Zooey Deschanel has revealed that she used to received abuse on the street about her titular role in 500 Days Of Summer.

The 2009 romantic comedy starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a greeting card writer who, after being dumped by his girlfriend, Summer (Deschanel), reflects on their 500 days together to try and figure out why their relationship failed.

Over the years since the film’s release, Deschanel has frequently defended her character, who many perceive to be the villain of the story, due to her rejecting a seemingly ideal romance.

In a new interview with Heart to promote her upcoming film Harold And The Purple Crayon, the actress revealed just how far some fans took their hatred of Summer.

Explaining that people would actually confront her in the street, she said: “Back when 500 Days Of Summer came out, everyone was like, ‘You’re such a bitch, Summer!’

“I don’t know if that’s a word you can put on the air, but I was like, very tired of hearing that, because I was like, ‘She’s absolutely not.’ And I feel very protective of that character. So, stop saying that about Summer, guys.”

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Gordon-Levitt also jumped to Summer’s defence in an interview earlier this year, providing his interpretation of the film.

“People say negative things about Zooey’s character,” he told the i. “It gets interpreted that it’s a story about this innocent guy who’s so nice and loves his girlfriend so much, and then she breaks up with him, and how could she do that?

“But what you really ought to pay attention to is that my character was not listening. He ignores a lot of what Summer says.”

Elsewhere during her chat with Heart, Deschanel said she’s waiting and ready to play her lookalike Katy Perry in another music video.

The actress previously appeared as Perry in the video for the song ‘Not The End Of World’, after many fans had noted the likeness between her and the singer.

Asked if she’d like to portray Perry once again, she said: “Oh, one more time? No, I mean, I haven’t gotten a text. I’m waiting, I’m waiting. I’m ready, I’m ready. It’s the part I was born to play.”