Why I Almost Turned Down the Role of Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite

#NapoleonDynamite #vote4pedro #pedro #EfrenRamirez #HollywoodStories
Watch the full episode -- • Napoleon Dynamite’s Pe...
/ thereal.efrenramirez
www.cameo.com/...
Follow X5 Podcast:
★ Tiktok: / x5podcast
★ Instagram: / x5podcast
★ Facebook: / x5podcast
GET THE PODCAST
★ Spreaker: www.spreaker.c...
★ Spotify: open.spotify.c...
★ Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple...
ABOUT EFREN RAMIREZ
Efren Ramirez is an American actor, DJ, and producer, best known for his iconic role as Pedro Sánchez in the cult classic film Napoleon Dynamite (2004). Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Ramirez began his career in the entertainment industry with small roles in television and film before his breakout performance in Napoleon Dynamite earned him widespread recognition and acclaim. In addition to his acting career, Ramirez is an accomplished DJ, having performed at major music festivals and events worldwide, blending eclectic styles from house music to hip-hop. He is also a motivational speaker, author of the book Direct Your Own Life, and continues to work in both independent and mainstream film and television projects, including upcoming roles in the supernatural western Seven Cemeteries with Danny Trejo.

[@dirkdiggler2430]

In The Alamo he would've been just a Mexican among thousands but in Napoleon Dynamite he was The Mexican.

[@mattstone8111]

You're forgetting about Pedro's cousins with the sweet hookups.

[@carlosenriqueulloa]

It's better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond.

[@dirkdiggler2430]

@@mattstone8111 lol!

[@sleepn_on_me2473]

Thats a good observation Did he say what his role woulda been in the alamo?

[@mbergamin16]

Vote for Pedro in November ✅

[@joeylasagna7603]

Vote for Pedro

[@SHUT-UP_MEG]

Gosh

[@loskyejeros]

Tremendous

[@MetaITurtle]

Pedro for Vote

[@TheL1arL1ar]

I tell this guy at my work vote for pablo 😂.

[@terrybrodsky4948]

Why wouldn't you vote for Pedro!?

[@tvaldez6655]

Fun Fact: napoleon cost 400k to make. Earned 46 million worldwide. Alamo cost 107 million to make, earned 25 million.

[@typerightseesight]

Seems way bigger than that 😅 Jim Carrey's comedies in the 90s made like 400m each

[@Digital_Ninja279]

The Alamo film sucked.

[@typerightseesight]

@@Imetalman2000 46m minus 400k is 45 million 600k. lol.

[@turdfurg1517]

@typerightseesight Dude don't ruin it

[@typerightseesight]

@@turdfurg1517 what.

[@moraleseric]

I've watched Napoleon Dynamite countless times! I've never watched the Alamo.

[@toomanyjstoomanyrs1705]

Me three. Love this movie.

[@Trancymind]

Legend has it that Pedro deserted the mexican army from the battle of Alamo in order to run as class president in Idaho.

[@mistyrose7511]

Same

[@DARYUS926]

Well said

[@solidkingcobra]

The whole movie is my background music every other day. and when I watch it with full attention. I always find something new.

[@ragingdwarf]

Ironically, nobody remembers the Alamo.

[@justme8340]

Hahahaha! Well done!

[@Reggie2000]

I forgot that film existed. And I live in Texas. 😮😂 I bought the VHS, watched it once. It's no doubt in a box somewhere rotting. Rotting in Hell with that villian Antonio López de Santa Anna! Remember the Alamo bich3s!!! 🕍 🥳🙏🤸

[@carl_royce_canti]

I actually didn't even know what it was and had to Google it

[@TrogdorBurnin8or]

Texas decapitated. Whole big thing. We had a funeral for a bird.

[@bartman898]

One of the best KZbin comments ever.

[@dervinmann9873]

that agency owes this man an apology.

[@brucef310]

For what? He still hasn't done much of note.

[@cdhui]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@brucef310 Alamo cost $107mil and made $25mil. Napoleon Dynamite cost $400k and made $46mil. You think people would remember this dude from a flop like the Alamo?

[@Andu_music]

@@cdhui but because of the big studio connections that alamo had he might have gotten more roles and maybe wouldn’t have been typecasted

[@ToothpasteJuice]

​@@Andu_musiche'll be living off royalties from a cult classic for the rest of his life though. He'll never have to work again unless he wants to. How is that not the dream?

