Along with the adorable Gus, Zooey Deschanel (“New Girl”) and Charlie Cox (“Daredevil: Born Again”) talk about filming the rom com, “Merv,” now streaming on Prime Video.
Zooey Deschanel, Charlie Cox and Gus (2025)
SIDEWALKS host Lori Rosales interviews Zooey Deschanel, Charlie Cox and Gus, the lead actors and canine of the Prime Video, romantic comedy film, “Merv.” The actors talk about filming locations, memories in making the film, and if Zooey did her own stunts.
PLEASE NOTE: This online version of the interview is different than how it appeared on the TV episode with host segments rearranged, new interview intro, and promotional clips have been removed.
Mini-Biographies:
Born in Los Angeles, CA on January 17, 1980, Zooey Deschanel plays Anna in “Merv.” She is an actress, musician, singer/songwriter and fashion designer. She made her film debut in “Mumford” (1999), which was followed by many notable films including “Almost Famous” (2000), “Manic” (2001), “Big Trouble” (2002), “The Good Girl” (2002), “The New Guy” (2002), “Abandon” (2002), “All the Real Girls” (2003) (for which she received critical acclaim and an Independent Spirit Award nomination), “Elf” (2003), “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (2005), “Winter Passing” (2005), “Failure to Launch” (2006), “Bridge to Terabithia” (2007), “The Happening” (2008), “Yes Man” (2008), “(500) Days of Summer” (2009), and “Our Idiot Brother” (2011). On TV, she was the lead star in the comedy, “New Girl.” Additionally, Deschanel co-hosts a “New Girl” rewatch podcast. She made guest appearances on “Veronica’s Closet,” “Frasier,” “Cracking Up,” “Weeds,” and “Bones” (co-starting real life older sister Emily Deschanel), as well as starring in the miniseries “Tin Man” and using her voice in “American Dad!” and “The Simpsons.” In music, Deschanel is a member of She & Him (with M. Ward). They released albums, such as “Volume One,” “Volume Two,” “A Very She & Him Christmas,” “Volume 3,” and “Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson.” Along with actress Samantha Shelton, Deschanel also performed in a jazz cabaret act called “If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies.” She also co-founded the female-focused lifestyle website HelloGiggles, which was acquired by Time Inc. in 2015.
Born on December 15, 1982, in London, England, UK, Charlie Cox plays Russ Owens in “Merv.” The actor began his career with roles in British productions like the fantasy film “Stardust” (2007) and the first episode of “Downton Abbey” (2010). He gained further acclaim for his recurring role as Owen Sleater in the HBO crime drama “Boardwalk Empire” (2011–2012). His breakout starring role was the lead as the blind vigilante lawyer Matt Murdock in “Daredevil,” a original Netflix series, which ran for three seasons from 2015 to 2018. He later reprised the role in various Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) projects, including “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” before starring in the 2025 Disney+ revival series, “Daredevil: Born Again.” He also appeared as Jonathan Hellyer Jones in the 2014 film “The Theory of Everything,” as well as starred in the RTÉ crime drama series “Kin” and the Netflix spy miniseries “Treason.” Cox’s most notable stage performances include his West End debut in a 2008 Pinter double bill (“The Lover” / “The Collection”), an acclaimed turn in the Off-Broadway play “Incognito” in 2016, and starring alongside Tom Hiddleston in the 2019 West End and Broadway revival of Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal.”
Official Film Synopsis:
When their beloved dog Merv loses his spark after their split, Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) are forced into the world’s most awkward co-parenting arrangement. Hoping to shake Merv out of his funk, Russ takes him to Florida for a much-needed getaway—only for Anna to show up unexpectedly. As Merv slowly gets his groove back, turns out fixing their dog’s broken heart may lead to a few sparks of their own.
Interview Credits:
- Recorded: December 10, 2025
- Host / Producer: Lori Rosales
- Editor: Richard R. Lee
- Special Thanks To: Prime Video / Amazon MGM Studios