Almost Famous

Deschanel stars in her breakout role in this Cameron Crowe comedy-drama film. Her character’s name is Anita Miller, the free-spirited and rock music-loving older sister of the protagonist William, played by Patrick Fugit. She is constantly at odds with her mother, played by Francis McDormand, and leaves home to become a flight stewardess. The film also stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Billy Crudup, and Kate Hudson. On being cast in the film:

That’s an interesting story. Almost Famous was my second movie. I had done my first movie, which was Mumford (1999), my senior year of high school. And I missed my last month of school to do it. So I was corresponding with my teachers and doing my term papers. I was in all honors classes so it was like this big deal to leave school.