>> Roswell Encina:
Good afternoon, everyone.
How are you?
It's going to be an
exciting afternoon.
So on behalf of the Librarian
of Congress, Carla Hayden and
all my wonderful colleagues,
welcome to the Library of Congress.
[Applause]
I'm Roswell Encina,
the Chief Communications Officer
for the library. So, we have a
very exciting afternoon in store
for all of you.
So, we're coloring the
Library of Congress purple.
We want to thank and
welcome all our friends from Sony
who are here today because
they're our co-hosts for this
very exciting event with the stars
of "Harold and the Purple Crayon,"
Zachary Levi and Zooey Deschanel.
[Applause]
So before we get to Zach
and Zooey, I want to tell you
that the Library of Congress is
the largest library in the world.
We have more than
178 million items.
So yes, we are bigger
than the British Library.
And exactly so...
[Applause]
I said that on the 4th of July once,
and I got a bigger applause.
So the papers, I mean, the items
that are here at the library,
you're probably
all thinking they're
all historical documents and
they're books and they're
manuscripts or a whole
lot more than that.
So, we have the papers,
of course, of presidents like
Washington and Lincoln and
Jefferson, and history makers
like Rosa Parks and Sigmund
Freud and Frederick Douglass.
And, you know, for
Hamilton fans, yes, we have
Alexander Hamilton's papers,
but we have some fun stuff, too.
When Doctor Hayden became
librarian of Congress,
she really wanted to make
the library not only accessible
but relatable to all Americans.
So, we'd like to show off some
of our fun items, like tonight.
So, we have one of the largest
collection of comic books.
So, yes, we showed Zach
the very first Shazam comic book.
We have one of the
largest collections of maps,
one of the largest
collections of Bibles,
baseball memorabilia.
But part of that collection,
of course, is the first edition of
"Harold and the Purple Crayons"
and the original drawings for
the actual book. So we,
as a treat for everyone,
after today's event, we invite you
to come up to the Whittall Pavilion.
It's just right next door
so you guys can see
the first edition of "Harold and
the Purple Crayon", and also see
the original drawings. So also
this is mostly all housekeeping.
So before you leave, we want you
to, if you haven't done it yet,
write your questions
for Zooey and Zach on a
little card that my colleagues
from the Library of Congress are
handing out. And will
ask those questions for you.
Also, if you really love books,
the Library of Congress
hosts the National Book Festival
that is on Saturday, August 24th.
So yeah, mark your calendars.
We're less than a month away,
so you can imagine we are ready.
We are getting ready for it.
So if you like historians, we
have Doris Kearns Goodwin.
If you like novelists,
we have James Patterson.
But we also, of course, have books
for young adults and children's.
We have Meg Medina,
and one of our other featured
author is a good, you know, our
guest, our special guest this
afternoon. Nune knows very well.
We have Max Greenfield
from New Girl
talking about his new book at the--
Yes. At the book Festival.
So again, we hope you enjoy
the event this afternoon.
I know you're not all here
to listen to me talk about the
library, so let me
get to this afternoon.
Oh, by the way,
right after I introduce our
guests, they'll be reading
a part of the book.
Then right after they read
parts of the book, we're going
to show clips from the movie.
So then right after that,
they'll have a conversation with
Steve Chenevey from Fox five.
So and you get to hear
more of what they have to say.
Okay, let's get right to it.
You know him.
He was a superhero in Shazam.
He was Flynn Rider untangled.
He was even an NFL football
star, Kurt Warner.
But my favorite Zach role
is when he played
Chuck Bartowski from Chuck.
[Applause]
And of course, you know her.
She was the beautiful
Jess Day from New Girl.
[Applause]
You fell in love with her
in "500 Days of Summer."
[Applause]
And of course, the holidays
won't be the same if you don't--
If we don't sing with Zooey
with the holiday classic elf.
So please welcome to
the Library of Congress
and to Washington, D.C.,
Zachary Levi and Zooey Deschanel.
[Applause]
>> Zachary Levi:
There's three here.
We don't know what to do.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Are we up here by ourselves?
>> We are.
>> Did they trust us with the--
>> I mean--
>> I mean.
That's a lot to trust us.
>> What if we ruin these books?
>> Okay.
>> Zachary Levi: It's an
official book. Hey, everybody.
>> Hello, everybody.
>> How are we all doing?
[Applause]
All right.
>> Zooey Deschanel: What a crowd?
What a crowd? I know.
>> Zachary Levi: So, wait.
>> Zooey Deschanel: Okay. So,
we're going to read this book.
It's not that long.
We're not even reading excerpts.
We're reading the whole dang thing.
I mean, I hope
you're okay with that.
It's going to be 3 hours
and 46 minutes.
>> Zachary Levi:
We read very slowly.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
We read very slowly.
>> Zachary Levi: Do you want me
to hold it so you can read it?
>> Zooey Deschanel: Yeah, I do.
Thank you. Can you see it?
So small to you in the back.
But you know it already.
Okay. And I begin.
That wasn't part of the book. Okay.
One evening, after thinking
it over for some time.
Not yet.
[Laughter]
"Harold decided to go for
a walk in the moonlight.
This is you. So
I'll hold it for you.
>> Zachary Levi:
Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah.
And then, and there wasn't
any moon and Harold
needed a moon for a walk
in the moonlight, obviously.
And he needed something to walk on.
This is giving me, like, big time
kindergarten flashbacks right now.
He made a long, straight
path so he wouldn't get lost.
And he set off on his walk, taking
his big purple crayon with him.
Still me. This is great.
This is great.
[Inaudible]
But he didn't seem to be getting
anywhere on the long, straight path.
So he left the path for
a shortcut across a field,
and the moon went with him.
It's still me. Well, you know,
I am Harold after all.
The shortcut led right to where
Harold thought a forest ought to be.