[@RyTrapp0]

@@Andu_music "big studio connections" - oh please, showing up in the end credits of a big studio movie doesn't mean that you're just by default going to have an easier time getting other roles. Especially if it's a total failure of a movie, that doesn't make you anyone's go-to. Nothing says "typecast" more than a latino in a movie called 'The Alamo', so I'm not sure how that would have changed. On the other hand, right after 'Napoleon Dynamite', he immediately got roles in 'Crank' and 'Employee of the Month', as well as co-starring in the HBO's 'Walkout'

[@OzarkMountainKing]

That movie alone is responsible for my friend Pete finally embracing his heritage and using his given name, Pedro. Pedro was a solid character, not some cartoon stereotype of a Mexican American. Seeing a character such as Pedro being his authentic self really had an impact on my lifelong friends' self-esteem.

[@guy2006]

Your find was ashamed of being Mexican? That's a first for me to hear. Mexicans generally are very proud people as we get tought to be proud of being Mexican ever since we are born. I was born in the states, but my dad raised us like we were living in Mexico. But to be fair he and my mom both came from Mexico and weren't born here, so idk. Maybe your friend wasn't first generation?

[@OzarkMountainKing]

@guy2006 No, he was not ashamed of being Mexican. He was a first generation born American. His family spoke Spanish at home. With that said, we grew up in a really small town of less than 5000 people. It was really white, and we were both different. We met in 2nd grade, and at that time, it was common for teachers to assign "American" names to children that had names that were considered ethnic. They'd use the reasoning that it would be hard for the other children to pronounce our names, so Pedro became Pete per school policy. I became something else, too. We were discouraged from speaking our languages that we spoke at home in front of other kids. In a sense, we were forced into redefining ourselves and ignoring our cultural differences in public in order to be accepted in that tiny town. We both lived two identities for years to fit in because that is what we were conditioned to do. I reverted to my real name while still in high school. It took Pedro much longer. This movie helped him figure out he didn't need to keep his Mexican identity to himself.

[@kingnick6260]

@@OzarkMountainKing this was beautiful

[@kombijr]

@@guy2006 it’s generational thing. With each one trying to assimilate.

[@phantomrenegade7028]

@@OzarkMountainKingthe same thing happened to my grandfather in the 30’s his name was Gerardo but the teacher changed his name to Harry because she “couldn’t pronounce it”. He even eventually changed it legally to Harry because that’s how everyone he grew up with knew him as

[@innercynic2784]

Nobody talks about 'Alamo' at all. And yet 'Napoleon Dynamite' is iconic. Fate had another path for you.

[@hardcorenativextreme]

Because The Alamo is another big movie that is about a historic event. But Napoleon Dynamite is a cult classic, is one of those gems that no one really knows what it is but it is a masterpiece in its own right

[@bh-zj4yt]

I can’t ever get those characters out of my head. Pedro. Uncle Rico. Rex Kwon Do 😂😂😂😂. Hilarious

[@rojelio989]

"No more flying solo, you need someone watching your back at..all..times!"

[@bh-zj4yt]

@@rojelio989 😂😂 bow to your Sensei!!

[@chas.5009]

Im being recruited by a couple of gangs because of my bowstaff skills ☠️

[@deltaray3]

Shoot now I have Rex Kwon Do in my head. Thanks.

[@vjr5261]

It’s an annual watch event for us now.

[@DirtCheapFU]

His thought, "Does Pedro have a condition?".lol

[@carl-cr7rp]

No, he's from Juárez .

[@1ring2rule3pigs]

That's because you can't say 'retarded' anymore.

[@DirtCheapFU]

@@carl-cr7rp Juarez is more of a 'situation'. Walter Jaurez, "I am the danger". Lovely place, though. Just stay and go where you should stay and go. Kinda like Chicago...

[@TarynRMartin]

In hindsight, might Pedro have been on the spectrum?

[@jwr2904]

​@@DirtCheapFU nah, and do go to Chicago either lol

[@mlmattin]

Napolean Dynamite is a masterpiece and this guy is part of why that's true. He nailed the part of Pedro. It's one of those movies where if you are flipping through and see it's on, you have to stop and watch the whole thing.

