Jon Heder
{{short description|American actor (born 1977)}}
{{BLP sources|date=February 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jon Heder
| image = Jon Heder by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
| caption = Heder in 2023
| birth_name = Jonathan Joseph Heder
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|10|26}}
| birth_place = Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S.
| occupation = Actor
| spouse = {{marriage|Kirsten Bales|2002}}
| children = 4
| years_active = 2000–present
}}
Jonathan Joseph Heder ({{IPAc-en|'|h|iː|d|ər}}; born October 26, 1977) is an American actor. He is best known for his breakout lead role as the title character of the comedy film Napoleon Dynamite (2004). He also voiced the character in the Fox animated series of the same name (2012).
Heder has had starring roles in the comedy films The Benchwarmers (2006), School for Scoundrels (2006), Blades of Glory (2007), Mama's Boy (2007), When in Rome (2010), Reality (2014), and Ghost Team (2016). He also had starring roles in the drama films For Ellen (2012) and Walt Before Mickey (2015). Heder had starring voice roles in the animated film Surf's Up (2007) and its sequel, Surf's Up 2: WaveMania (2017), as well as Thelma the Unicorn (2024). He had a main voice role on the Disney XD animated series Pickle and Peanut (2015–2018).
Early life
Heder was born on October 26, 1977, in Fort Collins, Colorado,[http://www.filmreference.com/film/74/Jon-Heder.html Jon Heder profile], FilmReference.com; accessed February 7, 2015. the son of Helen (née Brammer) and physician James Heder. He has an identical twin brother, Dan;{{cite web|url=http://www.tribute.ca/people/Jon+Heder/12666|title=Jon Heder biography and filmography |publisher=Tribute.ca|access-date=April 21, 2014}} an older sister, Rachel; an older brother, Doug; and two younger brothers, Adam and Matt. He is of Swedish descent,{{cite web|author=B. Alan Orange|url=http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEoUJqqovQY7ss|title=Shia LaBeouf and Jon Heder Compete for Waves in 'Surf's Up'|publisher=Movieweb.com|date=June 4, 2007|access-date=April 21, 2014|archive-date=October 5, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005051620/http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEoUJqqovQY7ss|url-status=dead}} and is a nephew by marriage of former NFL player Vai Sikahema.[http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/columnists/dan_gross/14429877.htm "Dan Gross: Vai not big fan of actor/kin"] article from Philly.com {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311032343/http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/columnists/dan_gross/14429877.htm |date=March 11, 2007 }} When he was about two years old, he and his parents moved to Salem, Oregon.{{cite news|last=Owen|first=Rob|title=Heder returns as 'Dynamite' gets animated|date=January 12, 2012|newspaper=The Oregonian|page=E1|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/movies/index.ssf/2012/01/jon_heder_returns_as_animated.html|access-date=April 7, 2012}} He attended Walker Middle School in Salem and graduated from South Salem High School in 1996,{{Cite web |date=2019-08-20 |title=Salem-Raised Jon Heder Returns to Oregon for the 15th Anniversary of Napoleon Dynamite |url=https://www.wweek.com/arts/2019/08/20/salem-raised-jon-heder-returns-to-oregon-for-the-15th-anniversary-of-napoleon-dynamite/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=Willamette Week |language=en}} where he was a member of the swim team and drama club. He is also an Eagle Scout,{{Cite web|url=https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2018/02/08/famous-former-scouts/|title=111 Scouts who became famous (Just in time for the BSA's 111th birthday)|date=February 8, 2018}} and served as a Scoutmaster in 2010.{{cite news|title=Boy Scouts Prepared To Celebrate A Century|newspaper=National Public Radio|date=February 6, 2010|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123439540|access-date=February 7, 2015}}
A 2002 alumnus of Brigham Young University, Heder worked on the short animated film Pet Shop. While attending BYU, he befriended Jared Hess and starred in Hess' short film Peluca, which was later expanded into Napoleon Dynamite.
