Emily Deschanel Reprimanded for Late, Unprepared Set Arrival on Bones Season 1

Emily Deschanel revealed in a recent interview on David Duchovny's "Fail Better" podcast that her experience filming the first season of "Bones" was extremely challenging due to demanding 14- to 16-hour workdays and her struggles with memorizing extensive technical dialogue. Diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, she found herself overwhelmed, often staying up late to memorize lines and sometimes arriving on set exhausted and unable to recall them, which led to panic attacks. Her difficulties culminated when she was late to set due to a commute accident, prompting series creator Hart Hanson to deliver a stern warning about studio concerns over her preparedness. The incident left Deschanel feeling emotional and ashamed, describing herself as a fragile person at the time who was deeply stressed and sleep-deprived. However, Hanson supported her by providing a bigger trailer, more time to rehearse, and accommodations such as downtime during shoots, which helped her improve and continue her role for all 12 seasons of the show. Deschanel expressed gratitude for the support she received, highlighting how she grew stronger throughout the series despite early hardships.