I first noticed Zooooooooooooeeeyyyy in the trailer for Almost Famous. It appeared that she was playing the star kid's older sister. There was a shot of her where she looks right into the kid's eyes (right into the camera) and says something like "One day you'll be cool." She had really nice eyes. Sparkling eyes.

Then I saw the movie and all my hopes and dreams came true. She was wonderful.

Then I did some research and found that this was her second film. I had seen her first, Mumford, but hadn't remembered that it was her.

She's also appeared on an episode of Veronica's Closet, and was the "messed-up chick" in the Offspring's 1999 video "She's Got Issues," and that's it.

Scroll down to see the thumbnailed pix I have of her!!!

She has four movies scheduled to come out in 2001.

The New Guy, directed by Ed Decter. Zooey stars with Eliza Dushku, DJ Qualls, Eddie Griffin, and Lyle Lovett. A high school senior branded uncool in the ninth grade gets himself expelled so he changes his image to cool kid at the town's other high school. Popularity isn't a contest... It's a War! It's scheduled for a May 11, 2001 release date. Official site is MediaTrip.com/TheNewGuy.

Manic, directed by Jordan Melamed, co-stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Don Cheadle. The official site is Manic Asylum. It is a highly anticipated hit at Sundance. From the site: LYLE JENSEN is filled with rage. A frightening rage. A rage that by age seventeen has begun to manifest itself in explosive violence. After an intense fight with a classmate, Lyle finds himself committed to a juvenile mental institution in lieu of criminal prosecution. And so begins a journey filled with a menagerie of fascinating characters and provocative situations that lead Lyle down paths of self-exploration towards a quest for meaning in life. Upon his arrival in Northwood Mental Institution, Lyle finds himself forced to deal with other patients in frequent group therapy situations: CHAD, a seventeen year old with a bi-polar personality disorder, a regular at the institution and soon to be Lyle's best friend. TRACEY, a haunted, quiet, beautiful sixteen year old that Lyle is instantly attracted to. SARA, a rebellious, intelligent, recovering drug addict who has taken Tracey under her wing and voices her opinion freely and vocally. MICHAEL, Lyle's instant nemesis, a white kid who thinks he's black, a compulsive liar, and a recovering drug addict. And KENNY, a twelve year old Lyle identifies with instantly. At the head of the round table is a staff psychiatrist faced with the task of bringing order and peace to this always challenging group of teens. Enter DAVID MONROE, a doctor in his mid-thirties who uses his own experience as a recovering drug addict to guide his wards towards some kind of peace in their young lives. Insanity and terror. Laughter and lucidity. Adversity. Fear. Confrontation. Resolution? Can you find meaning in life when faced with tragedy and absurdity, or do you succumb to your demons and spiral into hopelessness? Manic deals with these issues in an incredibly realistic, heretofore unseen way.

Big Trouble (2001), directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, and co-written by Dave Barry, from his novel). The film stars Tim Allen and Rene Russo, but otherwise has a pretty good cast: Dave Barry, Omar Epps, Dennis Farina, Ben Foster, Janeane Garofalo, Heavy D, Johnny Knoxville, Jason Lee, DJ Qualls, Andy Richter, Tom Sizemore, Stanley Tucci, Pruitt Taylor Vince and the great Patrick Warburton. The movie is set for release on September 21, 2001.

Sorority Rule is directed by Illeana Douglas and co-stars Amy Smart, Marla Sokoloff, Clea DuVall, Katherine Heigl and Natasha Lyonne. An awkward college freshman coed, caught up in the throes of sorority rush season, must choose between popularity and self-respect. Site, Bigel/Mailer Films. Animal House for women with the edge of Election... a satirical take on the seedy underbelly of sorority rush week at a New England college.

The Good Girl is directed by Miguel Arteta, and stars, with Zooey, Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly and Catherine O'Hara. The plot revolves around a young married woman whose mundane life takes a turn for the worse when she strikes up a passionate and illicit affair with an oddball discount-store stock boy who thinks he's Holden Caulfied. This film is not expected to be released until 2002.

In the latest casting news: Film: Abandon; Stars: Katie Holmes, Zooey Deschanel; In negotiations: Benjamin Bratt; Crew: Stephen Gaghan, Director and Writer; Ed Zwick and Lynda Obst, Producers; Locations: Montreal Shooting Begins: April 16, 2001; Release Date: Unknown; Plot: A university student (Holmes) has strange visions of her ex-boyfriend who vanished mysteriously during her freshman year, as well as things that imply she was also involved in the disappearance of someone else.

Zooey is the daughter of cinematographer/director Caleb Deschanel and actress Mary Jo Deschanel (Donna's wheelchair mother in "Twin Peaks"). Zooey was named for the male character in J.D. Salinger's "Franny and Zooey".

Zooey was born c. 1980, and there is already, surprisingly, a very informative and comprehensive website up about her at The Nature of Zooey Deschanel.