When Napoleon Dynamite premiered 20 years ago, it never looked like a movie worth giving a chance. Even director Jared Hess wasn’t expecting much success.
But, the loud cheers that followed when Napoleon walked down the street in slow motion after securing a date for the high school dance was a “wash of relief and excitement,” according to Hess when he spoke with Deseret News.
Last month marked 20 years since that first screening. The cast are touring the country celebrating their 2004 hit film.
We can’t help but wonder what they’ve been up to in 2024. So, we decided to round up their recent activities.
Jon Heder (Napoleon)
Since John Heder’s major role as Napoleon, he has been taking up minor roles. Heder is currently working on a role in the animation ‘Thelma the Unicorn’ and is co-starring with Jamie Lee in a rom-com.
Efren Ramirez (Pedro)
Efren has been combining spinning records as a DJ and working as an actor. Fresh off ‘Due Justice’ released in 2023, the actor has two major films in the works.
Tina Majorino(Deb)
Tina has been blessing our screen in many amazing TV series, her last movies were ‘Bury me and I’ and ‘Challenger’ in 2022. The actress is focusing on podcasting with her older brother. And is going to bless our screens soon with a film.
Jon Gries (Uncle Rico)
John Gries’ recent acting were in the series ‘Dream corp LLC’ where he appeared in the three seasons and ‘White Lotus’ where he appeared in two seasons. The actor has other upcoming projects including ‘The Knife Thrower,’ ‘Tuesday Flu,’ and ‘Unusual Cowboy.’
Haylie Duff (Summer)
Haylie has always been known for being multi-talented. Currently, she has been more into cooking, being a mother and directing movies.
Emily Kennard Dunn (Trisha)
After taking a long break from the screen, Emily will be back in 2025 in a romance film “The Perfect Dynasty” which is still in production.
Shondrella Avery (Lafawnduh)
Get ready to have your fill of Shondrella this 2024. The Lafawnduh actress has 3 projects set to premiere this year.
Aaron Ruell (Kip)
After the surprise success of ‘Napoleon Dynamite’, Aaron took to writing and directing short films and commercials. At the moment Kip actor is focused on his successful photography and directing career.
Sandy Martin (Grandma)
With several minor roles in movies and TV shows under her belt, Sandy is still raring to go. The actress is billed to star in a thriller which is still in the works.
Diedrich Bader (Rex)
Diedrich has clearly been busy voicing different animated series albeit in small roles. With the latest being ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ and ‘Master of the Universe: Revolution.’
Carmen Brady (Starla)
Carmen’s role in ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ was her last role on screen. She moved on to build her muscles and help others build theirs as a personal trainer. All these she enjoys in privacy as we don’t know much about what she is currently up to.
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