Episode
Ep. 254: Zooey Deschanel | Her Secret Identity + The Journey of She & Him
- Published
- Jun 23, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 7043
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Summary
Today's guest is one of the most recognizable faces of her generation — an actor whose voice you'd know in a single frame. But her real story isn't the one you've watched. It's the one she kept secret: for 20 years she's been a songwriter, and barely anyone — even people who know her — knew it. This is one of the more honest conversations we've had about being underestimated — as an actor who "couldn't" really be a musician, and as a woman the industry assumed didn't write her own songs — and about what it costs to keep making things purely because you love them. And The Writer Is... Zooey Deschanel of She & Him! In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on: Why she erased social media off her own devices The "industry plant" myth — why the industry "can't make anything happen" anymore Being told "you'll never make a record, no one will take you seriously" as an actor Her "secret agent" identity The misogyny she goes to bat against Her North Star she chases And much more... Hit subscribe and turn on notifications. Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music. Join our Patreon for special access, bonus conversations, demo playing opportunities, and guest hangs! patreon.com/andthewriteris Follow us on socials: @andthewriteris A special thank you to our lead sponsor NMPA for making these conversations possible. NMPA is the National Music Publishers' Association. They fight for songwriters and they fight for this podcast, too. Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:00 Meet Zooey Deschanel 1:51 Writing alone — and erasing social media to do it 4:49 Why the "industry plant" is a myth 6:37 "You'll never be taken seriously as a musician" 7:25 Her secret identity as a songwriter 11:15 How She & Him released with no name attached 13:01 "I Thought I Saw Your…