What Life Is Really Like For The Star Of Napoleon Dynamite Now

In 2004, Napoleon Dynamite took the world by storm. An odd storm, perhaps, and not one that could have been predicted. No one was betting on the comedy centered around a school election, reconciliation through tetherball, and finding love in early internet chat rooms to become the cultural landmark it became. But it did. For what seemed like years, an entire generation couldn't stop making jokes about ligers, llamas, and sweet skills. 

But what's become of Jon Heder, the man who wore the iconic Vote for Pedro t-shirt? A lot, as it turns out. Heder is a family man, a committed Scoutmaster, and yes, still very much an actor. We rounded up some of the most interesting aspects of the life of the man who brought us all the greatest school assembly dance of all time — and we didn't even have to give up our tater tots to do it.

It's not all family-friendly comedy for Heder though — he's been known to get positively weird. Heder has appeared on all manner of bizarre web productions, side projects, and short films, lending his signature strangeness to star-studded and largely unknown ensembles alike. From Robot Chicken to Swedish Dicks, his range of expression and delivery have added the perfect touch of surrealism to many a production, but there is no work that more encapsulates this facet of his filmography more than Sockbaby. 

A four-part action comedy series pioneered by Earthworm Jim creator Doug TenNapel and director, editor, and fight choreographer John Soares, Sockbaby is a hallucinatory spoof of everything from Blaxploitation to classic sci-fi. It's the kind of thing you get introduced to in college then quote obsessively for years afterward. Heder plays the leader of the dastardly Frogmen, who promptly gives birth to his own doppelganger. He might be a kind-hearted family man, but Heder is far from afraid of the truly bizarre.

Heder's interests extend far beyond the performing arts. He's an ardent supporter of the Boy Scouts of America, and has served it in a variety of roles and from more than a few different levels. Growing up, Heder achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable in scouting. To become an Eagle Scout, the young man in question must spend years earning the proper number of merit badges, devote himself to service and leadership, and design and complete an Eagle Scout Service Project. 

Heder's involvement in scouting is a family affair he shares with his father and brothers, and he has gone on to become a Scoutmaster. Despite his achievements and enthusiasm, as in all areas of life, he is notably proud when pressed for details about his Eagle Project, in which he organized a number of boys into building and installing bird houses at a nearby park to encourage the development of a nature trail. Hit movies come and go, but what you achieve as a child stays with you forever.

In the years since Napoleon Dynamite, Heder has had myriad opportunities presented to him. He keeps the details to himself for the most part, but it's clear that he's turned down more than a few chances to be part of some projects that ended up going the distance. While some might see this as foolish, Heder considers it an asset — because of his early break, he can pick and choose exactly what kind of work he wants to do, and calibrate a work-life balance few actors have the chance to make real. 

When asked by Vulture why he didn't become "the next Jonah Hill," Heder was quick to clarify that this was a conscious choice. "I enjoy success and I certainly want the projects I did to do well. But I realized how happy I am trying to be somewhat normal without becoming huge. And not so much normal, but grounded, down-to-earth." He went on to compare his work to that of his father, a family doctor — though they're seemingly dissimilar, he's always wanted the same level of community and quiet in his life. This affords him the option of saying no to projects he finds distasteful as well, which he clarifies as "raunchy" comedies. As he summed it up, "I've never been interested in doing those kinds of projects." And he's never had to be.

Though he's not strayed too far from his comedy roots, Heder does dip a toe into the world of dramatic film now and then — especially the independent ones. In recent years he appeared in Weepah Way for Now, a drama about the relationship between two sisters, a biopic entitled Walt Before Mickey, and For Ellen, a downbeat story of divorce and creative failure. Drama has been a fairly recent venture, as prior to that his filmography is almost entirely defined by comedic roles, with minor genre twists as in Just Like Heaven's flights of fantasy and The Benchwarmers' borrowing of sports tropes. 

Heder has stayed tight-lipped about this detour — perhaps it's an experiment he's still waiting to see the results of, or a new direction entirely. Regardless, it's a pleasure to see him do his thing as an actor, especially when he's pushed to take his skills to new emotional places.