Career
The 2004 comedy feature Napoleon Dynamite, filmed in Preston, Idaho, earned $44.5 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/napoleon_dynamite|title=Napoleon Dynamite|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=February 7, 2015}} In June 2005, Heder received the MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Performance and Breakthrough Male Performance for the role.{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2005/06/06/here-are-mtv-movie-award-winners-2/ |title=Here are the MTV Movie Award winners |date=June 6, 2005 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |first=Gary |last=Susman |access-date=February 11, 2024 }} On October 8, 2005, he hosted Saturday Night Live with musical guest Ashlee Simpson.{{cite AV media |url=https://archive.org/details/saturday-night-live-seasons-26-35/Saturday+Night+Live+-+S31E02+-+Jon+Heder+%26+Ashlee+Simpson+(October+8%2C+2005).mp4 |title=Saturday Night Live Seasons 26 - 35: S31E02 Jon Heder & Ashlee Simpson |date=October 8, 2005 |website=Internet Archive |access-date=February 13, 2024 }} Heder and his film co-star Efren Ramirez filmed a series of commercials to promote the 2005 Utah State Fair, and reprised their roles in a self-parody sketch, "Napoleon Bonamite", on the animated series Robot Chicken.{{cite news |url=https://www.looper.com/143540/what-life-is-really-like-for-the-star-of-napoleon-dynamite-now/ |title=What Life Is Really Like For The Star Of Napoleon Dynamite Now |date=January 23, 2019 |website=Looper |first=Juliet |last=Kahn |access-date=February 13, 2024 }}
In 2005, Heder had a supporting role as a clerk in a new age bookstore in the romantic comedy Just like Heaven. In 2006, he appeared in the comedy film The Sasquatch Gang; and had a starring role with Rob Schneider and David Spade in producer Adam Sandler's The Benchwarmers (2006), a comedy about three men making up for lost chances by creating their own Little League baseball team. Also in 2006, Heder was the voice of the character Skull in the animated film Monster House, and starred in the comedy School for Scoundrels, opposite Billy Bob Thornton and Jacinda Barrett. He co-starred in 2007 with Will Ferrell in the well-received Blades of Glory (2007) where, as in many of his films, he plays an absurd, slapstick caricature—this time, one of two rival figure skaters who must team up in a pairs competition.
Heder's second turn at voice acting came in 2007 when he voiced Chicken Joe, a surfing chicken, in the animated film Surf's Up. His first foray into web television was the 2008 web series Woke Up Dead, which he produced and starred in. The live-action, sci-fi comedy thriller follows Drex, a USC student who wakes up underwater in the bathtub one morning and suspects he may be dead.{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/jon-heder-star-online-series-116304/#! |title=Jon Heder to star in online series |date=July 24, 2008 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |first=Nellie |last=Andreeva |access-date=February 12, 2024}}
Heder and his twin brother, Dan, star together as villains in the fourth installment of the popular internet martial arts comedy series Sockbaby. Heder's performance in When in Rome was praised by New York Times critic A. O. Scott: "Jon Heder as a goofy street magician is the funniest of the bunch."{{cite web |date=January 28, 2010 |last=Scott |first=A. O. |author1-link=A. O. Scott |title=Coins and a Fountain That Make a Magic Mess |website=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/movies/29when.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513055837/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/movies/29when.html |archive-date=May 13, 2010 }}Chris Hicks. Deseret News, February 5, 2010, p. W1 Heder voiced Napoleon Dynamite in the Fox Network animated series Napoleon Dynamite, which debuted in January 2012. In 2013, Heder appeared in the music video for "On Top of the World" with numerous other Utah-based actors and musicians, and in 2014 he appeared in the music video for the Chromeo song "Old 45s".{{cite AV media |title=Chromeo – Old 45's |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y44jY-DrLYM&t=4m42s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/y44jY-DrLYM| archive-date=December 12, 2021 |url-status=live|via=YouTube |access-date=March 24, 2018 }}{{cbignore}}
In January 2017, Heder reprised his role as Chicken Joe in Surf's Up 2: WaveMania, the direct-to-video sequel to Surf's Up. In 2022, it was announced that Heder would star in the comedy film Plan B, alongside Tom Berenger and Shannon Elizabeth.{{cite web | url=https://deadline.com/2022/07/jamie-lee-jon-heder-topline-comedy-plan-b-1235065213/ | title=Jamie Lee & Jon Heder Topline Comedy 'Plan B' for Joke Zero and Future Proof Films | date=July 16, 2022 }}
In 2024, Heder reunited with Hess in Thelma the Unicorn, an animated film starring Brittany Howard.
