How Jon Heder Really Feels About Napoleon Dynamite
Some film stars will be assigned to one type of role no matter what they do. Few who have created particularly memorable characters have managed to escape being viewed as the character they made their own; just look at half the cast of "Harry Potter." One particular role that will be permanently stapled to the character that brought them to life, though, will be Jon Hader and his frizzy-haired high-school oddball, "Napoleon Dynamite."
Jared Hess' 2004 comedy about the artistic, nunchuck-wielding hero earned $46.1 million when it was released from a budget of only $400,000 (via Box Office Mojo). It also turned Hader into an overnight sensation and a quote magnet for his big-screen debut for all the years that followed.
Even after appearing in films like "Blades of Glory" alongside Will Ferrell and the Reese Witherspoon/Mark Ruffalo rom-com "Just Like Heaven," his awkward teen hero is the character he'll always be bound to. It begs the question, then, just how does Heder handle being typecast to the Pedro-voting protagonist that he hasn't played on screen in 18 years? Well, as it turns out, he handles it in a surprisingly modest fashion.
Heder can handle the aftermath of Napoleon Dynamite
We can't confirm, but it's a safe bet that Heder has been asked at least once since the film has released what he's going to do with his day, or if the chickens have large talons. Such are the obscure but still impressively funny conversation starters that fans will surely hope will get some interaction from the star. Thankfully, Heder accepts that this was all part and parcel of the job he took those many years ago and one that he knows he owes so much to.
In a 2014 interview (via YouTube), Heder was asked about his thoughts on the role he'll be forever associated with and had nothing but good things to say about it. "It changed my life," said Heder. "When it came out at Sundance, it kind of blew up and everybody knew it. And it was right there [that] my life changed."
It's good to hear that Heder has no hard feelings for the role that has followed him around like a hungry llama. If only other typecast actors could share his enthusiasm. How could they, though? There is, after all, only one Napoleon Dynamite.