He didn't want to get lost
in the woods, so he made a very
small forest with
just one tree in it.
Still me. Wait.
I feel like that was
all supposed to be
you reading that stuff.
>> Oh, maybe it was.
>> It was.
Here. Then here. You take--
[Inaudible]
>> Zachary Levi: No.
>> Zooey Deschanel: It turned
out to be an apple tree.
The apples would be very tasty,
Harold thought when they got red.
Oh. Thank you.
So he put a frightening dragon
under the tree to guard the apples.
It was a terribly
frightening dragon.
It even frightened Harold.
He backed away, his hand
holding the purple crayon shook.
Suddenly he realized
what was happening.
>> Zachary Levi: And I'm
going to be Zoe now.
But by then, Harold
was over his head
in an ocean from a
forest to an ocean.
He came up thinking fast,
and in no time, he was climbing
aboard a trim little boat.
Now I just. You got to do what
my grandma did.
That thing. And then you--
Anybody else have the grandma
with the big tongue and the--
[Inaudible]
Not hygienic anyway.
It's not hygienic.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Not after what happened.
>> Zachary Levi:
So he quickly set sail.
He quickly set sail and the
moon sailed along with him.
What a great moon!
After he had sailed long enough,
Harold made land
without much trouble.
>> Zooey Deschanel: He stepped ashore
on the beach, wondering where he was.
The sandy beach reminded
Harold of picnics.
And the thought of
picnics made him hungry.
So he laid out a nice,
simple picnic lunch.
There was nothing but pie,
but there were all
nine kinds of pie
that Harold liked best.
What were they?
When Harold finished his picnic,
there was quite a lot left.
He hated to see so much
delicious pie go to waste.
So Harold left a very hungry
moose and a deserving porcupine
to finish it up.
>> Zachary Levi: And off he went,
looking for a hill to climb
to see where he was. Make sense.
Harold knew that the higher up
he went, the farther he could see.
So he decided to make
the hill into a mountain.
If you went high enough, he
thought, he could see the window
of his bedroom.
He was tired, and he felt
he ought to be getting to bed.
>> Zooey Deschanel: He hoped he could
see his bedroom window
from the top of the mountain.
But as he looked down
over the other side, he slipped.
And there wasn't any
other side of the mountain.
He was falling into thin air.
But luckily, he kept his wits
and his purple crayon.
>> Zachary Levi: And he made
a balloon and he grabbed on to it.
Oh, that's the end.
Cliffhanger.
[Applause]
>> Zooey Deschanel: That's
not the end of the book.
But, like, just go home
and read the rest.
>> Zachary Levi: Guys, yeah,
we don't want to spoil it for you,
but there's more.
>> Zooey Deschanel: There's more.
>> Zachary Levi:
So what happens to Harold?
>> Zooey Deschanel: So much.
>> We have to find out.
>> Zooey Deschanel: So much.
>> Zachary Levi: Is that
all we're going to--
>> Zooey Deschanel: You know
what? We're going to see--
>> Zachary Levi:
But this is the same--
>> Zooey Deschanel:
I know we went off script.
Yeah, we went off script.
>> Zachary Levi:
No, we didn't go off script.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
We did. I mean, we did.
>> Zachary Levi:
We just switched.
>> Zooey Deschanel: We went
off script in the sense that
we used one book instead of two.
>> Zachary Levi: Well, that was--
>> Zooey Deschanel: And I read
your lines and you read my lines.
>> Zachary Levi: Yeah, well.
You're a progressive woman.
>> Zooey Deschanel: But these
are the things that happen
at the Library of Congress
that you can't predict.
>> Zachary Levi:
Enjoy these clips.
We'll be right back.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
We'll be back.
[Applause]
>> Steve Chenevey: Hi, folks. How's
everybody doing tonight?
[Applause]
That's pretty good.
That's pretty good.
That's pretty good. Expect
it to be a little bit louder
when Zack and Zoe
come back out here.
So it's a nice warm up.
I hope you enjoyed the clips.
My name is Steve Chenevey,
and I'm the host of
Good Day DC and Fox 5 Morning.
So we had a little chat
with Zach and Zoe earlier.
We're going to air tomorrow
morning on Fox 5.
I hope you all get a chance to
watch. That being said,
we're going to chat with
them in just a few minutes.
We got some questions
from some of you.
We're going to share that as well.
I saw the movie.
Spoiler alert.
It's really good.
Like it's really good.
So I'm glad you had a chance
to see a little bit of it here.
I'm going to let you know
afterward. We'll remind you.
And you heard earlier from the
Library of Congress that there
are some great artifacts from
the movie and from the author
who are here. They're actually
right in the next room over here.
You can go see them
after we're done here.
And I encourage you to do so
because I went over there
earlier and checked it out.
It was really, really cool.
Some really good stuff here.
So that being said, thank you
all for coming tonight.
It's great to be here.
My, as I mentioned, day job
or actually morning job is on TV.
But one of the coolest things
that I get to do is to be able
to be part of Washington and
a part of events like this.
Lil Rel Howery, who you just
saw in here, who is moose,
he's been on our show
a couple of times.
Zach and Zoe are now
here in Washington.
For me to be able to meet
really cool people and be in
such an iconic venue like the
Library of Congress, this is
just an amazing opportunity
and such a great thing.
I hope you guys enjoy
this evening as well.
So that being said,
appreciate you being here.
Enjoy the conversation and
please, a little bit louder,
let's welcome back Zach and Zoe.
[Applause]
>> Zachary Levi:
You stayed. Oh, that's--
>> Zooey Deschanel:
What if they all stormed out?
That would be amazing.
>> Steve Chenevey: You know,
I did notice earlier,
you guys did not need me.
You did very well on your own.
Aside from the reading
each other's minds.
>> Zooey Deschanel: It was
disorganized. We did need you.