Personal life
Heder served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan, and speaks Japanese fluently.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jun-10-wk-movie10-story.html |title=Is it a wacky leap of faith? |date=June 10, 2004 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |first=Peter |last=McQuaid |access-date=February 9, 2024 }}
Heder has been married to Kirsten Bales since 2002, having met her while attending Brigham Young University. They are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have four children.{{cite news |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jon-heder-mormonism-kept-raunchy-roles_n_1199328 |title= Jon Heder: Mormonism Prevented Taking Raunchy Roles |date=March 12, 2012 |work=HuffPost |access-date=April 15, 2023 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.etonline.com/news/192654_jon_heder_and_wife_kirsten_expecting_baby_number_four/ |title=Jon Heder and Wife Expecting Baby No. 4 – See Their Cute Announcement! |author=Murphy, Desiree |website=Entertainment Tonight |date=July 6, 2016 |access-date=September 22, 2016}}
Filmography
= Film =
= Television =
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004
| Mad TV | Percy | Season 10, Episode 4 | |||
| rowspan=2|2005
| Astronaut, Bully, Napoleon Bonamite | Voice, episode: "The Black Cherry" | |||
| Saturday Night Live
| Himself | Host, episode: "Jon Heder/Ashlee Simpson" | |||
| 2008
| Joel Malone | Episode: "Girl Earl" | |||
| 2010
| WWE Raw | Himself | 1 episode | |||
| 2011
| Himself | Guest | |||
| 2012
| Napoleon Dynamite | |||
| rowspan=2|2012
| Gulliver Quinn | Gulliver Quinn | Television film | |||
| The Aquabats! Super Show!
| Eagle Claw | Episode: "Eagle Claw" | |||
| rowspan=7|2014
| Narshall | Episode: "Vesuvius" | |||
| Uncle Grandpa
| Kev | Voice, episode: "Viewer Special" | |||
| Kroll Show
| Himself | Episode: "Blisteritos Presents Dad Academy Graduation Congraduritos Red Carpet Viewing Party" | |||
| The Legend of Korra
| Ryu, Ryy's Father | |||
| Clarence
| Randy | Voice, episode: "Rise 'n' Shine" | |||
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
| Napoleon Bonafrog | |||
| Ben 10: Omniverse
| Clyde Fife | |||
| 2015–2019
| Oskar Greason | |||
| 2015–2018
| Pickle | |||
| rowspan=2|2016
| Motive | Murray Schultz | Episode: "The Vanishing Policeman" | |||
| Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh
| Mopo Store Manager | |||
| rowspan=2|2017
| Avacajoe | |||
| All Hail King Julien
| Tentacle | |||
| 2017–2018
| Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters | Don Robertson / Multi-Farious | |||
| 2018 | Swedish Dicks | Mark | Episode: "Two Dicks Walk into a Bar" |
| 2022 | Studio C | Himself | Episode: "Special Guest Jon Heder" |
= Web =
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Year
! Title ! Role | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2009
| Drex Greene | ||
| 2010
| Jon | ||
| 2011
| Host | ||
| 2014
| TableTop | Himself | ||
| 2017 | Critical Role | Himself / Lionel Gayheart |
| 2019
| Retro Replay | Himself |
= Video games =
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2012
| Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two | Seth | Voice |
| 2014
| Armikrog | Vognaut | Voice |
= Music videos =
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Artist ! Role |
|---|
| 2013
| Russian Cosmonaut |
| 2014
| "Old 45's" | Chromeo | Bar Patron |
| 2021
| "Back Pocket" | Cowboy/Band |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{Twitter}}
- {{IMDb name|1417647}}
- [http://www.dearelder.com/_video/dearelder.html One of Jon Heders first projects] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104221536/http://www.dearelder.com/_video/dearelder.html |date=November 4, 2016 }}
- [https://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/heder.asp Snopes article debunking the myth of his death]
- [https://archive.today/20040804034433/http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200407/20040716.html Video and transcript of an interview with Heder]
- [http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1517 Jon Heder on The Hour]
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Jon Heder
|list =
{{MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance}}
{{MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Moment}}
{{Teen Choice Award Choice Hissy Fit}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heder, Jon}}
Category:Actual play performers
Category:Male actors from Colorado
Category:Male actors from Salem, Oregon
Category:American male film actors
Category:Latter Day Saints from Colorado
Category:Latter Day Saints from Oregon
Category:Brigham Young University alumni
Category:Identical twin male actors
Category:Actors from Fort Collins, Colorado
Category:South Salem High School alumni
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:American male video game actors
Category:American male voice actors
Category:American people of Swedish descent
Category:People from Saugus, Santa Clarita, California
Category:American male television actors
Category:American Mormon missionaries in Japan
Category:American male comedians
Category:Comedians from Colorado