We all know Zooey Deschanel is adorable and quirky; she’s managed to capture the nation’s attention and affection over the past few years. What sometimes gets overlooked is that she is really good at what she does, partly because the characters she usually plays are so close to what we imagine her to be like in real life, it’s hard to think of her as an “actress”. But now, she’s being recognized by some people in high places, and she says it’s a dream she never imagined would come true.

When word of the official Emmy nominations made rounds today, Deschanel was deluged with calls, emails, and texts from friends and loved ones who all wanted to congratulate her; she just received her first nomination for her FOX show “New Girl”, and she couldn’t be happier.

“I wanted to be an actress since I was 2-years-old,” Deschanel said. “It’s always been my dream and ambition. This is the kind of moment you dream about. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that I could have this incredible honor and recognition. It’s just so exciting.”

Deschanel made her acting debut in 1998 on the show “Veronica’s Closet” and went on to lend her quirky, bubbly personality to characters in films like “Elf”, “The Good Girl”, and “Almost Famous”. She gained a huge surge of popularity after the cult hit “500 Days Of Summer” hit theaters, which paired her with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and endeared her to millions. It seems we’ll only be seeing more of her in the future, which is her only goal.

“I have such a great job that’s just such an incredible gift, and I always want to be doing the work because I love the work and not for some other reason. [But] it just means so much to have this nomination,” she said.

(NSFW language)