>> Zachary Levi:
It was--
>> Zooey Deschanel: It was fun. It
was like patients running the asylum.
But it was good. It was good.
Entertaining.
Babies were like making noise.
Audience.
>> Steve Chenevey: We got some
great questions from the audience.
I'm going to give you in just a
few minutes, but I want to talk
first of all, the movie, it's
first of all, it's a lot of
thought, a lot of imagination,
a lot of creativity.
To me, that sounds like acting.
So is this like a dream
role for you and Zach,
I'll start with you. Was this
like a dream role to be able to,
like, let all that creativity out?
>> Zachary Levi: Yeah. I mean,
listen, it's a dream job.
Ever since I was four, I believed
I was going to be an actor one day.
I just I felt like God
told me that when I was
a kid, like, that's your path, kid.
And I believed it. And I
think that imagination and
creativity kind of helped me
manifest this amazing life that
I've been living, and that I get
to be characters like Harold
that come from the pages of
something that's so beloved,
such a beloved children's book,
and that I get to work with
incredible talent like Zooey
Deschanel, who I was already a
fan of. And then she said yes to
wanting to be in a movie with me.
And that's all pretty dreamy, man.
But yes, as Harold, you
really get to, as an actor,
you get to exercise creativity and
imagination all the time because
you get to your and
really empathy to.
That's one of the coolest
things about being an actor,
I think because you, it forces
you to have to take on this
other person or creature,
depending on what you're playing
and understanding how they
think and how they feel.
And I think we all ought to do
that as much as possible, right?
If the more empathy, the more
practices and empathy, then we
understand our neighbors more.
Sometimes we don't agree with
our neighbors, but it's best
that we understand how they
tick and how they move
and what they believe in.
>> Steve Chenevey:
Zoe, such a great actor.
Your resume is just
is so extensive.
You had a challenge in this
movie though, in that your
character had to keep his
character in line and under control.
How did you handle that?
>> Zooey Deschanel: It's hard.
I don't know how I did it,
that's why I need an Oscar.
[Laughter]
Thank you. Academy.
>> Steve Chenevey: I think that, you
know, just going back to the whole
imagination and the book
itself, which, first of all,
I understand you read this
book to your children, right?
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Oh, yeah. Like, they love that.
But it was actually, you know,
I mean, I think there are a lot
of parents in here. It's like
you have the books that they
want to read that you're like,
do we have to read that one
again? And then you have
the books that you want to read
that they're like, do you have
to read that one again?
And then you have the books
that you both want to read.
And this was one of those ones.
That's why I read it so many
times to my kids, just because
it's it's so sweet.
And every time you're kind of
delighted by the end and all the
little, every time Harold,
like, is in a bad situation,
he draws himself out
in a creative way.
It's like delightful.
I just love that about this book.
And that's what I
love about the movie.
>> Steve Chenevey: So
we have some questions
and I have some questions as well
about things that you would
draw, etc., at various points of
your life. But on a more
practical matter, Zachary,
you do have to draw things in
this movie, like you're actually
drawing. Did you work on your
Pictionary skills or is this
something that came naturally to you?
>> Zooey Deschanel:
He's a trained dancer.
>> Zachary Levi: Yeah. Well, so
I've never really
fancied myself an artist.
I've never really been--
I was always like,
a performing artist.
I was never like, a drawing artist.
I've always been very critical
of myself, you know, I'm sure
people can relate. Like it's
the thing isn't coming together.
I was like, I'll
scrap it, you know?
So the fine motor skills of
drawing like that, I've never
really felt good about. But
what she's kind of joking about
is like, it's like choreography.
It's like a dance.
And it was really fun.
Like, it was a really cool,
interesting, unique challenge in
that, like, they would
oftentimes we would have like a
wire frame of the thing that I
would draw or like the thing
that like the bicycle.
Right. So it was the
real bike and it was there, but
before it materialized, I had
to draw the bike, you know,
but so I would look at the bike,
I would trace the bike with my
arm, and I would kind of
remember how far I would move
this way and move this way,
and then that would go away.
And I would just have to
remember, and I would just have
to muscle memory through that.
Same with the planes, same
with all of these various things.
And so it was a
really cool challenge.
>> Steve Chenevey:
I think it's interesting too,
and especially for
the kids who are here.
Right, because you
want to exercise your
imagination and you
want to visualize things.
And when you are acting and Zoe,
I'll ask you first of all,
if there is something and if
you have, maybe you have
something where it's
not really there, right?
And it's animation. They'll
draw it later in the film while
you're filming this.
What are you visualizing?
What are you looking at? How do
you make it look so real that
that object is there when it's
really not when you're filming?
>> Zooey Deschanel: I mean,
I think that's just like
part of, like, acting technique.
You know, I feel like is imagining
things that aren't there.
I just think there's just a bit
more of that in this film than
like, other films, but there's
always like some varying degree
of that. But yeah, I mean,
there's a lot of like narrating
like the monsters
behind you, like, run.
Look, you know, that kind
of stuff is, is part of it.
It's like silent movie acting.
>> Zachary Levi:
Acting is reacting.
>> Zooey Deschanel: It's reacting to
things sometimes that aren't there.
So you have to picture
how would I react?
>> Zachary Levi: And also
sometimes you got to imagine things
that are there to
not be there. Like
we're doing a scene and there's a
whole bunch of crew all
around and cameras and lights.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Yeah, that's always how it is.
Yeah, there's always a
bunch of stuff we have to.
>> Zachary Levi: So you just got
to use your imagination for that too.
>> Steve Chenevey:
It's fascinating.
I want to ask, you know, Zoe,
for the kids who are here,
you've probably heard
a million times from your
parents. You know, listen
to your parents, right?
They know best. They
do, they do, they do.
Your family was in this
industry, so you kind of
grew up in it.
Do you still hear from them?
