ray | Maggie | Short film |
| rowspan="2" | 2003
| Easy | Laura Harris | |
| Cold Mountain
| Mrs. Morgan | |
| rowspan="3" | 2004
| {{sortname|The|Alamo|The Alamo (2004 film)}} | Rosanna Travis | |
| Spider-Man 2
| Receptionist | Cameo |
| Old Tricks
| Woman | Short film |
| rowspan="3" | 2005
| Kate Houghton | |
| Mute
| Claire | Short film |
| That Night
| Annie | Short film |
| 2006
| Mary Haskins | |
| 2007
| {{sortname|The|Diagnosis|nolink=1}} | Maggie | Short film |
| 2009
| Dr. Farquad | |
| 2011
| {{sortname|The|Perfect Family|The Perfect Family (2011 film)}} | |
| 2015
| Unity | Narrator | Documentary |
| 2023
| Big Boys | Nicole | Feature |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"| Notes |
|---|
| 2001
| {{sortname|The|Heart Department|nolink=1}} | Maude Allyn | Television movie |
| rowspan="3" | 2002
| Rose Red | Pam Asbury | 3 episodes; Miniseries |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
| Cassie Germaine | Episode: "Surveillance" |
| Providence
| Annie Franks | 2 episodes |
| 2003
| {{sortname|The|Dan Show|nolink=1}} | Sam | Television movie |
| 2004
| Michelle | Episode: "All the News Fit to Print" |
| 2005–2017
| Bones | Main role; also producer |
| 2009
| Tit for Tat | Emily | Episode: "The Booby Scare" |
| rowspan="2" | 2010–2011
| rowspan="2" | {{sortname|The|Cleveland Show}} | Julia Roberts (voice) | Episode: "Cleveland Live!" |
| Herself (voice)
| Episode: "Hot Cocoa Bang Bang" |
| 2012
| Temperance Brennan (voice) | Episode: "Less Money, Mo' Problems" |
| 2014; 2019
| Babe Didrikson Zaharias / Marina Raskova | 2 episodes |
| 2015
| Temperance Brennan | Episode: "Dead Men Tell No Tales" |
| 2016
| Herself (voice) | Episode: "Love And/Or Marriage" |
| 2018
| Herself (voice) | Episode: "Bart's Not Dead" |
| 2019
| Angela | Recurring role (Season 4){{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2019/02/07/animal-kingdom-emily-deschanel-season-4-cast/|title=Bones' Emily Deschanel Tapped for Major Animal Kingdom Season 4 Arc|last=Iannucci|first=Rebecca|work=TVLine|date=February 7, 2019|access-date=February 7, 2019|archive-date=February 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209180205/https://tvline.com/2019/02/07/animal-kingdom-emily-deschanel-season-4-cast/|url-status=dead}} |
| 2019
| Herself (voice) | Episode: "Employee App" |
| 2021
| Sarah Nolan | Episode: "Brave Heart" |
| 2022
| Dr. Suzanne Mathis | 8 episodes; Miniseries |
Awards and nominations
In May 2025, Deschanel delivered the commencement speech for her alma mater, Boston University, and received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts.
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Award ! Category ! Nominated work ! Result |
|---|
| 2006
| Best Actress – Television Series Drama | rowspan="8" | Bones | {{nom}} |
| 2007
| {{nom}} |
| 2011
| rowspan="6" | People's Choice Awards | {{nom}} |
| 2012
| {{nom}} |
| 2013
| Favorite Dramatic TV Actress | {{nom}} |
| rowspan="2" | 2015
| Favorite TV Duo: David Boreanaz & Emily Deschanel | {{nom}} |
| Favorite Crime Drama TV Actress
| {{nom}} |
| 2016
| Favorite Crime Drama TV Actress | {{nom}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline|Emily Deschanel}}
- {{Wikiquote-inline|Emily Deschanel}}
- {{IMDb name|0221043|Emily Deschanel}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deschanel, Emily}}
Category:20th-century American actresses
Category:21st-century American actresses
Category:Actresses from Los Angeles
Category:American film actresses
Category:American people of Dutch descent
Category:American people of English descent
Category:American people of French descent
Category:American people of Irish descent
Category:American people of Swiss descent
Category:American television actresses
Category:American veganism activists
Category:American women television producers
Category:Boston University College of Fine Arts alumni
Category:Crossroads School alumni
Category:Former Roman Catholics