[@Jac735]

Facts

[@joandramillhouse3554]

Every time 😂

[@blazedbeye3412]

I respectfully disagree. I can't watch it, I've tried. Its just not for me

[@mlmattin]

@@blazedbeye3412 I suppose nothing is for everyone. It is indeed an odd and quirky film. As much as I love it, I'm sure there are plenty out there that hate it.

[@Bee_Mavrick]

That's true, I watched it last year, and stopped making food.

[@tommyrsrracer]

He definitely followed his gut feeling, turned out way more popular than the Alamo

[@Gothmaugh]

Yeah... I really like Dennis Quade but that movie was awful. Homie picked the right movie for sure.

[@machtnichtsseimann]

"The Alamo" was solid, IMO, but "Napoleon Dynamite" is iconic. True Cult Classic. Quotable, unforgettable characters, great, quirky score, edited well ( didn't drag and lose my attention ), capable acting, even the opening credits were very creative and original. Consistently funny, some hilarious scenes. To this day, when talking with my friend about pc or cell phone problems, I say: "I love technology...".

[@judymowatt4264]

RIGHT?! That movie put him on the MAP.

[@bob7975]

How many movies have been made about the Alamo? How many of them do you remember seeing? But there is only one "Napoleon Dynamite", and no one will forget it who has seen it.

[@sherlockcooms7777]

@@judymowatt4264that’s the point too, all them agents weren’t looking out for HIM, they were only looking out for themselves, they just seen the money from the big picture, and didn’t care if HE gets known, instead they’d rather sneak him in with a big actors just to say they did their job, they are actual leeches.

[@ChristianCampos24]

Efren is dope. He was my acting teacher when I was a teenager. Years later I wrote a book about acting and reached out to him for an endorsement. He wrote me one. I’ll never forget that. Thanks Efren.

[@Generationrhino]

What's the book

[@ChristianCampos24]

@@GenerationrhinoActing Today: A Guide to Hollywood’s New Era

[@stevolopez]

At first, I was insulted of the characture of Pedro... a Mexican American. But then I realized, that the whole movie was a characture of every race, including white small town America. Over the years, I've grown to love Pedro. Film makers were geniuses!

[@dirkjewitt5037]

About time he got some press, vote for Pedro.

[@indyvelo4130]

Why?

[@dirkjewitt5037]

@@indyvelo4130 Cause he's cool

[@mikeg3439]

Oh he has been popular for a long time over that role, and well deserved.

[@duncandmcgrath6290]

He’s had plenty , he and his character are loved by millions.

[@indyvelo4130]

@@dirkjewitt5037 I tee'd it right up for you, and you wiffed it. Vote for Pedro ....... Why? ....... He'll make your wildest dreams come true.

[@benvasilinda9729]

He chose the one that wound up being a massive +$45 million dollar commercial success vs not picking the one that was a massive -$150 million flop.

[@lrmclinn]

Also having a cartoon spin off

[@ashleybanks-wm4cg]

You don't realize that that has no affect on a actors career if he starred in Alamo he would have gotten more roles Napoleon is legendary and a timeless experience but also the reason we never saw him in anything again

[@manashieldworld]

​@@ashleybanks-wm4cgHe didn't do propaganda for America and they blacklisted him. "Land of the free" lol

[@rogerwalker3969]

20 years later and nobody Remembers The Alamo.

[@efdangotu]

Ironic.

[@_ch1pset]

Ironically, no one remembers the Alamo (film), but Napoleon Dynamite is now a timeless classic.

[@Tunda2]

Efren is cool as hell man. Met him a couple months ago and we talked for at least half an hour

[@kristineeee]

He's awesome! Efren frequented the 24 Hour Fitness in Altadena I used to go (before the pandemic) and he always took time to chat with us for at least 20 minutes.

[@daveassanowicz186]

Follow your heart

[@tonythedonluciano]

Bro chose right. Vote 4 Pedro! 😂

[@briangoldsmith8709]

I’m just going to say this: my 13 year old son wears a Vote For Pedro shirt to school. You definitely made the right choice!

[@richluvsellie1]

No cussing...no boobs..no gross content...just a good clean ol fashioned film...I love it..

[@sw11593]

Some boobs woulda been cool though

[@Toughmittens]

There is nothing old fashioned about that movie lol it was very avant-garde at the time and the theaters were full of stoners

[@FireFox-xx1nu]

What’s wrong with boobs?

