Emily Deschanel

Emily Deschanel is an actress best known for her role as Dr. Temperance Brennan on Fox’s Bones. Born to actress Mary Jo Deschanel and director Caleb Deschanel, Emily was raised with sister Zooey Deschanel in Los Angeles. She went on to attend Boston University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theater in 1998.

The actress got her start on screen before graduating college, first appearing in the 1994 rom-com It Could Happen to You. She landed her first recurring role in 2002 as Pam Asbury on Rose Red and later starred in films such as Cold Mountain (2003) and Boogeyman (2005).

In 2005, Emily signed on to the cast of Fox’s crime drama Bones alongside David Boreanaz. She remained a principal member of the show’s cast until its end in 2017, and her role as Dr. Temperance Brennan gained her attention in the mainstream, earning her a number of award nominations throughout the years.

Some of Emily’s later work includes TNT’s Animal Kingdom, Devil in Ohio and the 2023 dramedy Big Boys.

The Bones star has also ventured into voice acting and has lent her voice to shows such as BoJack Horseman and The Simpsons. From 2021 to 2024, she joined the cast of the supernatural fiction podcast Agent Stoker as Rose.

The actress wed actor David Hornsby in 2010, and the couple share sons Henry (born in 2011) and Calvin (born in 2015).