Emily Erin Deschanel is an American actress and producer. She is known for starring in the American television series Bones for over ten years. Emily Deschanel plays the main character there, Dr. Temperance Brennan. Her parents are connected with the beauty and film industry, so the name of this couple has been appearing in credits, magazines, and television programs for quite some time.
Childhood and early life
Emily was born on October 11, 1976 in Los Angeles, California (USA), into an average family of Caleb Deschanel and Mary Jo Deschanel (née Weir). Both Emily's mom and dad are connected to the world of cinema and television. Caleb Deschanel is a director and cinematographer, and Mary Jo is an actress. Emily's younger sister, Zooey Deschanel, is also a famous American actress and singer.
The couple's surname is of French, Irish, Dutch, Swiss and English origin.
Emily attended Harvard-Westlake, an independent, co-educational school in Los Angeles, California. The girl also spent several years in a private institution, which is located in Santa Monica, California. After this, Emily entered Boston University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the theater department.
Career
The biography of actress Emily Deschanel is rich in incredible facts and events. Thus, her debut in cinema was with Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda in the American film “Lucky Chance” (1994). In this film adaptation, Deschanel played the role of an animal rights activist.
In 2000, the girl starred in a short film called It's a Shame About Ray in the role of Maggie, and a year later viewers could see a new work with Emily's participation, “Heart Department.”
Our heroine also became famous for playing Pam Asbury, a lecturer and host of psychic television in the Stephen King miniseries “Rose Red Mansion.” Emily appeared in three episodes in 2002. Literally a few months later, the actress appears on screens again, but in the popular television series “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” She can be seen in the seventeenth episode of the third season. The same goes for the series “Providence,” where Emily Deschanel was invited as a special guest to star in two episodes called “Cloak and Dagger” and “The Eleventh Hour.”
First shots
The first film in which Emily Deschanel made her debut was released in 1994 and was called “Lucky Chance,” with Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda. But the film itself was not a happy occasion for the actress and did not bring her the expected success. After this, there was a lull in the career of the aspiring star, which lasted about six years. After him, a real breakthrough was a small role in the film adaptation of Stephen King's book “Rose Red Mansion” in 2002. This was followed by a series of episodic roles in television series, in particular in Law & Order: Special Investigations Unit and in the films The Alamo, Cold Mountain and Spider-Man 2. The quality of the roles grew from role to role, thanks to which Emily was rated by one popular magazine as one of the six actresses who should be paid attention to.
List of the best works of the actress
Emily Deschanel's biography is closely connected with cinema. It may seem as if the girl’s parents were specially preparing to send her into the world of cinema. This is because she often appeared on camera with equally famous Hollywood actors, for example, Jude Law and Kirsten Dunst. Let's find out which films were the best in Emily Deschanel's biography.
- In 2003, the actress played Laura Harris in Jayne Weinstock's directorial debut, Respite.
- One of her notable roles was in the film “Cold Mountain” (2003), where the girl played Mrs. Morgan. Here Emily starred with Nicole Kidman and Jude Law.
- In 2004, the second part of the acclaimed film “Spider-Man” with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst was released. Emily Deschanel appeared here as a receptionist. It would seem, what a small role the actress got, but a significant and important one in her career!
Bag of Bones
Perhaps every fan carefully studied the personal life and biography of Emily Deschanel (you can see a photo of the actress below), and could not help but notice that the series “Bones” became a real breakthrough in the career of our heroine. An American drama about crimes of varying degrees and Dr. Temperance Brennan, who with just one glance at the bones can recognize what happened to a person and solve the most difficult case.
The pilot episode aired on FOX on September 13, 2005. “Bones” itself lasted 12 seasons, with a total of 246 episodes. The last episode was released on March 28, 2020.
Deschanel played the role of the main character, intellectual anthropologist, forensic expert, kinesiologist Dr. Temperance Brennan. In each episode, the girl appeared together with the attractive actor David Boreanaz, who played the main character, FBI agent Seeley Booth.
The remarkable acting and success of the television series literally radically changed the biography of Emily Deschanel, making the girl one of the most recognizable personalities in the world. “Bones” brought our heroine a number of nominations, including Teen Choice Awards and People Choice Awards.