[@jmas43]

Have we forgotten about creepy Uncle Rico and Bust Must?

[@morydees]

Pretty sure this is correct... there is a single cuss word. In the 'gimme some of your tots' scene, Napoleon drops the F bomb.

[@owdeezstrauz]

Napoleon dynamite is one of my favorite movies

[@Hakeem597]

Napoleon Dynamite came out of nowhere and was an instant classic.

[@777tmack]

This reminds me of Magic Johnson’s story. He was told he’d get $200K and be the #1 pick if he left Michigan State a year earlier. But his dad said, 'You’ve been broke for 18 years, you can be broke for one more.' Magic went back to school, won a national championship, and still became the #1 pick for the Lakers-making even more money than if he’d left early. Similarly, when Efren Ramirez asked for advice on which film to pick, he was told to follow his heart. It speaks volumes that both dads prioritized long-term success over a short-term cash grab. Following your passion truly pays off.

[@RavenSteeze]

3:09 millions of people are grateful he made the choice to play Pedro , absolute classic 😂

[@zhenjiu]

I make it a point to rewatch this movie at least once a year. At my martial arts school, many practitioners had changed their ringtones to 'Bow to Your Sensei.' Such an awesome independent gem.

[@veerchasm1]

Napoleon Dynamite is an annual watch in my home. So sweet and funny

[@robertdog]

Same.

[@bob7975]

Who would have thought that a simple, wholesome, coming-of-age-in-a-small-town independent film would have the kind of reach and longevity this one has?

[@ThurgoodJenkinz]

THe only problem with playing an iconic part in a movie is you will always be known as that character.

[@digiprez77]

Yes, he will always be Ma-Ti to me...

[@endlessgrind6951]

Doesn't look like he sees a problem in that.

[@DonovenGrey]

As if that is a bad thing....🤡

[@geezerguy6410]

I knew Bob Denver, he was afraid of being type cast after playng Maynard on Dobie Gillis...then came Gilligan.... Ya never with life.

[@Rensune]

That's only a problem if it's a bad character. The fact that Harrison Ford hates Han Solo will forever be nuts

[@mattbedforth9569]

I'm not "there's a plan for everything" type of person, but when your dad tells you exactly what Napoleon does you've gotta think it was meant to be. I recently worked as a production assistant on a tater tots ad with Jon Heder and Aaron Ruell. I got into the industry specifically for jobs like that one; Aaron was directing and Jon was on screen and even for a commercial there was a palpable feeling that there was chance to create something great whenever they started to roll. We even saw a Llama at the farm we were shooting at and decided to do a full 180, and spend nearly an hour wrangling the thing into frame. From the short time working with them I could get the sense as to why you were all able to create such classic indie film. As I said the the guys, thank for all of your effort Effrin (on Even Stevens too!) - you've provided a lot of people with tons of entertainment.

[@Gunnumn]

I fucking love this dude. Shoutout to Crank and Crank 2.

[@cbossbarker]

It's a sledgehammer 🚲

[@miguelwilliams6876]

We can do some sicks jumps

[@anthonydefuria9224]

Luuuckyyyy!

[@Stuntman87]

😂😂

[@JohnTorres-vd3tz]

" -It's- Ees a sledgehammer '

[@retro9173]

I’ll still vote for Pedro!

[@victorlee5208]

Thank you Pedro wouldn't have been the same

[@djIZNICE]

Probably the only Alamo people DON'T remember.

[@BigislandEJ]

😂

[@DonovenGrey]

It was a great movie 🤬

[@anothergamingchannel2656]

Yeah I was sitting here trying to even recall that movie. Needless to say I think Pedro made the right choice in the long run lol

[@jreschke5]

Hahaha

[@edwest90]

😂😂😂

[@runpullfourskinz6796]

Dude would have the greatest campaign slogan of all time if he ran for president.

[@N8tiveWeeb]

Bro I don’t even remember the Alamo being a movie. Napoleon dynamite is a classic for me. When I ask ppl if they never seen it and I show them, they always were like , when did this come out? Really?! It’s so good tho. Mannnnn good shit 🔥🔥🔥

[@jim-l8x]

Santa Anna is forgotten but Napoleon lives on

[@judymowatt4264]

So doe Pedro!

