{"id":2034098,"date":"2026-07-08T11:55:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T08:55:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2034098"},"modified":"2026-07-08T11:55:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T08:55:41","slug":"zooey-deschanel-went-blonde-for-elf-because-she-was-supposed-to-play-pop-star-like-britney-spears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2034098","title":{"rendered":"Zooey Deschanel went blonde for \u2018Elf\u2019 because she was supposed to play pop star \u201clike Britney Spears\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zooey-Deschanel-Britney.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2749694\" class=\"post-2749694 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>News<\/span><span>Film News<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Zooey Deschanel went blonde for \u2018Elf\u2019 because she was supposed to play pop star \u201clike Britney Spears\u201d<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>The star&#8217;s breakthrough role saw her sporting a different look<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Victoria Luxford<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-07-08T12:55:41+01:00\">8th July 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span8\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zooey-Deschanel-Britney-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"Zooey Deschanel\" title=\"Zooey Deschanel Britney\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Zooey Deschanel and Britney Spears, both pictured in the early 2000s. CREDIT: Gregg DeGuire\/WireImage and SGranitz\/WireImage via getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_83 article-content-row vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Zooey Deschanel has revealed that the reason she has blonde hair in Christmas movie <em>Elf<\/em> was because she auditioned for the part of a pop star.<\/p>\n<p>One of the <em>New Girl<\/em> star\u2019s breakthrough roles was playing Will Ferrell\u2019s love interest in 2003\u2019s <em>Elf<\/em>, with the actor sporting blonde dyed hair as opposed to her natural dark hair. During an appearance on <em>The Zach Sang Show<\/em> on Monday (July 6), she explained the reasoning behind it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI did a screen test for a movie that never ended up going about like a pop star that was like Britney Spears,\u201d she recalled. \u201cIt didn\u2019t ever happen, but yeah, it was a pop star that was like Britney Spears, who then \u2014 it\u2019s like <em>Roman Holiday<\/em>, where she has a day where she\u2019s not a pop star.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Zooey Deschanel Talks New Girl, Elf, Jonathan Scott &amp; \"I Thought I Saw Your Face Today\"\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_iR0hZBsy0M?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>She explained that the change was because \u201cI didn\u2019t look to [the producers] what a pop star looks like \u2014 so they were like, \u2018We\u2019re going to make you into a pop star.\u2019 They dyed my hair blonde, and they put these extensions in, and they gave me a tan and a whole thing. I did look as much like a pop star as I can. But then the movie never happened, but then here I was with this blonde hair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She continued: \u201cIt was right after that screen test that I went in for <em>Elf<\/em>. Once I got cast, I was like, \u2018Well, can I dye my hair back brown?\u2019 And they were like, \u2018No, you need to look how you looked in the audition.\u2019 So that\u2019s how I ended up blonde in<em> Elf<\/em>. Not because I was like, \u2018I need to be blonde.\u2019 It was really random.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Zooey Deschanel would become a pop star of sorts as part of the duo She &amp; Him (alongside M.Ward), whose 2010 album \u2018Volume Two\u2019 would reach number six on the Billboard 200 chart. She has also sung on various movie soundtracks, including <em>Elf<\/em> where she sings \u2018Baby, It\u2019s Cold Outside\u2019.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>In 2024, the star opened up about another famous role, that of the title character in <em>500 Days Of Summer<\/em>. She discussed how she received abuse due to the film\u2019s success and how she has always felt \u201cprotective\u201d of the character.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Britney Spears<\/li>\n<li>She &amp; Him<\/li>\n<li>Will Ferrell<\/li>\n<li>Zooey Deschanel<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_89 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span4 td-is-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-sidebar  tdi_92 td_block_template_2\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 tdi_93 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdc-no-posts td_flex_block\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_93\">\n<div class=\"td-block-title-wrap\">\n<h4 class=\"td-block-title\"><span class=\"td-pulldown-size\">TRENDING<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_93\" class=\"td_block_inner td-mc1-wrap\">\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Trueno\u2019s politically charged rap is putting him on the path to global success<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Step right up! 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\u2013 New book of early photos by The Beatles\u2019 George Harrison announced<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Film News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Christopher Nolan explains why \u2018The Odyssey\u2019 uses modern English for dialogue<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Zooey Deschanel has revealed that the reason she has blonde hair in Christmas movie <em>Elf<\/em> was because she auditioned for the part of a pop star.<\/p>\n<p>One of the <em>New Girl<\/em> star\u2019s breakthrough roles was playing Will Ferrell\u2019s love interest in 2003\u2019s <em>Elf<\/em>, with the actor sporting blonde dyed hair as opposed to her natural dark hair. During an appearance on <em>The Zach Sang Show<\/em> on Monday (July 6), she explained the reasoning behind it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI did a screen test for a movie that never ended up going about like a pop star that was like Britney Spears,\u201d she recalled. \u201cIt didn\u2019t ever happen, but yeah, it was a pop star that was like Britney Spears, who then \u2014 it\u2019s like <em>Roman Holiday<\/em>, where she has a day where she\u2019s not a pop star.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Zooey Deschanel Talks New Girl, Elf, Jonathan Scott &amp; \"I Thought I Saw Your Face Today\"\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_iR0hZBsy0M?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>She explained that the change was because \u201cI didn\u2019t look to [the producers] what a pop star looks like \u2014 so they were like, \u2018We\u2019re going to make you into a pop star.\u2019 They dyed my hair blonde, and they put these extensions in, and they gave me a tan and a whole thing. I did look as much like a pop star as I can. But then the movie never happened, but then here I was with this blonde hair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She continued: \u201cIt was right after that screen test that I went in for <em>Elf<\/em>. Once I got cast, I was like, \u2018Well, can I dye my hair back brown?\u2019 And they were like, \u2018No, you need to look how you looked in the audition.\u2019 So that\u2019s how I ended up blonde in<em> Elf<\/em>. Not because I was like, \u2018I need to be blonde.\u2019 It was really random.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Zooey Deschanel would become a pop star of sorts as part of the duo She &amp; Him (alongside M.Ward), whose 2010 album \u2018Volume Two\u2019 would reach number six on the Billboard 200 chart. She has also sung on various movie soundtracks, including <em>Elf<\/em> where she sings \u2018Baby, It\u2019s Cold Outside\u2019.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>In 2024, the star opened up about another famous role, that of the title character in <em>500 Days Of Summer<\/em>. She discussed how she received abuse due to the film\u2019s success and how she has always felt \u201cprotective\u201d of the character.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/film\/zooey-deschanel-went-blonde-for-elf-because-she-was-supposed-to-play-pop-star-like-britney-spears-3955700&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zooey-Deschanel-Britney.jpg&#8221;] NewsFilm News Zooey Deschanel went blonde for \u2018Elf\u2019 because she was supposed to play pop star \u201clike Britney Spears\u201d The star&#8217;s breakthrough role saw her sporting a different look By Victoria Luxford 8th July 2026 Zooey Deschanel and Britney Spears, both pictured in the early 2000s. CREDIT: Gregg DeGuire\/WireImage and SGranitz\/WireImage via [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2034098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2034098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2034098"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2034098\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2034098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2034098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2034098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}