Napoleon Dynamite Cast: Where Are They Now?

Jon Heder (Napoleon)

Heder played the quirky llama-feeding high schooler who enjoys eating tots, drawing "ligers" and perfecting his "skills" (with nunchucks, computer-hacking, etc. — you know, whatever it takes to get a girlfriend).

After showing off his sweet moves as the awkward-yet-endearing Napoleon, Heder starred in Benchwarmers (2006) and Blades of Glory (2007). He also voiced Pickle on the animated series Pickle and Peanut and Reggie (appropriately, a llama) in Thelma the Unicorn (2024), which was co-written by Jared and Jerusha Hess.

He's been married since 2002 to Kristen Heder; they have four children.

Efren Ramirez (Pedro)

After his turn as the ambitious Pedro — Napoleon's best friend who ran for (and won) student body president — Ramirez went on to land the role of Catuey on the TV series Eastbound & Down and to act alongside Will Ferrell in 2012's Casa de mi Padre.

In 2019, he played Felipe Guillermo Usted on the series Perpetual Grace, LTD. Ramirez reunited with Heder the following year for a Burger King commercial to mark the return of the fast food chain's cheesy tator tots. He also voiced Airman Diaz in the 2022 film Lightyear.

Ramirez led the horror anthology indie film Satanic Hispanics (2022) as The Traveler and starred as Santiago in the 2023 action-thriller Due Justice.

Tina Majorino (Deb)

Deb wasn't into Napoleon for his "skills" — she was truly the (entrepreneurial) girl next door, who was there all along.

Majorino, a child star who got her big break with 1994's Andre, shifted to the small screen after her role in the breakout indie film, most notably as Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie on Veronica Mars and Heather Tuttle on Big Love. She also played Dr. Heather Brooks on Grey's Anatomy and starred in Pink's "F-----' Perfect" music video in 2011.

In 2022, Majorino opened up about her mental health struggles for the "My Good Day Face" series on Mental and guest-starred in an episode of The Good Doctor.

Aaron Ruell (Kip)

As Napoleon's older brother, Kip went out of his way to try and make his little brother jealous of his skills when it came to chatting up "babes" online.

After his scene-stealing role, Aaron Ruell focused on behind-the-camera work, writing and directing the 2005 film short Everything's Gone Green before lending his voice to 2012's Napoleon Dynamite series and directing the 2017 miniseries Fathers Support Group.

Shondrella Avery (Lafawnduh)

Shondrella Avery played the one "babe" Kip met online who decided to meet up in real life — and they promptly tied the knot. (Their interaction launched a thousand gifs before gifs were a thing.)

Avery also played the role of Candy Taylor on the TV series One on One and reprised it for the spin-off Cuts. She appeared in 2016's Boy Bye, several TV movies and voiced Zirconia in Thelma the Unicorn.

Jon Gries (Uncle Rico)

Napoleon's nostalgic, morally ambiguous Uncle Rico swooped in to look after him and Kip after their grandma was injured in an ATV accident. He took over their lives with his footballs and time-machine dreams.

Before Napoleon Dynamite, Jon Gries had previously starred on the television series The Pretender. He later played Roger Linus on Lost and Dr. Roberts on Dream Corp LLC. Gries also appeared in seasons 1 and 2 of HBO's The White Lotus as Greg Hunt.

Sandy Martin (Grandma)

Sandy Martin played the sassy, fun-loving Grandma with a pet llama who just wanted Napoleon to fix his own dang quesadillas.

Since then, Martin reunited with her costar Majorino for the TV series Big Love and made notable appearances as Mac's mom on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

She has also acted in films, including Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) and The Invisible Raptor (2023), and contributed voice work to Luca (2021).

Diedrich Bader (Rex)

Heder previously told PEOPLE, "My favorite scene from the movie has always been the Rex Kwon Do scene," where comedian Diedrich Bader gives the brothers a lesson in image.

Bader ditched the patriotic pants but kept up his steady streak of roles, having already appeared on more than 200 episodes of The Drew Carey Show as Oswald Lee Harvey from 1995 to 2004.

After Dynamite made it big, Bader focused largely on voice work, with roles on animated series like Monsters vs. Aliens, Phineas and Ferb, BoJack Horseman and Harley Quinn, as well as providing the grizzled narration for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022). He's since returned to the screen, with the role of Bill Ericsson on Veep and a turn on American Housewife.

Haylie Duff (Summer)

As Summer, Duff portrayed the quintessential high school mean girl: pretty, popular and particularly shallow.

She appeared in several music videos and commercials alongside younger sister Hilary Duff before landing the role of Sandy Jameson on 7th Heaven.

In addition to acting in a number of TV movies, she starred in her own cooking show, The Real Girl's Kitchen. Duff went on to release her first cookbook in 2013 and has since welcomed two children with fiancé Matt Rosenberg.