When “Napoleon Dynamite” was released in small movie houses during 2004, people across America seemed to have split opinions on what to make of that interesting little film. Some thought it was indescribably moronic, and others found its subtle charms (and satire)–ultimately or officially making it one of the more successful movie satires during the 21st century. And, of course, Jon Heder playing Napoleon helped save the movie. It’s also one of the rare times in movie history when the audience was so intrigued by the protagonist that they actually thought Jon Heder looked that way in real life. Well, it was certainly possible when character actors from the past and present live up to their names sometimes.
Once people found out that Heder didn’t have frizzy, curly hair, have front teeth like a rodent or even wear glasses, another interesting process was taking place without anybody noticing: The gradual removal of the anvil with the branded name “Typecasting.” If ever there was a threat that a character would follow an actor or actress around for eternity like a ball and chain, it was the Napoleon Dynamite persona. Jon Heder’s career was surely going to be stalled before it even began.
In stepped a baseball comedy and comedy powerhouse Will Farrell to give Heder a new movie persona.
Right after the tidal wave of “Napoleon Dynamite died down, Heder went right into a project where nobody would recognize him: A Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy called “Just like Heaven” where he’d have a small (but memorable) role in his real guise. Because small parts can sometimes be more memorable than having your mug on camera in every scene, a lot of audiences were amazed at how appealing Heder was with his real persona. He didn’t have to pretend to be doing Napoleon in another movie universe just to get audiences to remember who he was.
It was about that same time when he started filming that silly baseball comedy “Benchwarmers” and received an offer from Will Farrell’s comedy team to be a co-star in an upcoming movie satire on the sport of figure skating. Having Jon Heder in sports movies seemed just about right since he still makes you laugh when playing a fish out of water. But doing a sports comedy was a brilliant turn when he’d already conquered the quirky romantic comedy genre.
While the Billy Bob Thornton comedy “School for Scoundrels” in 2006 was a rare bomb in Heder’s movie credit list so far, Will Farrell’s “Blades of Glory” enabled Heder to create a brand-new classic movie character that gave him the springboard to have a successful character actor movie career for the rest of his life. Playing the figure skating partner Jimmy MacElroy to Farrell’s Chazz Michael Michaels, he managed to get himself photographed as a legitimate comedy master next to Will Farrell at the movie’s premiere and fortunately left the shadow of Napoleon Dynamite characteristically staring dumbfounded with mouth agape at how such a weight was lifted from his creator.
Jon Heder’s Oregon roots…
If you’ve read my article on the Salem (Oregon) Film Festival here on Associated Content, you would have seen that Jon Heder has stayed true to his roots and visits often the hometown where he graduated from high school and where his parents still live. Heder was actually born in Fort Collins, Colorado before his family moved to Salem where his dad still works as a medical doctor in an area of Salem where I was born and raised. Had I gone to South Salem High School and been six years younger, I probably would have known Heder, though I’ve never met him or his family. However, he visits here often–and he’s appeared publicly at special events more than once.
I wish I would have attended his appearance at Salem Cinema when “Napoleon Dynamite” was finally playing here in 2005. He gave a Q&A; before the film and was available to chat with after the screening. He and his brothers (he has five of them with one twin) appeared at the Elsinore Theatre during the first annual Salem Film Festival in 2006. This was another Q&A;, and he subsequently became the biggest celebrity out of Salem in a long time. If you include Portland, the list is much larger.
The good news about Heder is that he’s keeping it real and not letting his ubiquitous nature in the movies and TV go to his head. He keeps a faith in the church of the Latter-Day Saints and even went to Japan once before becoming a star to do a proselytizing mission. He also isn’t out to date half of every female contingent in Hollywood (as guffaw-inducing as that might be to some people)–choosing to not live there year round if he can help it and recently raising a young daughter with his wife.
What’s equally great is that he’s carved out a successful character acting career that seems to be malleable enough where he creates an all-new memorable persona in each project he takes on. Right now, he’s taking the first step into TV where character actors can sometimes find even more work than in film…
Perhaps give Jon Heder his own TV series?
Heder’s guest-shot appearance on NBC’s “My Name is Earl” at the time of this writing probably won’t win him a TV show. But character actors sometimes end up getting TV series for themselves and flourish…while maintaining that character actor persona. Heder could probably do well in a TV comedy series so he’d have something steady. Then again, it’s going to be interesting to see where he goes in his movie career. If you happen to peruse the IMDb message board for Heder, you see that people are craving to see him do a drama for a change. Those not used to getting dry comedy might have already assumed “Napoleon Dynamite” was a drama. However, his other movie roles show him emoting a lot more in a comedic vein.
The romantic comedy (with the occasional sports theme) is his niche at the moment. We’ll probably see Heder turn up in an all-new genre somewhere down the road and give a new shot in the arm for the concept of the character actor being in everything and anything without getting the due awards they deserve…
