On this date in 1976, Emily Erin Deschanel was born in Los Angeles to Mary Jo (née Weir) and cinematographer and director Caleb Deschanel. Her younger sister is actress and singer-songwriter Zooey Deschanel. They were raised as Catholics. While Emily later called her church experience as a teen wonderful, her affection for religion as an adult dissipated.
Deschanel was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia in elementary school, graduated from high school in Los Angeles and earned a bachelor of fine arts in theatre in 1998 from Boston University’s College of Fine Arts.
Her film debut was a minor role in the rom-com drama “It Could Happen to You” (1994) on which her father was chief cinematographer and starred Bridget Fonda, Nicolas Cage and Rosie Perez. A substantial role followed when she played a psychic television host in Stephen King’s three-episode miniseries “Rose Red” in 2002.
Deschanel had film roles in “Cold Mountain,” “The Alamo” and “Glory Road” and was named one of “Six actresses to watch” by Interview Magazine in 2004, the year she played a receptionist in “Spider-Man 2” starring Tobey Maguire.
Her breakthrough role came in 2005 as Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist, on the Fox network’s crime procedural “Bones.” The 246-episode series, which ran 12 seasons until 2017, was known for its “dark comedic undertones, which served to lighten the gravity of the show’s intense subject matter,” one critic wrote.
FBI agent Seeley Booth, played by co-star David Boreanaz, disagree about science and faith. Brennan argues for science, evidence and atheism. Booth comes down on the side of intuition, faith and God in heaven in frequent debates with Brennan, who regards all religions as primitive superstitions unsupported by empirical evidence.
For her performances, Deschanel received a 2006 Satellite Award nomination and a 2007 Teen Choice Award nomination. While “Bones” was still in production, she also played the Brennan character on a 2015 episode of “Sleepy Hollow” and a 2016 episode of “BoJack Horseman.”
She married “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” actor and writer David Hornsby in 2010. They have two sons, Henry (b. 2011) and Calvin (b. 2015).
Deschanel played Dr. Suzanne Mathis, a hospital psychiatrist, in “Devil in Ohio,” an eight-episode Netflix series released in 2022 to mediocre reviews. Mathis gives shelter to a girl who has escaped from a devil-worshipping cult and has a pentagram carved on her back. Religious freedom issues had prevented investigation of the alleged cult.
Deschanel took part with other actresses to make a slumber party video featured on FunnyorDie.com to promote breast cancer screenings for Stand Up 2 Cancer. She and Carla Gallo, who had a recurring role as Daisy Wick on 33 “Bones” episodes, announced a podcast called “Boneheads” in 2023. It features secrets and insights as Deschanel and Gallo rewatch show episodes. Disney announced in 2025 that “Bones” was among the TV series to surpass 1 billion hours streamed on Disney+.
She delivered a commencement address in 2025 at her alma mater Boston University and received an honorary doctor of fine arts degree. She is a vegan and animal rights activist.
PHOTO: Deschanel in 2025 at the 20th anniversary panel for “Bones” in Los Angeles; photo by Kevin Paul under CC 4.0.