Like if you're doing a role,
are they still have that voice
like Zoe do this or do you hear
that voice from them sometimes?
>> Zooey Deschanel: Well,
I always I definitely--
One nice thing is
I have like good--
I mean, like, my sister's an
actor, my mom's an actor.
My dad is a cinematographer
and a director.
So I like, really
trust their opinions.
You know, we all get together
and talk and like
when somebody weighs in, you know,
it's not just like, you know,
an uninformed opinion.
So I definitely take my family
seriously when they, you know,
if they have an
opinion about something.
But it's so nice to have
that as a resource.
>> Steve Chenevey: I want
to ask before we get to
some of the audience questions,
obviously the movie where
Harold is drawing and sometimes
most of the time he gets out of
trouble, sometimes he gets into
trouble, depending on what he
draws. But I'm I'm so
curious for both of you. If
you had that magic crayon.
Not now. I mean, now, I think
as adults, we might use it
differently than we did
when we were kids.
But if you were younger,
what would you draw?
What do you think you would
have excited you that you would
have drawn with that crayon?
>> Zooey Deschanel:
You go first.
>> Steve Chenevey:
Oh, I go first.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Yes.
>> Zachary Levi: I don't know.
Things that would get me in trouble.
Like a jet pack.
I mean, who doesn't
want a jet pack?
Anybody? Rocketeer fans?
Anyone? You know, like, I
grew up in the 80s and,
like, all these
great action movies.
And also, I had all of my G.I. Joes
and He-Man and Voltron
and Transformers, and I would
clearly make them all come to life
and have big wars with each other,
I don't know, and then my parents
would come out and be like,
the house is destroyed.
I'd be like, I know,
because they're alive.
So that stuff.
>> Steve Chenevey:
It kind of sounds like a sequel,
but I don't know what genre
that would be. It might be--
>> Zachary Levi:
I don't know. Yeah.
>> Steve Chenevey:
What about you, Zoe?
>> Zooey Deschanel:
I mean, American girl stuff.
I love American girl.
My best Christmas was like,
I got the Samantha's trunk.
Okay. Samantha's trunk,
if you know, you know.
I love it. I love that the girl's--
>> Zachary Levi: The best one.
I love that the girls who were
like, you got a Samantha trunk
when you were a kid, and then
you watch Samantha in Sex and
the city. Later on in life,
it's Samantha to Samantha.
It's just what it is.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Not the same Samantha.
[Laughter]
>> Zachary Levi:
No, no, not the same Samantha.
But isn't it, though, isn't it?
>> Steve Chenevey: The two of
you are so multi-talented on
on screen, on stage as well.
And you're both musicians,
which is interesting as well.
There is a scene in the movie,
again, not a spoiler.
But Zoe, your character
is playing piano.
Is that you playing in the movie?
>> Zooey Deschanel: Well, I
was playing, but, like, I think
like, they put someone, like,
better than me because I was,
I mean, I play piano,
but I'm not a classical pianist,
and I learned a bunch of
classical pieces for this.
But the piano had no sound,
so they had to, like, overdub
the piece. So if they'd use,
like, the sound just sounded
like nothing, because they,
you know, you have to be able to
record sound like
the dialogue over it.
So but I learned like the, I learned
the pieces, which was really hard.
Classical piano is difficult
it turns out.
[Laughter]
>> Steve Chenevey: Well, is
your fingers on the keyboard,
so, we'll take it as
you playing. Right?
>> Zooey Deschanel:
What I meant to say is it's me.
>> Steve Chenevey: There you
go. You get a credit for that.
You've toured as a musician.
You've performed on stage.
Have you guys ever
performed together?
Might it happen sometime?
>> On set.
>> On set.
>> Zachary Levi: Yeah, we would
sing a lot of songs together on set.
>> Zooey Deschanel: We dance.
>> Zachary Levi:
We did. I brought a big speaker.
I bring a big speaker to work
and just play music all day long
because music makes life better.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
I'm glad you did it,
because I was like,
I don't like lugging
stuff around. And that just
like, stops me from lugging a
speaker around. But
I'm glad you did it.
>> I'll do it.
>> Because I enjoyed it.
>> Zachary Levi: Thank you.
>> Zooey Deschanel: I got
like, lots of joy out of that.
>> Zachary Levi:
Thank you. That's why I do it.
I think it brings joy,
music brings joy.
And there's a lot of downtime
when you're making a movie,
you know, you're kind
of waiting for the set.
>> Zooey Deschanel: We kind of have
the same piece of music to like.
Your playlist was like a lot
of, like, my playlists have,
like, a lot of those songs.
>> Zachary Levi: Yeah, yeah.
>> Steve Chenevey: So this
kids is what you call chemistry
and this is what you want
to have a successful
relationship, on screen or off.
I want to have a
couple questions that some of
the folks in the audience, and
we asked some of the younger
members here, actually to ask
some questions as well,
to get their take on it.
So the first question,
this is book related.
This is from Cory,
Colin, Emmy and Gillian.
Thank you guys all
for being here tonight.
>> Zachary Levi: Where
are you now? Where are you?
Show your hands. in the
back there. I see. I see it.
>> Hello.
>> In the back. Very cool.
Thank you guys for coming today.
This is great. So question is,
my children read the book
when they were younger.
What was your
favorite childhood book?
Do you guys remember what you
enjoyed when you were a child?
Children. Child's.
When you were child's.
>> Zachary Levi:
[Inaudible]
I don't remember.
No, here's the thing,
there was a lot of books
that you get read as a kid or
the books that you read, but
there was one book specifically
that has always stood out to me
called ""The Way Things Work"."
I don't know if anybody
else read this book.
It's like this big, illustrated book,
and it was like a woolly mammoth
that took you through
this adventure, page by page.
And it was basically
because I was like this--
I didn't realize it at the time,
but I've just always had
this engineer's brain, and I
loved knowing how things work.
And so every page was like, oh,
that's how a plane works, and
that's how an elevator works.
And I was like,
this is fascinating.
And it was not one fish, two fish,
red fish, blue fish material.
But it was definitely fascinating
and I loved it and I read it all.
>> Steve Chenevey: So I'm going
to interject for one second.
And clearly this is not
scripted in any way, but
I'm just going to say that was my
favorite book when I was young.
My grandfather gave--
>> Zooey Deschanel: Now this
is what you call chemistry, guys.
[Laughter]
And this is what you want.
>> Steve Chenevey:
This side of the stage, yeah.
We're good there.
>> Zachary Levi:
What was your favorite book?
>> Steve Chenevey:
Zoe, what was yours?
>> Zooey Deschanel: Like, as a
younger child, I like Goodnight Moon.
Like classic. That was one
I remember and like,
Maurice Sendak books
were all incredible.
And then when I was
older, I loved like
"The Lion, the Witch
and the Wardrobe"
and the Roald Dahl books,
like The Witches,
some really good books.
All of them have to do with
witches, apparently.
>> Says a lot.
>> I'm learning about myself tonight.
>> Steve Chenevey: I think
she got us on that one, Zach.
Maybe I just don't remember
the ones when I was
younger and the other ones there.
Another question comes from
the audience, and it is for this
particular book.
Did you read it--
And I hate to put you on the spot,
but did you read it as a child,
and if so, did you enjoy it?
And so we already talked about you
passing this on to your own kids.
>> Zooey Deschanel: Yeah, I
remember reading it like,
you know what?
Someone gave it to me for my kids.
And I was like, oh, yeah, I
vaguely remember this book, but
it wasn't like burned into
my mind like some of the
other books. But once I read it
to my kids, I think that's when
I developed a connection
to the material.
I think it kind of gained--
It might have gained
popularity over time.
It feels like one of these books
that just never goes out of style.
>> Steve Chenevey: For like,
half a century, right?
I mean, and going strong.
Zach, after you got the
screenplay for the film adaptation
to the book, did you go back and
read the book and did it--
>> Zachary Levi: I did.
>> Zooey Deschanel: Too long,
but he read select parts.
I had things to do.
No, I did. I don't
really remember it
when I was a kid. Again,
I was probably reading the way
things work or something like
that, but after I got
the offer for the job and I read
the script and I was like,
well, I should go and, you
know, refresh myself on the
source material.
And it really is just it's
an incredible little book.
I mean, as we illustrated,
you know, moments ago,
there's something that's
so simple and pure and profound
about the journey that Harold
and his little footie pajamas
takes, you know, and his
creativity and imagination and the,
Oh, I've just literally
drawn myself into peril.
And now I'm going to draw
myself out of it and believing
in himself along the way.
You know, all of that stuff.
>> Steve Chenevey: Another great
audience question and this kind of
parallels when I was asking you what
you would draw with the purple crayon
even if it's not a purple crayon,
you guys are both very
creative people.
The question is, what did you
like to draw as a kid?
Did you have any favorite
things you would go back to,
whether it's superheroes or dolls
or something completely different?
>> Zooey Deschanel:
I drew a lot of faces, like
I like drawing, but I was better.
I loved to draw
and growing up, I always liked
to draw like ladies faces with,
you know, makeup on and stuff.
It was fun. How about you?
Oh, trees. I like to draw trees.
[Laughter]
Oh. Apples. Eyes.
Okay. You go.
>> Zachary Levi: I drew
ladies faces and--
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Apples, eyes.
>> Zachary Levi: I did it because
I, like I said, I wasn't good or
I didn't feel good at drawing
and but let me say this,
for everybody here right now,
and I'm sure you hopefully
already do this with your kids,
but I wish that my parents
would have sensed the
self-criticism in me and
encouraged me through it, because
I think that it stopped me.
It stopped me from, you know,
from being able to just say,
it's okay. It doesn't
have to be perfect.
And I think that unfortunately,
I grew up in a scenario in my
household that was very high
levels of perfectionism and
things like that, that have
carried with me even as an adult
now. And, those things can
rob you of your joy, and they
can rob you of your ability to
just to delight in the practice
and the exercise of
creating, you know.
So I didn't draw a lot, but
when I did, it was ladies faces.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Obviously, ladies faces.
>> Zachary Levi: Apple trees.
>> Steve Chenevey: Apple trees.
You know, Zachary, I mean,
you bring up a great point
and I think for the kids
who are here to be
in this magical
world as a child where
you have this boundless
creativity and energy.
What advice do you have for
that to be able to see that
through and continue, you know,
to be able to express that
and to be able to feel that you can
continue to express that creativity?
>> Zachary Levi:
Love yourself. Love yourself.
Love yourself, love yourself,
love yourself.
The more you can instill that.
Yes, absolutely.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
But not in a narcissistic way.
>> Zachary Levi: No, no, no.
 No, no, no, no, no, no.
Well, listen, it's not thinking
less of yourself. It's thinking
what is it again.
There's a quote in there.
To love yourself means to--
>> Zooey Deschanel:
You know, I'm just kidding.
>> Zachary Levi:
Yeah. Okay.
Just embrace who you are
entirely and know that things
don't have to be perfect.
And you don't have to be perfect.
Nobody is perfect.
>> Except me.
>> Except for you.
And I think that it's important
that we as adults,
that we learn how to love
ourselves so that we are
much better equipped to be an
example to our children.
How they can do the same thing.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Actually, this is funny.
My seven year old son was in a play
and he refused to do one song
because it had the
word perfect in it.
He doesn't believe in perfection.
>> Oh, wow.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Yeah, it was pretty cute.
I was like, no, no,
no, it's just a play.
And he was like, but I
don't believe in perfection.
I'm like, but like, it could
be like subjective, like,
you're perfect to me.
He's like, not a thing.
[Laughter]
I don't know.
>> Steve Chenevey:
Here's a question.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
He's running for president.
>> Steve Chenevey:
Yeah. I was going to say.
He's going to be the youngest
president ever.
Here's a question for you.
And this is a chance for you,
for both of you, to get
your producer hat on.
If you were to turn a different
childhood book into
a movie adaptation,
what would you choose?
>> Zooey Deschanel:
How things work.
>> Zachary Levi:
"The Way Things Work".
>> Zooey Deschanel:
"The Way Things Work".
[Laughter]
>> Zachary Levi: I'd do
it. There was a cartoon.
I don't know if anybody
remembers that there was
a cartoon for a little while
of "The Way Things Work",
but it wasn't that great. But
I would do a movie of that.
That would be fun.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
You could direct it.
>> Zachary Levi:
I could. I could direct it.
Would you be in it?
>> Zooey Deschanel: Starring--
Yeah. Of course.
Can I play the woolly mammoth?
>> Zachary Levi:
You could be the woolly mammoth.
[Laughter]
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Okay. I'm in.
>> Zachary Levi:
What book would you do?
>> Zooey Deschanel:
We did it.
>> Zachary Levi:
We did it.
Hand shook on it. There you go.
Well what would you do?
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Gosh. Oh my gosh.
Let's see. Like, I feel like
all the ones I like
have been made into movies.
That I liked as a kid.
Samantha's. I don't know.
>> Steve Chenevey:
You didn't have to like it.
It could just be a children's book.
Just any children's book that you
think would make a good movie.
>> Zachary Levi:
Did you ever read--
Was it Hooper Humperdink?
>> Steve Chenevey:
Pinch me, pinch me.
There was this really
interesting book.
I think it was called Hooper
Humperdink. And it was all about
like this. There's a big party
that we're going that was going on,
and Hooper Humperdink
wasn't invited, but he was.
And at the end of the book,
he realizes he was invited with
everybody else. And
it was like about.
>> Oh, that's really--
>> Including him.
Yeah.
>> Steve Chenevey:
Well, there you go.
You guys have your next project.
>> Zachary Levi: It might
have been a Doctor Seuss book.
>> Zooey Deschanel: My brain
is drawing a blank, but I know
I have like a thousand that I--
>> Steve Chenevey: That might work
better than "The Way Things Work".
I'm just saying on
the screen, it might.
It might be a little better.
All right. This is a question.
Zachary, this is for you.
This is from-- Joey is not here
because Joey is in Laredo, Texas.
But Joey sent this question
through Joey's sister, who works
here at the Library
of Congress. Okay.
>> That's too much--
>> Is Joey's sister here right now?
Hi, Joey's sister.
>> Steve Chenevey: So this is Joey's
sister asking the question for Joey.
Now, this is from a previous role
that you played, Zachary.
This is a question, in
your role for Shazam,
what was your mental preparation
to play a superhero?
How did you get prepared?
>> Zachary Levi: Well, I
mean, I just kind of lived it.
[Laughter]
No, you know. Well, listen,
that role, man, I loved
playing that role
so much because
Billy Batson is this,
I mean, orphan, basically
foster kid who is looking for a
family and but also has this
really pure heart, and he's
chosen because of his pure heart.
And to be able to go back--
When I was a kid, I loved the
movie big with Tom Hanks, and
I loved the movie, well, Superman
with Christopher Reeves and I,
of course, as a comic book
nerd for years and years,
always wanted to be a superhero.
My own superhero.
And then I got to be a
superhero that I think is
kind of cooler than all of them,
because he has the purity and,
like, the innocence of, like,
a Peter Parker Spider-Man.
But he really is like,
it was a combination of
getting to do that Tom Hanks
big thing, which was just
so much fun because as an adult,
you don't get to be a kid
anymore. Certainly you
don't get paid for it.
And I got to get paid to be a
kid that had electricity coming
out of his fingers, and
that was a lot of fun.
>> Steve Chenevey:
That's pretty awesome.
Do you have a favorite comic book?
>> Zachary Levi: A favorite what?
>> Steve Chenevey: Comic book.
A favorite character
you were growing up?
>> Zachary Levi: I don't know.
You know, honestly,
I was super into all of the
like, the mutants in the Marvel
world, like all of the X-Men and
X-Factor and X-Force and New Mutants
and all that kind of stuff.
I think probably because
of all of the superheroes,
the mutants, they were
all like a regular human.
And then like something
happened and like a chromosome
shifted. And then they got a
superpower, and I was I was like,
that could maybe happen.
[Laughter]
I don't know how many gamma
rays I'm going to run into, but
maybe I've got a mutated DNA and
I'll wake up and I can shoot fire.
So, yeah.
>> Steve Chenevey:
Hold up.
>> Zooey Deschanel: Always find some,
like, radioactive trash or something.
>> Zachary Levi:
I've been looking.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
You never know.
>> Steve Chenevey: Speaking of
looking and speaking of comic books,
I know you guys had a
opportunity to look around here
at the Library of
Congress a little bit.
See anything you liked?
>> Zooey Deschanel:
So many things. So many things.
>> Zachary Levi: We did
get to see they had some,
they were very cool.
And they pulled out some old
school Shazam and Captain Marvel
because his name is Captain Marvel.
It's a long story. But anyway,
they had those back there,
so you should definitely
go check those out.
But they had--
>> Zooey Deschanel: They had like--
>> Zachary Levi: Like Rodgers
and Hammerstein--
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Yeah. All this stuff. Rodgers like
Hammerstein's like writing.
I mean, it was really--
>> Zachary Levi:
What was the name?
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Jonathan Larson papers.
>> Zachary Levi: Yeah.
No, no, no, but from--
>> Zooey Deschanel: A
lot of musical theater.
>> Zachary Levi:
From Sound of Music.
It was, you know, the song--
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Raindrops. Oh, oh, oh.
My favorite things
was something else.
It was originally called, like--
>> Zachary Levi:
Nice things or something.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
The good things.
>> Zachary Levi:
I don't know, somebody--
>> Steve Chenevey:
Doesn't have the same ring.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Doesn't have the same ring.
>> Zachary Levi: No.
And the lyrics are all different.
Like, you can see
the original lyrics.
>> Zooey Deschanel: It was amazing.
Yeah. Like there's so many--
I actually came here about
nine months ago and got a tour
and I got to see so many
incredible things. And every time
I come here, I'm blown away.
Libraries were like, my
favorite place growing up.
And this is like
the ultimate library.
And it's not just about
the books, which, like, I love
the books, but just the objects
and these treasures
they have here are
absolutely incredible.
>> Steve Chenevey: I want to ask one
more question from the audience,
and I'm going to ask
it to both of you.
But so I'll give you first
crack at this one.
And I'm going to start with the PS.
You know there's a PS on there.
It's very nice of you
to put the PS on there.
We'll start with that because
the PS is Flynn Rider and Jess
are two of my favorite
characters of all time.
Okay.
>> I love that.
>> Zachary Levi:
You have excellent taste.
>> Steve Chenevey: As they
should be, as they should be.
Now the question.
I don't know if this will get
you in trouble or not, because
the question is, and it's a
multi-part question, but we'll
go part by part.
Did you keep anything
from this set?
Did you keep anything
from this set?
And I'm just going to add or
have you kept anything from
other sets you've worked on?
>> Zooey Deschanel: I didn't
keep anything from this set
like it wasn't offered to me.
I was given the chance to take a
few things from the New Girl set
and we all did.
They said, like, is there
anything you want to keep?
And so I kept like, there was
like a watermelon on my wall
and like a print of a,
like a botanical print
that was on my wall,
like jazz wall.
So I took those and I also
took this little weird thing that
we'd always notice.
It was like a-- it's the
weirdest thing, but we'd all,
like, laugh about it.
It's like a vest you'd put on
to teach children about
like the systems of the body
with, like, it has like, a heart
and, like, intestines and stuff
that like, like, like Velcro on.
But I kind of let my kids,
like, play with it, and
I don't know where the parts are.
They just, like, took
them off and stuff.
So unfortunately it was
somewhat destroyed.
But yeah.
Have you kept anything from sets?
>> Zachary Levi: Yeah. I've
kept some things from sets.
Mainly I keep things from
sets because I hope like
oftentimes we'll be asked to
donate things, you know, like,
do you have anything whether
it's a poster or a prop or whatever.
So I always try to hold on to
things that maybe, you know,
years down the road, I can,
you know, sign that and put it up
for auction. But what do I
keep from the set of Tangled?
Well, actually, you
know what I did get,
Glen Keane, who's a very
famous Disney artist who was
responsible for also, like, you
know, being helped to create
a lot of the animation in Tangled.
He made me a one of a kind
Flynn Rider print, which was
very cool. But then I don't
know, from the set of Chuck,
I had, in Chuck's apartment,
there was a tobacco Indian, and
I have him at my house.
And I had this red phone
that was always on the desk,
like at work that was prominent
right there in the middle of the--
and it looked like it's
like the emergency phone.
And we never used it. It
was like the red herring.
It was like there on the desk,
and nobody ever called it.
And I was like, I got to have
that. I just in case, you know,
I need a landline at some point.
I don't know, other random
things like that. Yeah.
>> Zooey Deschanel: I feel a
few things here and there. Yeah.
>> Steve Chenevey:
All right. One of the.
>> Steve Chenevey: Other question
for you, since we were talking about
some other projects
that you've worked on, and
when you mentioned Chuck and
obviously this is D.C. and we feel
like everything has some tie in
to D.C., whether it's CIA related
or not. Does anybody ever--
And if they do confuse you with
a character that you played like
they think that you're actually
that person, or you have those
powers or that personality more
so than any other character
that you played?
>> Zachary Levi: I mean,
honestly, most of the time people
just confuse me with
John Krasinski. So...
[Laughter]
And I'll take it.
Talented. Successful man.
No, I don't know.
I mean, listen, of all the
characters that I've played,
Chuck, that was me.
I mean, I wasn't acting, I just
literally showed up for work.
But no, I don't know that
anybody-- nobody ever really
confuses me with the--
Some people don't don't
know who I am.
They just know, like,
they're like, oh, I think that
that guy's famous.
And then they'll be like, hey,
guy. And I'll be like, hey!
And then that'll be it.
But that's it.
Yeah. What about you?
>> Zooey Deschanel: A lot of people
think they know, like, know me.
They're like, I know you.
And I'm like, oh, you do.
And they're like, yeah, yeah.
Did we go to high school
together? I'm like, no.
[Laughter]
But I let them believe and,
yeah, there's that.
And that's the end of my story.
>> Steve Chenevey: I guess,
to follow up on that briefly.
And we won't go too deep on
this, but when you play a
character for a long time and
I'm talking about, like on TV,
season after season after
season, do you become more like
that character or does that
character become more like you?
>> Zooey Deschanel: Good question.
I do think what happens is
whereas like you get a pilot script
and it's kind of written like
there's a character that's written
and then you kind of work really
hard to, like, figure out
how to play that character.
Over the years, the writers
start really getting to know
your rhythms, your voice like
what you do best and then
writing for you.
So it's not that the character
becomes you, it's that
the writers and the actors,
like, just become more in sync
and that, you know, they start
really just writing to your
strengths. And it's a really amazing
thing to have that, you know.
>> Steve Chenevey: That's
fantastic. One more question.
This is from Steve at Fox 5.
True or false, Zoe, Elf is the
greatest Christmas movie of all time.
[Applause]
>> Zooey Deschanel: I mean, there
are a lot of great Christmas movies,
and I'm not the person to ask
because I've only seen it once. So.
>> Steve Chenevey: Is that right?
>> Zooey Deschanel:I
don't watch myself.
This was like I saw some
clips of this movie backstage,
and it was the first time.
I just don't sit around like
watching myself.
>> It seems like--
>> I love myself, though.
[Laughter]
>> Steve Chenevey: It seems like it
does fall sometimes with actors into
different camps. Some people
will watch the work over and over,
and some people, you
put in the hard work,
you see it to fruition.
And when it's done--
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Yeah. Nobody's-- Yeah.
No, it's true. You don't know
what people are.
You don't know. No. Right.
>> Steve Chenevey:
Do you watch your movies, Zac,
or your shows after the fact.
>> Zachary Levi:
Well, when I, well.
>> Steve Chenevey: Like on a Friday
night, do you just binge yourself
over and over and over again?
>> Zooey Deschanel: He's like,
I'm going to do a Chuck binge.
>> Zachary Levi: Well, listen, when
we were doing Chuck back in the day,
I watched, I started watching,
I think in the first season and
then I, but I was so critical
of myself, mostly of my posture.
I would just look at myself. I
was like, what are you doing?
Just get your-- What are
you doing? Just get your--
But there was just so many episodes
that I was like, I can't like.
So I didn't watch.
I only probably watched like
first one and a half seasons of that.
So I didn't watch the rest of that.
But then when it comes to
the films that I've done,
I don't know. I agree with Zoe
that it's awkward.
It's like it's not something that you
really thoroughly enjoy doing.
Everything, every time I watch,
I'm still kind of like posture.
But because we got to go
and promote and do and
whatever, there's a part of me
that's like, I just want to know
exactly what I'm working with,
so I know how to talk about that.
And that's why I'll
end up watching.
>> Steve Chenevey: But you'll
watch all of Zoe's work?
>> Zachary Levi:
I watch all of Zoe's work.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Yes. Of course. Yeah.
>> Steve Chenevey: Unfortunately,
we're quickly running out of time.
But before we do and listen,
I appreciate again
all of the youngsters
who are here today.
Any final messages for them?
I mean, we're learning a lot
through you obviously when it
comes to not just what goes
into putting a movie like this
together, but also how you guys
have also continued to evolve
personally and continue to
learn and knowing that it's okay
to make mistakes and, you know,
it's okay to pivot and
change course at different
points in your life and career.
Any parting thoughts
you want to leave
with the folks who are here today?
>> Zooey Deschanel:
I do have something to say.
Kids. You are at your
most creative now.
Try to hold on to as much
creativity as you can.
Know that all the grownups in
your life are probably in awe of
your creativity. Like, just do
as much like creating imagining
as possible, like it will only
lead you in good directions.
>> Zachary Levi:
Yes, yes.
[Applause]
And stay off of social media.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Yeah, definitely.
Definitely stay off of social media.
>> Zachary Levi:
That's gonna rot your brain.
>> Zooey Deschanel: Also distract you
from doing stuff that's worthwhile.
>> Zachary Levi: That's right.
And you know, yeah. I mean, like
I said before, I mean, you know,
to love yourself,
believe in yourself.
There are so many voices and so many
opinions and so many people that are
struggling in their own life,
and they want to tear you down
throughout your life and
bullies that you might deal with
at school, or social pressures
that you might deal with
at school. I remember being
very insecure as a kid,
and I just I felt like
I needed the approval
of the cool kids or whatever.
Guys, it's a lie, don't you--
Please, whatever you do, don't
waste your time seeking the
approval of whoever you think
are the cool kids at school.
Because they're not.
>> They are peaking now.
>> Zachary Levi: They are.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
They're not peaking later.
>> Zachary Levi: And really,
and that whole school ecosystem,
that whole thing that you, I know
right now think is like, oh, this is
everything. It's my whole
world. It's a bubble.
And it bursts. And then you go
into the rest of the world and
you're like, why did I care so much
what all those people thought?
So don't do that. Care about
what you care about.
Go be creative or and or,
you know, go be athletic.
Go do something that
lights up your soul.
And don't listen to everybody else
that wants to squash that stuff
and stay off of social media
and listen to your parents.
>> Zooey Deschanel:
Follow me on Instagram. No.
>> Zachary Levi: Yes.
[Laughter]
And listen to your parents.
They know a little bit more
than you most of the time. Okay.
>> Zooey Deschanel: Yeah.
>> Steve Chenevey: There you go.
couple of announcements real quick.
First of all, as soon as we're
done, as we mentioned before,
if you go, you kind of go up and
around to the left, right in the
room to our left.
Here is where you'll see
a first edition copy of the
original book, which is just
unbelievable that they have it
here and the original
artwork for the cover.
So you'll see some
of those drawings.
There are actually
ten books in the series.
They have a lot of that right
next door you can check out and
some other things you'll learn
more about the author, all that
good stuff. So we invite you to
do that as soon as we're done here,
you can just walk right next door.
You can check it out at your
own pace and leisure.
There's some folks over there.
If you have questions,
they'll answer all your questions
for you and you'll learn a lot more.
You'll leave with more
information than you came with.
So that is a great thing.
Second of all, and most
importantly, go see the movie.
It is out this weekend.
You are going to
absolutely love it.
These guys put so
much hard work into it.
It is phenomenal. Like I said,
I saw it, I loved it,
I don't even have kids and I
love the movie, so it's good for
everybody. Go out and enjoy it,
check out for an hour and a half
and have an amazing time.
And most importantly, please
give a huge round of applause
and make their visit
Washington D.C.--
>> Zachary Levi: Thanks, everybody!
>> Steve Chenevey: Zachary
and Zooey Deschanel,
thank you guys very much.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
[Applause]