Jon Heder is an actor and producer from the USA. He is best remembered for his iconic role in the classic comedy ‘Napoleon Dynamite’. But he has also starred in several other hit films, such as ‘Just Like Heaven’, ‘The Benchwarmers’, and most recently, ‘When in Rome’ and ‘Blades of Glory’. Heder has contributed his vocal talents to children’s films like “Surf’s Up” and “Monster House,” as well as the TV series “Pickle and Peanut.”
Jon Heder’s Net Worth
As of 2024, the estimated net worth of Jon Heder stands at a remarkable $10 million.
When Jon Heder was cast in the 2004 cult classic “Napoleon Dynamite,” he was paid a meagre $1,000. Little did they know at the time that this bargain would lead to immense success. Napoleon Dynamite went on to make an impressive total of $46 million.
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Early Life & Education of Jon Heder
In 1977, Jon Heder was born in Fort Collins, Colorado, with Swedish roots. His parents are Helen and James (a physician). They have five children altogether. Heder has an identical twin brother named Dan, an older brother named Doug, a sister named Rachel who is older than him, and two younger brothers, Adam & Matt.
Heder’s family relocated to Salem, Oregon, when he was two years old. There, he attended Walker Middle School and South Salem High School. During his high school years, he was actively involved in the drama club and swim team, as well as achieving Eagle Scout rank. Upon graduating from South Salem High School, Heder enrolled at Brigham Young University (BYU). He graduated four years later, in 2002. While attending BYU, Heder met Jared Hess, who cast him in his short film “Peluca.”.
Jon Heder’s Breakthrough with “Napoleon Dynamite”
In 2004, Jon Heder rose to fame with his critical success in the cult-classic movie “Napoleon Dynamite.” The movie was an adaptation of Jared Hess’s “Peluca.” It featured him as the eccentric title character—a high school student enduring unique personal problems and interesting peers. Upon premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January, “Napoleon Dynamite” became an immense moneymaker. It was announced that the film had a total gross of $46 million—on only a budget of $400,000.
Heder’s performance won him numerous awards, such as Best Breakthrough Performance and Best Musical Sequence from the MTV Movie Awards. Moreover, his work earned him multiple Teen Choice Award nominations. This movie ended up becoming a cult classic and was made into an animated series on Fox that lasted for some time.
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Jon Heder Film Career
After experiencing success with “Napoleon Dynamite,” Heder made an appearance as a new-age bookstore clerk in the 2005 rom-com “Just Like Heaven.”. It starred Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo. In 2006, he voiced in the supernatural animated film “Monster House.” He also had two lead roles that year. First, he appeared alongside David Spade and Rob Schneider in the comedy hit “The Benchwarmers.”. Second, he starred opposite Billy Bob Thornton and Jacinda Barrett in another comedic feature, “School for Scoundrels.”
After his first major success, the latter two movies were met with mixed reviews by critics. Luckily, 2007 was the year that changed it all for him. He starred alongside Will Ferrell in “Blades of Glory,” a highly acclaimed sports comedy about rival figure skating teams. He voiced Chicken Joe in the animated movie “Surf’s Up.”. Jon appeared in “Moving McAllister” along with Rutger Hauer, Mila Kunis, and Billy Drago. He also worked side-by-side with Diane Keaton on Mama’s Boy.
During the early 2010s, Heder starred in the romantic comedy “When in Rome.”. He also lent his voice to English-dubbed versions of various animated films such as “Legend of Kung Fu Rabbit,”, “Pororo, The Racing Adventure,” and “Pinocchio.”. Furthermore, he made a cameo appearance in the ensemble comedy film “Life Happens.”. There, he acted alongside Paul Dano in an independent drama called “For Ellen.”
Later, Heder was featured in an array of movies, such as Quentin Dupieux’s satirical comedy “Reality,” the biographical drama “Walt Before Mickey,” where he portrayed Roy Disney; the holiday ensemble comedy “Christmas Eve”; the crime thriller-comedy hybrid movie Ghost Team; and The Tiger Hunter, which stars Danny Pudi. Unexpected Race and Killing Winston Jones are other noteworthy entries in his filmography.
