Emily Deschanel Net Worth

What is Emily Deschanel's Net Worth and Salary?

Emily Deschanel is an American actress, television, and film producer who has a net worth of $30 million. Emily is perhaps best known for playing the role of Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan in the well-known Fox series "Bones." This series ended in 2017 after airing 246 episodes over 12 seasons. Emily is the older sister of actress Zooey Deschanel.

Bones Salary

At the peak of the series' success, running for several seasons up to its conclusion, Emily and her co-star David Boreanaz earned $250,000 per episode of Bones. That worked out to around $5 million per season a piece. They both earned significant paychecks when the series was first sold into syndication. However, as we detail in a moment, Emily and several others eventually felt they were not being compensated fairly…

Bones Lawsuit

In 2015, Emily, several of her co-stars, executive producer Barry Josephson, and Kathy Reichs filed a suit against Fox. They claimed that the network was "cheating" them out of their fair share of the profits, and they were initially awarded $179 million in damages. However, this settlement was voided. Later in 2019, both parties came to an agreement and the plaintiffs were awarded a "significant" settlement.

(Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Early Life

Emily Erin Deschanel was born on October 11th of 1976 in Los Angeles. She was raised in a family with close connections to Hollywood. Her father is cinematographer and director Caleb Deschanel, and her mother is actress Mary Jo Deschanel. Raised in a Roman Catholic household alongside her younger sister Zooey Deschanel, Emily attended high school in Los Angeles before attending college at Boston University. During her university years, she enrolled in the Professional Actors Training Program and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater.

Career

Emily's first major role came in 1994 as she joined the cast of "It Could Happen to You." Her father was the chief cinematographer on that project. She followed up with a role in the miniseries "Rose Red" before appearing in films like "Cold Mountain," "The Alamo," and "Glory Road." By 2004, many observers stated that she was one of the most promising young actresses of her generation.

In 2005, she booked the lead role of Dr. Temperance Brennan on the Fox comedy-drama "Bones." The series is based on the real-life career of forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs. "Bones" proved to be quite successful, running for 12 seasons before eventually ending in 2017. Deschanel was honored with a number of accolades, including a 2005 Satellite Award nomination and a 2007 Teen Choice Award nomination.

By the beginning of the third season of "Bones," Emily started working as a co-producer in addition to her acting role. By the fourth season, both she and co-star David Boreanaz had become full-on producers. She reprised her role in an episode of "Sleepy Hollow" and provided the voice for her character in the animated series "BoJack Horseman." In recent years, Deschanel is perhaps best known for her recurring role on the series "Animal Kingdom."

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Philanthropy

Aside from her notable role in "Bones," Emily has been quite active in the world of philanthropy over the years. She teamed up with Alyson Hannigan, Jaime King, Minka Kelly, and Katharine McPhee to promote regular breast cancer screenings through a video posted on FunnyorDie.com.

She is also known for her commitment to animal welfare. A staunch vegan, Emily has stated that the vegan diet can help the environment. She has collaborated with PETA on a number of projects, including a video series that encouraged mothers to raise their children as vegans.

Personal Life

In 2010, Deschanel married David Hornsby, an actor and writer best known for his work on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." His cousin is singer Bruce Hornsby. In 2011, they welcomed their first child into the world. In 2015, they welcomed a second child.

Real Estate

Emily and Zooey previously co-owned a 1920s duplex in LA's Hancock Park neighborhood. The sisters purchased the Spanish-style home in 2011 for $1.4 million. In 2012, David and Emily paid $2.4 million for a home in Santa Monica, California. The home was previously owned by Ralph Greenson, who was Marilyn Monroe's psychiatrist, and Monroe often visited him there.