HIS era-defining turn as a nerdy high school student has inspired endless fancy dress outfits.
But the man behind the permed spectacle-wearing oddball Napoleon Dynamite is now unrecognisable from the hit 2004 indie film.
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American actor Jon Heder, 47, has a beard and mid-length mousy brown hair and has spent the majority of the last 15 years voicing characters in children’s TV shows.
The dad-of-four still has a soft spot for the film that made him famous, calling it a “blessing”.
Reflecting on what Napoleon meant to him at the time, he told the Men Who Love God podcast: “It’s the perfect film to capture the essence of the type of film I want to do. The kind of work I’d be involved in.”
He’s embraced the breakout role and has no qualms about celebrating its greatness and cultural impact.
Heder revisited it last year for an episode of Jimmy Kimmel where he dressed as a middle-aged Napoleon.
In a touching nod to the film, he wore a ‘Re-elect Pedro ’24’ T-shirt. In Napoleon Dynamite, Jon’s character famously campaigned for his immigrant friend Pedro to be elected class president.
Perhaps the most famous scene from the film is when Napoleon mesmerises the student body with a wild freestyle dance routine to Jamiroquai’s Canned Heat.
Incredibly, Heder made up the entire routine on the spot.
He told Little White Lies: “That all came from me. There was pressure, for sure. I was like ‘Should I choreograph it?’ but Jared [Hess, director] was like ‘What do you normally do?’ and I told him I normally just freestyle so he said ‘Just do that.’
“I kicked everybody out. It was just Jared, the cinematographer and the producer. When I was done, it wasn’t like in the movie where suddenly there was raucous applause. It was more like: ‘Did that work?’”
The mid-to-late 2000s were a golden period for Heder, who starred alongside Will Ferrell in the ice-skating comedy Blades of Glory and had voice roles in Steven Spielberg’s Monster House and the penguin animation Surf’s Up.
He’s had continuous work since but nothing that has had the impact of Napoleon.
It’s something he’s at peace with though. In fact, he predicted he would be synonymous with the role when he took it on.
He believes the timing of the release, in the same era as US frat comedies like American Pie and Road Trip, played a major factor in its success as viewers were ready to embrace and champion a nerdier outsider who was unlike the students in other films.
Heder said: “It was the first movie I ever made and we didn’t even know that it would necessarily be seen by anyone.
“Word of mouth got around and we soon started realising that people were loving it. Suddenly, I had this huge opportunity. I didn’t want to pass it up but I also realised there’s a good chance I’m going to be remembered for Napoleon for the rest of my life.”
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Jon Heder: From quirky cult classic to shunning Hollywood
Jon Heder is best known for his breakout role in the 2004 indie hit Napoleon Dynamite, where his portrayal of the socially awkward yet endearingly eccentric titular character catapulted him to stardom.
The film’s unique humour and Heder’s unforgettable performance turned Napoleon Dynamite into a cult classic, earning him widespread acclaim and a devoted fanbase.
Following this success, Heder showcased his comedic versatility in a string of Hollywood comedies.
He starred alongside Will Ferrell in the ice-skating satire Blades of Glory (2007), and appeared in School for Scoundrels (2006) and The Benchwarmers (2006), cementing his reputation as a go-to actor for offbeat, humorous roles.
Heder has also ventured into voice acting, lending his talents to animated projects such as Surf’s Up (2007) and the Netflix series Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters (2017).
Despite his early fame, Heder has maintained a relatively low-key presence in Hollywood, often favouring smaller projects and independent films.
