Zooey Deschanel, known for her iconic role in Elf and her starring role in New Girl, recently opened up about her thoughts on watching herself on screen. In an interview with Us Weekly, Deschanel revealed that she doesn’t make it a habit to watch any of her own performances, including her starring role in the beloved 2003 holiday classic Elf.
Deschanel explained that she feels uncomfortable watching herself in movies or TV shows, as it feels a bit narcissistic. “No! I don’t watch myself in anything,” she said when asked if she makes Elf a yearly holiday tradition. “I feel like that might be narcissistic of me,” she added with a laugh.
The actress admitted to only watching Elf once — at its premiere. “It was really good. I just don’t like… watch myself,” she explained, noting that she’s fine with watching New Girl episodes when they aired, as it helped her improve her performance.
While Elf isn’t on her yearly holiday movie list, Deschanel revealed that her favorite Christmas movie is the 1944 classic Meet Me in St. Louis, starring Judy Garland. She also mentioned her partner, Jonathan Scott, who enjoys watching Elf every year, though she clarified that she doesn’t mind him watching it. “It’s not that I won’t let him watch it, but if someone has me on a TV, I’m probably running away,” she said.
Deschanel shared that her holiday traditions lean more towards music than film. As part of the band She & Him, she enjoys singing Christmas carols and harmonizing with friends and family. “I love singing Christmas carols, I love singing harmony,” she said, adding that being with family during the holidays is one of her favorite things. Cozying up and watching movies with loved ones is another tradition she enjoys.
So while you won’t catch Deschanel rewatching Elf, you’ll likely find her celebrating the holiday season with music, family, and classic films — just not the ones where she appears on screen.
