Emily Deschanel

Emily Deschanel was born in Los Angeles on Oct. 11, 1976, and raised in a show business family. She is the daughter of actress Mary Jo Deschanel and five-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, who is best known for his work on films such as The Right Stuff, The Natural and The Passion of the Christ. Her younger sister, Zooey, is also an actress.

After earning a theater degree from Boston University, Deschanel made her feature film debut as a paint-throwing animal activist in It Could Happen to You (1994). But it would take more than a decade for her to land a starring role on a regular series, the forensic drama "Bones."