Zooey Deschanel: Stopping Stage Fright in Its Tracks, and How She Turned a “Disorder” Into a Superpower

The Great Creators with Guy Raz

Zooey Deschanel is an actor (New Girl, Elf, 500 Days of Summer) musician (She & Him), crafter, and entrepreneur (HelloGiggles, Lettuce Grow). She tells Guy how being diagnosed with ADHD as a child affected her life and career, how the "loneliness" of the actor's life led her to songwriting and her collaboration with M Ward, and how – right before landing her biggest role – she almost quit acting. Zooey also delivers some practical tips on how to turn fear into excitement, and makes the case that regularly pursuing new creative paths makes you better at everything else.

Links from the show:

• Zooey's parents' filmographies: Caleb Deschanel & Mary Jo Deschanel
• Zooey's first instrument: the Casio SK-1
• Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences in Santa Monica
• Scene from Zooey's first-ever role on TV: Veronica's Closet
• Zooey and Frances McDormand "Drugs & Promiscuous Sex" scene from Almost Famous
• The Go-Getter (2007 film), how Zooey met M Ward
• Let's Dance by M Ward
• Vincent O'Brien by M Ward
• Thieves by She & Him (Official Video), one of Zooey's favorites which she wrote in "12 minutes"
• She & Him's "pandemic project," Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson
• New Girl full episodes on Amazon
• Saturday Night Live sketch - Bein' Quirky With Zooey Deschanel
• HelloGiggles
• Lettuce Grow

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