The actor Jon Hederrecognized for his role in the film Napoleon Dynamite (Napoleon Dynamite), revealed details about one of the film’s most famous scenes during a commemorative event for its 20th anniversary. Heder, 46, joined his co-stars Efren Ramirez and Jon Gries onstage at Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida, for a special screening of the 2004 cult comedy.
During a question and answer session after the screening, Heder shared details about the scene in which his character, Napoleon, performs a peculiar dance to the rhythm of “Canned Heat” of Jamiroquaiin an attempt to win votes for his friend Pedro, played by Ramirez.
Heder surprised the audience by revealing that the dance was completely improvised, saying: “It was all improvised. “You fools who tried to learn the moves for your high school talent show, you wasted your time.”. The actor joked, advising: “They should have felt the love. Put on some sweet tunes and just let yourself go. That is what I did”.
Napoleon Dynamite, directed by Jared Hess, follows the adventures of an awkward teenager as he navigates the social difficulties of life in Preston, Idaho. The film, made on a budget of $400,000, grossed $44 million at the box office and became a comedy classic thanks to its quirky characters, memorable dialogue, and a whimsical llama named Tina.
In addition to Heder and Ramirez, the cast included Tina Majorino as Deb, Aaron Ruell as Kip, Haylie Duff as Summer and Shondrella Avery as LaFawnduh. Likewise, Jon Gries, 66, played Uncle Rico, while Ellen Dubin appeared as Aunt Ilene.
The film generated so much interest that it inspired an animated series that aired for one season on Fox from January to March 2012. Heder commented on the possible fate of the characters, suggesting that things are not looking good for most of them.
The process of creating the iconic dance Napoleon Dynamite reveals an interesting collaboration between Jon Heder and filmmakers Jared Hess and his wife Jerusha. According to Heder, the idea for the dance came about because of his reputation as a dancer, with Hess trusting in his abilities after the director’s wife praised Heder’s style.
“We’re going to make you dance at the climax of the movie. This is going to make or break the movie.”, Jerusha told the actor at that time. This led to, as she announced, the inclusion of dancing as the highlight of the film, with the added pressure of filming it on a limited budget and time.
The scene became a challenge for Heder, who felt a responsibility to convey the film’s central message through dance. “I was like, ‘Oh shit!’ This isn’t just a silly little scene. This is the moment when everything comes together, and he makes the sacrifice for his friend. That’s the whole theme of the movie. “Everything leads to this”Jon recalled.
With a spontaneous improvisation, Heder fused movements inspired by Saturday night fever, Michael Jackson and Soul Train, along with some choreography suggestions from Tina Majorino. Uncertainty over music rights led to filming the dance to three different songs before securing Jamiroquai’s iconic “Canned Heat.”
“Napoleon is probably paying child support to two different mothers, with two different children.”, the actor speculated. “Maybe Trisha was a passing romance. Kind of like, ‘Let’s try it…no, she was right the first time,’” he added jokingly.
