The actress-turned-musician gig doesn’t usually work, but for some, including today’s birthday girl Zooey Deschanel, the story goes a little differently. The actress, who is best known for her roles in 500 Days of Summer, Elf, and Almost Famous and for playing Jess on the popular sitcom New Girl, has a voice just as natural as her acting skills.
The songstress has released three albums so far, She & Him Volume One, She & Him Volume Two, She & Him Volume Three, and a Christmas album. The dynamic Deschanel, who is the daughter of Academy Award–nominated cinematographer and director Caleb Deschanel and actress Mary Jo Deschanel, doesn’t only sing, she writes her own music as well. According to Pitchfork, “Deschanel has a certain kind of charisma that allows a song to hang loosely but never fall apart.”
Discover Savoir Flair’s favorite Deschanel tunes below.