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Jon Heder | |
|---|---|
 Heder in 2023 | |
| Born | Jonathan Joseph Heder (1977-10-26)October 26, 1977 (age 47) Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
Jonathan Joseph Heder (/ˈhiːdər/; born October 26, 1977) is an American actor. He is best known for his breakout lead role as the title character of the comedy filmNapoleon Dynamite (2004). He also voiced the character in theFoxanimated series of the same name (2012).
Heder has had starring roles in the comedy filmsThe Benchwarmers (2006),School for Scoundrels (2006),Blades of Glory (2007),Mama's Boy (2007),When in Rome (2010),Reality (2014), andGhost Team (2016). He also had starring roles in the drama filmsFor Ellen (2012) andWalt Before Mickey (2015). Heder had starring voice roles in the animated filmSurf's Up (2007) and its sequel,Surf's Up 2: WaveMania (2017), as well asThelma the Unicorn (2024). He had a main voice role on theDisney XD animated seriesPickle and Peanut (2015–2018).
Heder was born on October 26, 1977, inFort Collins, Colorado,[1] the son of Helen (née Brammer) and physician James Heder. He has anidentical twin brother, Dan;[2] an older sister, Rachel; an older brother, Doug; and two younger brothers, Adam and Matt. He is of Swedish descent,[3] and is a nephew by marriage of formerNFL playerVai Sikahema.[4] When he was about two years old, he and his parents moved toSalem, Oregon.[5] He attended Walker Middle School in Salem and graduated fromSouth Salem High School in 1996,[5] where he was a member of the swim team and drama club. He is also anEagle Scout,[6][7] and served as aScoutmaster in 2010.[7]
A 2002 alumnus ofBrigham Young University, Heder worked on the short animated filmPet Shop. While attending BYU, he befriendedJared Hess and starred in Hess' short filmPeluca, which was later expanded intoNapoleon Dynamite.
The 2004 comedy featureNapoleon Dynamite, filmed inPreston, Idaho, earned $44.5 million.[8] In June 2005, Heder received theMTV Movie Award for Best Musical Performance and Breakthrough Male Performance for the role.[9] On October 8, 2005, he hostedSaturday Night Live with musical guestAshlee Simpson.[10] Heder and his film co-starEfren Ramirez filmed a series of commercials to promote the 2005Utah State Fair, and reprised their roles in aself-parody sketch, "Napoleon Bonamite", on the animated seriesRobot Chicken.[11]
In 2005, Heder had a supporting role as a clerk in anew age bookstore in theromantic comedyJust like Heaven. In 2006, he appeared in the comedy filmThe Sasquatch Gang; and had a starring role withRob Schneider andDavid Spade in producerAdam Sandler'sThe Benchwarmers (2006), a comedy about three men making up for lost chances by creating their ownLittle Leaguebaseball team. Also in 2006, Heder was the voice of the character Skull in the animated filmMonster House, and starred in the comedySchool for Scoundrels, oppositeBilly Bob Thornton andJacinda Barrett. He co-starred in 2007 withWill Ferrell in the well-receivedBlades 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 filmSurf's Up. His first foray into web television was the 2008 web seriesWoke 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.[12]
Heder and his twin brother, Dan, star together as villains in the fourth installment of the popular internet martial arts comedy seriesSockbaby. Heder's performance inWhen in Rome was praised byNew York Times criticA. O. Scott: "Jon Heder as a goofy street magician is the funniest of the bunch."[13][14] Heder voiced Napoleon Dynamite in theFox Network animated seriesNapoleon 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 theChromeo song "Old 45s".[15]
In January 2017, Heder reprised his role as Chicken Joe inSurf's Up 2: WaveMania, the direct-to-video sequel toSurf's Up. In 2022, it was announced that Heder would star in the comedy filmPlan B, alongsideTom Berenger andShannon Elizabeth.[16]
In 2024, Heder reunited with Hess inThelma the Unicorn, an animated film starringBrittany Howard.
Heder served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan, and speaks Japanese fluently.[17]Heder has been married to Kirsten Bales since 2002, having met her while attending Brigham Young University. They are members ofThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have four children.[18][19]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Mad TV | Percy | Season 10, Episode 4 |
| 2005 | Robot Chicken | Astronaut, Bully, Napoleon Bonamite | Voice, episode: "The Black Cherry" |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself | Host, episode: "Jon Heder/Ashlee Simpson" | |
| 2008 | My Name Is Earl | Joel Malone | Episode: "Girl Earl" |
| 2010 | WWE Raw | Himself | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Talking Dead | Himself | Guest |
| 2012 | Napoleon Dynamite | Napoleon Dynamite | Main voice role[20] |
| 2012 | Gulliver Quinn | Gulliver Quinn | Television film |
| The Aquabats! Super Show! | Eagle Claw | Episode: "Eagle Claw" | |
| 2014 | How I Met Your Mother | 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 | Voice, 2 episodes[20] | |
| Clarence | Randy | Voice, episode: "Rise 'n' Shine" | |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Napoleon Bonafrog | Voice, episode: "The Croaking"[20] | |
| Ben 10: Omniverse | Clyde Fife | Voice, episode: "Clyde Five"[20] | |
| 2015–2019 | Star vs. the Forces of Evil | Oskar Greason | Recurring voice role[20] |
| 2015–2018 | Pickle and Peanut | Pickle | Main voice role[20] |
| 2016 | Motive | Murray Schultz | Episode: "The Vanishing Policeman" |
| Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh | Mopo Store Manager | Voice, episode: "Best Frenemies"[20] | |
| 2017 | VeggieTales in the City | Avacajoe | Voice, episode: "Jimmy Makes a Comic Book"[20] |
| All Hail King Julien | Tentacle | Voice, episode: "Raiders of the Lord Shark"[20] | |
| 2017–2018 | Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters | Don Robertson / Multi-Farious | Voice, 4 episodes[20] |
| 2018 | Swedish Dicks | Mark | Episode: "Two Dicks Walk into a Bar" |
| 2022 | Studio C | Himself | Episode: "Special Guest Jon Heder" |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Woke Up Dead | Drex Greene |
| 2010 | Fact Checkers Unit | Jon |
| 2011 | Dead Grandma | Host |
| 2014 | TableTop | Himself |
| 2017 | Critical Role | Himself / Lionel Gayheart |
| 2019 | Retro Replay | Himself |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two | Seth | Voice |
| 2014 | Armikrog | Vognaut | Voice |
| Year | Title | Artist | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | "On Top of the World" | Imagine Dragons | Russian Cosmonaut |
| 2014 | "Old 45's" | Chromeo | Bar Patron |
| 2021 | "Back Pocket" | Brooke White | Cowboy/Band |
