15 Surprising Facts About "Napoleon Dynamite"

I can still remember watching Napoleon Dynamite for the first time and crying with laughter. I then forced my parents to watch it and they just could not understand the appeal. It’s clearly an art form that only this generation understands and appreciates. The film has achieved cult status and it’s totally worthy of the massive success it reached (grossing over $45 million worldwide!). I’ve probably seen this movie close to 50 times and am somewhat ashamed to admit that I never knew a single one of these facts… Ready to have your mind blown? Keep reading to learn 15 surprising facts about the wonderfully awkward and unreasonably hysterical Napoleon Dynamite. 

1. Jon Heder (who plays Napoleon) was initially paid just $1,000 for his role in the film. 

Don’t worry, though! After the movie became an international success, Jon renegotiated his contract and was awarded a much bigger paycheck. 

2. Aside from the unicorn, all of the drawings that appear in the movie were done by Jon Heder.

Including this lovely, very realistic portrait of Trisha! 

3. Jon Gries (who plays Uncle Rico) was less than thrilled when he learned that his character was obsessed with eating steak. Jon is a vegetarian in real life!

He agreed to chew the steak in his scenes but never swallowed it. He either spit the steak into a napkin when wiping his mouth or discreetly dropped it onto the ground.

4. Napoleon’s family’s pet llama, Tina, belongs to director/co-writer Jared Hess’s mother!

Tina has always been my favorite character in the movie.