Most people know Jon Heder as the hilariously awkward character Napoleon Dynamite, but landing that iconic role was just the beginning of his successful career. Beyond acting, he is a producer, filmmaker, animator, speaker, husband, and father of four children. He received the MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Performance and Breakthrough Male Performance for his role in Napoleon Dynamite. Since then, he has appeared in or lent his voice to several films, including Just Like Heaven, The Benchwarmers, Monster House, Blades of Glory, Walt Before Mickey, and many more. In an LDSPMA podcast interview with Connie Sokol, Jon discusses his creative journey from theater camp to Hollywood fame and the values and lessons that shaped his craft.
Jon’s passion for acting began in childhood when his family participated in the Children’s Educational Theater summer camp. He recalls, “The CET was a big thing in our house. We would learn about various aspects of theater and perform plays. My siblings were the stars, especially my older brother, who was always the lead.” Despite enjoying the spotlight, Jon admits he had not yet developed “the chops” to project himself with confidence.
But everything changed when Jon and his identical twin brother, Dan, discovered their dad’s video camera, prompting them to explore video production. Creating and starring in home videos helped Jon overcome his anxiety about acting by allowing him to step outside himself. By college, he’d enrolled in animation and filmmaking classes, which opened the door to on-screen acting. He recalls, “I was in a production class where we had to produce a short film. They needed an actor for a story called Amazing Grace about a goofy guy who wanted to become a daredevil stuntman. It was like, ‘Oh, Jon could be goofy and stupid. Let’s put him in there.’”
One of his classmates, Jared Hess, noticed Jon’s performance in the film and asked for feedback on a script he had written called Peluca. Jon shares, “I knew a little about Jared and had seen one or maybe two of his other projects. I thought he had a very keen eye, a creative mind, and a specific point of view. I loved the script. I was like, ‘Oh, this is my style; this is my jam.’ So when he approached me, I was like, ‘Yeah, this makes sense.’”
Jon and Jared workshopped the Peluca character, Seth, into Napoleon Dynamite by blending their visions and collaborating on how Napoleon looked, dressed, spoke, and moved. They received funding for the feature-length film from a friend’s brother, who wanted to make a movie about “some kid in Idaho.” When Jared’s wife asked, “Jon, what do you think about getting a perm?” Jon recalls the suggestion as “almost the final nail in the good coffin.”
The experience on set felt like a throwback to summer camp, where everyone from the cast to the crew was there because they genuinely loved the project. Jon says, “There were no egos or crazy, weird experiences. It was just making the film and having the time of our lives.” He didn’t feel too much pressure because the set was similar to those he’d worked on while making student films. No one thought anyone would actually see the movie, let alone that it would become such a big hit.
The film debuted at Sundance, and everything changed for Jon. He says, “After the screening, I was getting wined and dined by agencies and management companies.” As he completed his last year at BYU, he began receiving offers and audition invitations. He thought, “Well, I can always fall back on animation if this doesn’t work out.” However, the movie began to gain more buzz, and by the end of 2004, he was fully committed to acting.
Jon was rapidly becoming a public figure, and he recognized the whirlwind of opportunities that came with it. “I saw the beginning of the rest of my life, even though I didn’t know exactly how that would be spelled out.”
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jon knew the industry’s pitfalls. “I knew it had its ups and downs, its goods and bads,” he reflects. While acknowledging that any profession can test one’s faith and that some LDS actors have struggled to maintain their standards, Jon took responsibility for his choices. His testimony was solid, and he was determined to keep it that way. He put on his “coat of armor” to protect himself from tempting offers and difficult situations. Unlike missionaries with handbooks spelling out dos and don’ts, Heder had to create his own guidelines, relying on scriptures and church principles to guide his decisions.
Being a young adult at the time, Jon was flooded with scripts for “raunchy, R-rated teenage and college-age comedies.” He made his values clear to his agents, explaining what content and scenes he wouldn’t perform. He found a lot of respect from people in the industry by being upfront about his values and asking a series of questions to decide whether a project was worth his time: “What is the purpose of this film? What is the purpose of this character? What is it trying to say? Is it worth saying?”
Jon employed this approach when he met with Judd Apatow, a big name in the industry whose comedy films were gaining success. Apatow offered Jon a role in his new movie, The 40-Year-Old Virgin. After meeting to discuss the project, Apatow learned about Jon’s faith and recognized that it probably wouldn’t be a good fit given the film’s content.
This scenario played out with other directors and producers. Creative meetings were filled with mutual respect and excitement, but ultimately, Jon declined the roles, with the directors asking, “Man, are you sure?”
James Gunn, director of Marvel movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, offered Jon a role in a smaller film he was working on. Jon recalls, “I loved the script and thought it was a really fun project, but there was one scene that made me uncomfortable.” Respectful of Gunn’s vision, Jon asked if he’d consider altering it. Gunn declined, opting to keep it as is. “He was a really cool guy and very respectful,” Jon says of their cordial parting. For Jon, choosing roles is about following his gut and staying true to his values.
When asked if he felt pigeonholed by his iconic role, Jon says that while it is hard at times to be thought of only as Napoleon, his life is bookended by the film. He adds, “It’s a really great feeling when you know you’ve come out of the gate with something so impactful and strong.” He and the cast embark on tours for Napoleon Dynamite, where they sit for question-and-answer forums and attend movie screenings for major fans. “We love the film. It has this ageless quality. If we didn’t love the film, [the constant references] would really stink.” Still, he sometimes has to work harder to do a different character or bring out a different side of himself.
When people ask Jon where he’s been or what he’s up to, he advises them to look a little harder. “I’m still doing movies quite often, but you have to search streaming channels like Netflix or Hulu.”
Jon’s gospel-principled approach to selecting roles has kept him grounded and helped him maintain his integrity in Hollywood. Rather than chasing every opportunity that comes his way, he considers the stories he’s telling and the messages behind his projects to ensure his work resonates with audiences and his values. He continues to expand his repertoire by taking on various projects, including voice acting in animated films and developing new roles that challenge him as an artist.
He embraces his iconic status and the nostalgia that comes with Napoleon Dynamite. The film has also given him a platform to connect with fans, who often express how deeply the movie impacted their lives, cheered them when they were down, and gave them a good laugh with their families. You can find him on Instagram @hederjon. He also has an email, but he’s not going to share it with everyone. Geez Louise.
This article is based on the Called to Create podcast featured during Season 3, Episode 2. You can listen to the full podcast here.
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