Emily Deschanel Bio

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Emily Deschanel Pictures

Emily Erin Deschanel [deɪʃə'nɛl] (born October 11, 1976) is an American actress, best known for playing Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan in the crime drama Bones.

Emily Deschanel: Early life

Deschanel was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Academy Award-nominated cinematographer and director Caleb Deschanel and actress Mary Jo Deschanel (née Weir). She is of Irish and French ancestry. She has one younger sister: actress, songwriter and musician Zooey Deschanel.

Emily Deschanel: Career

Deschanel made her feature film debut in 1994's It Could Happen to You. Her next notable role was in Stephen King's Rose Red in 2002. She then appeared in Cold Mountain, The Alamo and Glory Road and was named one of "six actresses to watch" by Interview Magazine in 2004.

After starring in 2005's Boogeyman, Deschanel landed the role of Dr. Temperance Brennan on FOX's Bones, a series based on the heroine in the novels of real-life forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs. She has been playing this role in Bones for 4 seasons. The show was recently commissioned for a fifth season. She received a 2006 Satellite Award nomination and a 2007 Teen Choice Award nomination for her performance, and has served as co-producer since the start of the show's third season.

Emily Deschanel: Personal life

Deschanel is a vegan and a committed supporter of animal rights causes. She is a member of PETA. 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 how 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. She graduated from Boston University's Professional Actors Training Program with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater.