Zooey Deschanel Blasts Off

The thought that her likeness might soon be part of a theme-park ride hasn't yet turned Zooey Deschanel's head ‑- or flip-flopped her stomach.

Although she has been mostly a comedic character actress ‑- i.e., a bit player ‑- so far in her six-year career, she's now a leading lady in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and getting all the attention that comes with it.

H2G2, as it's known among loyalists, has been through many incarnations for creator Douglas Adams, first as a BBC radio show, then a novel collection, then a TV show, and now a film. While the others were all cult classics in their day, this big-budget Disney version might be the one that blasts the Hitchhiker concept ‑- and 25-year-old Deschanel's career along with it ‑- to another sphere. "I've never been a part of anything quite like it," says the actress, who grew up in Los Angeles surrounded by the film business thanks to her cinematographer dad, Caleb, and her actress mom, Mary Jo (sister Emily also acts). "This is a big commercial movie that is incredibly entertaining, but it's also got these characters that I think people can relate to."