Exclusive interview with Emily Deschanel
It would seem that the days of long-lived series are long gone, but there are still TV sagas that continue to hold their own and stay on top for many years.
The detective film “Bones,” shown in Russia on TV-3, is just one of these. It has been on the screen for 10 years, but even its creators did not believe in the durability of Bones.
"If you had asked me in 2005 how you could keep a show fresh and interesting for a decade, I would have said, 'No way!'" admits producer Stephen Nathan. “And I still don’t understand how we manage to do this with Bones.” Probably it's all about the unique heroes. And as long as they are alive, feel and look normal, we will talk about them.”
Perhaps the producer is right: the essence of the project lies in its central characters - FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) and his partner and wife, anthropologist Temperance Brennan, nicknamed Bones. This role is brilliantly played by Emily Deschanel - her talent and charm have become the key to the long-term success of the series.
Flowers are completely optional
— The changes that have occurred with your heroine over these 10 years are literally striking...
- You see, if you love someone very much and someone loves you very much, then changes are inevitable. Temperance and Booth love each other, and these feelings destroy the walls with which Dr. Brennan has surrounded herself. And I really like this, because when you play a character for 10 years, you just have to change with him.
— How difficult is it after all these years to avoid self-repetition, including in the relationship between Booth and Brennan?
“Of course, there are certain basic elements on which the series is based. This includes the specific relationship between Booth and Brennan. But, on the other hand, the situations they find themselves in are always different. Viewers probably remember how he once went to jail, and she tried to justify him. So the revitalization of these relationships, the fresh notes in them are not necessarily flowers or something like that. The plot itself suggests something - in each episode we have a new corpse, a new way to get to the bottom of the truth.
— How do you manage to maintain a balance between the criminal and comedic components of the film?
— For me, this is generally one of the most pleasant moments in this project - a combination of comedy and detective story. It seems to me that this contrast could be made even brighter. You know, when you first talk about something terribly important, dramatic, and then suddenly sharply reduce the level of seriousness. In life, this is exactly what often happens. Of course, we must be careful and not cross the line of decency, so as not to look like cynics. And yet I believe that you cannot do without humor, even when times are tough.
— As harsh as those your heroine experienced?
- Exactly! She doesn’t have a life, she just has stress! I wouldn’t wish this on anyone! Take the ninth season, in which she is left to fend for herself, alone with a child, and her husband is in prison, where his life is in danger. For her, this is a constant reason for worry.
— By the way, how did you and David Boreanaz react when they learned that the script would include a conspiracy within the FBI?
“A conspiracy is always interesting, and a conspiracy of this magnitude.” Otherwise, in the plot we only had serial killers, but here the enemy is on a completely different level.
I'm great both on screen and in life!
– You are probably often confused with your heroine, thinking that you are just as magnificent in real life and are just as well versed in medicine...
- Of course, I'm gorgeous, aren't I? And Temperance too. In fact, people say to me all the time: “Hey, Bones!” or, “Hey, Dr. Brennan!” And they think that I know everything, everything about the human body, although in reality I know almost nothing. And yet I hope that most people are smart enough to understand that I cannot dissect corpses and solve murders.
“It’s hard to believe that in all these years you haven’t learned anything at all.”
- No, of course, I receive a lot of information every day on set, but, to be honest, not everything that Brennan says on camera remains in my memory. Well, why should I remember, for example, what percentage of those who have served time in prisons return to them again? I learn my lines today and forget them tomorrow. But some basic things, of course, remain in memory. For example, I have already studied the human skeleton inside and out. I know where each bone is and what it is called.
— You and David look brilliant on screen, the closeness of your characters is beyond doubt. How long did it take you to find this connection between the characters?
- I think about 10 years. For us, this has always been a priority - to convince the audience that our duet did not form by chance. For the first, I think six seasons, we were constantly working off set. Every weekend! So the close relationship, the kinship that you see on the screen, is not a happy coincidence, but the result of a lot of work, our contribution to the success of the project. Although, I’ll tell you frankly: with a man like David Boreanaz, building such an on-screen relationship is not so difficult (smiles).
