Zooey Deschanel: A to Zooey

Since her breakout role in Almost Famous, Zooey Deschanel has deadpanned her path to fame in films like Failure to Launch, Yes Man, and (500) Days of Summer. She now stars as James Franco's virginal bride in Your Highness, a medieval comedy out April 8, and as a bisexual hipster in My Idiot Brother, a Sundance favorite in theaters this fall. In her first major gay press interview, the 31-year-old frontwoman of folk band She & Him explains why, when it comes to lustful admiration, she prefers hers over his.

The Advocate: What does the support of the gay community mean to you as an actress?
Zooey Deschanel: It's the ultimate compliment because they like me, but it's not because they want to be me or sleep with me.

Well, let's not forget about the ladies.
Oh, I love my lesbian fans too.

When Esquire surveyed 10,000 women last year about whom they'd most want to sleep with if they were lesbians, you won by a landslide. Megan Fox came in at a distant second.
Wow. Now that's really the best compliment. I'm super-honored and flattered. That's better than being on the Maxim Hot 100 for sure.

What do all those women see in you?
I pride myself on being very down-to-earth, so maybe women are more likely to judge on personality rather than looks.

But Christina Hendricks also raved about your beauty when she told me you that were her girl-crush. Are you comfortable with all this public admiration?
I'm definitely modest, in more ways than one. I'm pretty sheepish, actually. I blush very easily.

Do you have a girl-crush?
That's a really hard question and certainly not one to be taken lightly. Christina Hendricks is so pretty and such a good actress, but I'll go with Tina Fey because she's so funny. A sense of humor really does it for me. My husband [Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard] is the funniest person I know.

Has a gay guy ever told you he's in love with your husband?
No, but that would be cute.

Then let me be the first. His music touches me in a place that no other straight man has touched before.
[Laughs] I will tell him that for sure. I know what you mean. He's so sensitive, so talented, and so cute. He's the best.