Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard Zooey Deschanel Returns
14 snips
Dec 15, 2025 
Zooey Deschanel, beloved actress and one half of She & Him, returns to share insights about her new film, Merv. She recounts the chaos of her parents’ house fire and the lessons learned from evacuation, including the importance of a well-packed go-bag. The conversation touches on her childhood ADHD, the comfort of rewatching New Girl, and the quirks of her tinkerer partner. Zooey also reflects on holiday traditions, shares a heartfelt rendition of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas', and discusses her kids' newfound interest in Elf.
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Childhood Home Lost To Fire
- Zooey Deschanel recounts her parents' house burning and rescuing her mother's 40-year-old sourdough starter and her father's digitized photography hard drive.
- They briefly stayed with her but prioritized having their own space after the loss.
Make A Practical Go-Bag And Digitize
- Prepare a go-bag with essentials you won't want to lose, including backups of irreplaceable items.
- Digitize photos and keep important media on a separate hard drive or cloud so a disaster doesn't erase family history.
Kittens Comfort During Evacuation
- During evacuation Zooey stayed in a tiny hotel room with three newly adopted kittens that snuggled her non-stop out of worry.
- The kittens' affection made it hard for her to sleep because they kept licking exposed skin.
