Whatever Happened to the Cast of ‘Napoleon Dynamite’?
Napoleon Dynamite arrived in 2004, and it felt like a movie that had never been made before. The low-budget comedy starred Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite, Efren Ramirez as Pedro Sánchez, Tina Majorino as Deb Bradshaw, Aaron Ruell as Kip Dynamite, Jon Gries as Uncle Rico, Haylie Duff as Summer Wheatly, and Diedrich Bader as Rex. The film premiered at Sundance in January 2004, opened in theaters that June, and eventually became a cult favorite.
The movie returned to Sundance in 2024 to mark its 20th anniversary, with several cast members in attendance. Heder, Ramirez, and Gries have also continued appearing together at Napoleon Dynamite Live! events, where fans watch the film and hear stories from the cast. In honor of the quirky film, let’s find out where the cast is now.
Jon Heder (48) as Napoleon Dynamite
Fox Searchlight/Everett Collection; Vantage Media/Everett Collection
Jon Heder made his feature-film breakthrough as Napoleon Dynamite, a very odd student at Preston High. After Napoleon Dynamite, Heder starred in comedies including The Benchwarmers, School for Scoundrels and Blades of Glory. He also moved into voice work, including Surf’s Up and the 2012 animated series Napoleon Dynamite.
More recently, Heder worked again with Jared and Jerusha Hess on the 2024 Netflix animated movie Thelma the Unicorn, and he reprised the Napoleon look in an Ore-Ida 20th-anniversary campaign.
Efren Ramirez (52) as Pedro Sánchez
Fox Searchlight/Everett Collection; Epic Pictures/Everett Collection
Efren Ramirez played Pedro Sánchez, Napoleon’s quiet new friend whose student-body campaign became one of the movie’s most memorable parts. After the film, Ramirez appeared in Crank, Crank: High Voltage, Employee of the Month, Gamer and Casa de mi Padre. He also worked on TV, including appearances on Scrubs, Eastbound & Down, Constantine and The Grinder. Ramirez later returned to voice Pedro in the animated series Napoleon Dynamite and starred in the horror film anthology Satanic Hispanics. He appears with Heder and Gries for Napoleon Dynamite Live! events.
Tina Majorino (41) as Deb Bradshaw
Vincent Sandoval/WireImage/Getty Images
Tina Majorino played Deb Bradshaw, Napoleon’s shy classmate who sold glamor shots and handmade keychains before becoming one of his closest friends. Majorino had already been a child actress in movies including Andre, Corrina, Corrina, When a Man Loves a Woman and Waterworld. After Napoleon Dynamite, she became well known to TV fans as Cindy “Mac” Mackenzie on Veronica Mars, Heather Tuttle on Big Love, Molly on True Blood and Dr. Heather Brooks on Grey’s Anatomy. She also voiced Sentry in Netflix’s Devil May Cry.
Aaron Ruell (50) as Kip Dynamite
Fox Searchlight/Everett Collection; Araya Diaz/WireImage/Getty Images
Aaron Ruell played Kip Dynamite, Napoleon’s older brother, who spent his days online chatting with babes all day before LaFawnduh arrived and changed his life. Ruell did not stay focused on acting after the movie, though he did return to voice Kip in the 2012 animated series. He later built a career as a commercial director and photographer. His directing work has included ads for brands such as T-Mobile, Nintendo, Coke and Burger King.
Jon Gries (69) as Uncle Rico
Fox Searchlight/Everett Collection; Fabio Lovino/HBO/Everett Collection
Jon Gries played Uncle Rico, Napoleon and Kip’s uncle, who could not stop thinking about his old football dreams. Gries was already a longtime character actor before the film, with credits including Real Genius, The Monster Squad, Martin, The Pretender and Get Shorty. After Napoleon Dynamite, he continued working steadily, including recurring roles as Roger Linus on Lost and as Greg Hunt, later known as Gary, on The White Lotus. He has also joined Heder and Ramirez for Napoleon Dynamite Live! events.
Haylie Duff (41) as Summer Wheatly
Fox Searchlight/Everett Collection; Lifetime/Everett Collection
Haylie Duff played Summer Wheatly, the popular student who ran against Pedro for class president. After Napoleon Dynamite, Duff, the sister of actress and singer Hilary Duff, joined 7th Heaven as Sandy Jameson and also appeared on shows including Joan of Arcadia and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She later moved into food and lifestyle work with Real Girl’s Kitchen, which became both a cookbook and a Cooking Channel series. In recent years, Duff has also directed and starred in Lifetime movies.
Shondrella Avery (55) as LaFawnduh Lucas
Drafthouse Films/Everett Collection; Araya Doheny/Getty Images for 21Seeds Infused Tequila
Shondrella Avery played LaFawnduh Lucas, Kip’s internet girlfriend from Detroit who turned out to be very real. Avery went on to appear in films including Domino, The Secret Life of Bees, and End of Watch, as well as on TV shows including The Neighborhood and Single Drunk Female. She also reunited with the Hess world through Thelma the Unicorn, voicing Zirconia in the 2024 animated film.
Sandy Martin (77) as Grandma Carlinda Dynamite
Drafthouse Films/Everett Collection; Jeff Neumann/Showtime/Everett Collection
Sandy Martin played Grandma Carlinda Dynamite, Napoleon and Kip’s ATV-riding grandmother. Martin had already appeared in movies including 48 Hrs., Real Genius, Barfly and Speed before joining Napoleon Dynamite. After the film, she remained busy, playing Mac’s mother on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and appearing on Big Love, Hand of God and Ray Donovan. She also appeared in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Dumbo, and voiced Grandma Paguro in Pixar’s Luca.
Diedrich Bader (59) as Rex
CBS via Getty Images; Tubi /Everett Collection
Diedrich Bader played Rex, the martial arts instructor behind Rex Kwon Do. Bader was already known for The Drew Carey Show and Office Space before Napoleon Dynamite. He later starred on American Housewife and had recurring roles on Veep and Better Things. He has also had a long voice career, including Batman roles in Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Harley Quinn. More recently, his credits include Running Point and High Potential.
Emily Kennard Dunn as Trisha Stevens
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Emily Kennard, now Emily Dunn, played Trisha Stevens, Napoleon’s reluctant dance date. Napoleon Dynamite was her feature debut, and she later appeared in Pirates of the Great Salt Lake, Forever Strong and My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend. Dunn also moved into art and video game work, contributing to projects connected to Rugrats, Meet the Robinsons, Tak and the Power of Juju and Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour. Her own website currently lists her as an author, illustrator, and actor.
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