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Interesting Facts
Starting from the third season of the television series “Bones” (from September 25, 2007), Deschanel, together with Boreanaz, became co-producers of this film, and from the middle of the fourth season, their names were included in the list of directors and screenwriters.
Emily, starting in 2007, managed to star in such TV series as “Free Radio”, “Drunk History”, “Sleepy Hollow”, “BoJack Horseman”. Her voice can even be heard in the multi-part cartoon “The Cleveland Show,” where Deschanel voiced herself.
Movies
Emily first appeared on the big screen in the comedy “A Happy Occasion” in 1994. In this film she was lucky enough to play together with Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda, although such a bright debut of a university student was rather the merit of her father, who was a cameraman. However, this film never brought Emily fame, and the girl was destined to star in episodes and supporting roles for a long time.
Emily Deschanel in the movie "Lucky Chance"
After several episodic roles, the young actress was offered to star in the film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel “Red Rose Mansion,” after which directors and producers finally began to notice the girl. Filming followed in several TV series and films, small roles in the Oscar-winning Cold Mountain and the blockbuster Spider-Man 2.
2005 was a decisive year for the actress. She was offered one of the title roles in the thriller “Boogeyman,” which was expected to receive unprecedented success and excellent box office receipts. Emily Deschanel's talent and beauty have found their fans both among ordinary moviegoers and among the creators of television films. The girl finally got lucky when she was cast in the leading role in the new FOX series Bones.
Emily Deschanel in the series Bones
It was the role of Temperance Brennan that brought Emily fame, making her a famous actress literally overnight. The audience liked the detective-anthropologist so much that the very next day after the release of the pilot episode, the girl woke up as a star in the literal sense of the word.
For her role in the TV series Bones, which has been filmed for several years in a row, starting in 2005, Emily received several prestigious awards. Thus, Deschanel was nominated for a Satellite Award in 2006 and a Teen Choice Awards in 2007, and was awarded the Ewwy Award for Best Drama Actress in 2009 and 2010.
Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz
Starting with the third season of Bones, Emily became a co-producer of the series together with Katie Reichs, a forensic scientist, author of detective novels and, part-time, the prototype of the main character, played by Deschanel. In the fourth season, Emily was joined by her colleague on the set (and in the film, friend and partner) David Boreanaz, also becoming one of the producers of the franchise.
In the detective-crime series "Bones", which is broadcast in our country on TV3, the feminine and sophisticated Emily got the role of an outstanding specialist in anthropology, forensic medicine and archeology. Moreover, the on-screen heroine finds a common language much better with the remains than with living people. That is why it is so difficult for her to work together with an FBI agent and his team, and it is so interesting for viewers to watch the development of the relationship between an intelligent and beautiful female doctor of anthropology and a charming special agent.
Emily Deschanel in the movie "Boogeyman"
Having appeared on TV screens and established herself for a long time in the leading role of a serial heroine (and this happened thanks to the recommendation of producer Jerry Bruckheimer), Emily Deschanel is not going to give up her position. Full-length films with her participation continue to be released, and the star herself is now confident that her audience will not confuse her with anyone. This, by the way, cannot be said about the actress’s younger sister, Zooey Deschanel, who is too often compared to singer Katy Perry: in appearance the girls look like twins.
Personal life
Emily Deschanel's biography is not too rich in bright events outside the world of cinematography, but she still remains famous and famous. Fans of the actress are interested not only in her filmography, but also in her personal life.
On September 25, 2010, Emily married American actor, screenwriter and producer David Hornsby. The couple had two sons - Henry Lamar (September 21, 2011) and Calvin (June 8, 2015). There were no affairs, scandals or stormy romances with famous artists in Emily Deschanel’s biography. The girl’s personal life remains largely behind the scenes.
The actress can become an example for every fan. Not because she continues to be a recognizable personality through her tenacity: Emily is a vegan and an ardent supporter of animal rights. She talked about it in the documentary “My Baby is a Monkey” and remains an associate producer on another film called “How I Became an Elephant.”
In pursuit of promoting routine breast cancer screening for the charity Stand Up 2 Cancer, Emily teamed up with Katharine McPhee, Minka Kelly, Jaime King and Alyson Hannigan to develop the FunnyorDie project.