[@ZanicaKnight]

1:31 “Does Pedro have a condition?” hahahahahaha 🤣🤣🤣

[@Squirrelconga]

That shit was 🪙

[@bryede]

This movie divides people so much. Everyone I know loves it or hates it. Honestly, I feel like you the ability to see beyond the mundane events of the story and just enjoy the awkward world you've been transported to.

[@Douglas_Rain]

I really tried to like it but it was horrible. I couldn't finish it.

[@lilbopnliltop9178]

@@Douglas_Rainits a classic

[@TMoney-wt1cw]

This movie is so weird to me. The first time I saw it, I hated it. I thought “why is this movie so famous?” And then I just randomly decided to watch it again, and something clicked, and I thought it was one of the funniest movies ever lmao.

[@Black_Jesus3005]

He made the right choice and screw that agency. Napoleon Dynamite is a classic.

[@Dankpuffin]

Napoleon’s dynamite and Nacho Libra are cut from the same cloth and I love them both like crazy. It’s like modern day Monty Python.

[@ragtop63]

Efren definitely made the right choice. His character and his character’s family opened up the familiarity of the story to an entire other community of people. He did a great job.

[@lewisgiles8855]

Pedro was totally one of the favorite characters for me. Im super glad that movie made it. Forget The Alamo, I have barely heard of it or ever seen it

[@rumblingprune1525]

Sometimes it’s wiser to choose your heart over your brain.

[@sevirz13]

If you were in school when that movie came out, that shirt was everywhere. I remember him for his role in Crank too, he was good in that.

[@bug_catcher]

Everyone remembers Napoleon Dynamite, but no one remembers The Alamo.

[@fabsagu5421]

He just played Speedy Gonzalez cousin Slow poke. What a breakthrough role for a Salvadorian playing a Mexican.

[@thanosdoomjuggernaut2846]

😂😂😂 Yup

[@MercenaryBlackWaterz]

Not really a lot of central Americans play the role in real life like Carlos mencia. Also look at the menu at a central American restaurant, most of the food is Mexican 😂😂😂

[@Trancymind]

The thing about the salvadorians is that they are humble and this actor is no exception. No wonder he chose Napoleon Dynamite. It makes sense. We could have Marilyn Monroe #2 but she chose to turn down her hollywood contract once she found out about the promiscuous hollywood lifestyle. Christy Turlington a very famous supermodel very well liked by her peers and coworkers and yet she has a very private life.

[@Trancymind]

@@MercenaryBlackWaterz Salvadorians in general don't like mexican food because mexican food is spicy while salvadorian food is not spicy whatsoever. If you go to El Salvador, you'll be very surprised how exclusive in that region really is. Guatemala is the closest to mexican food and thats about it.

[@OrbObserver]

Good luck getting your average saltine American to understand the difference between a Salvadoran and a Mexican, better off giving them something they're familiar with.

[@DoubleG7793]

I vote for Pedro!

[@DMC88mph]

It's 2024 and I showed Napoleon Dynamite to my 10 year old. He loved it. This movie might live forever.

[@ericMT]

💯

[@MrBoombastic1904]

My mom and i randomly decided to see Napolean Dynamite when i was visiting her (my parents were divorced), and it was in theaters. We had no idea what it was about. We DEFINITELY had odd looks on our faces during it, but we both walked out of the theater laughing and loving it! I had NO idea it would become so big in the coming years, but it was a nice change from what we were used to watching in a movie theater.

[@bluegizmo1983]

I bet his agent was kicking himself after the movie came out! I really hope the agent begged to get him back afterwards and he told him to get lost!

[@snarkmark2806]

The Karmic way to do that would be to thank them for getting him where they did, but tell them that your current representation can take it from here.

[@fbfields984]

I was coaching a Texas high school girls softball team back in that era. We were on a block schedule and were required to have a 30 minute study hall each day before starting our 60 minute athletic period. My girls begged me to allow them to watch Napoleon, and i finally relented. It took a few days to finish it, and my only response at the end was, “what did I just watch?” The girls told me that many people had the same response on the first watch, but by the end of the second watch, I’d love the movie. Sure enough, later in the se@son, we watched it again, and I finally understood the genius of the film. A classic.

[@JoeXTheXJuggalo1]

The thing about this is in Napoleon Dynamite he was up front and one of the main characters. If he was in The Alamo he would of most likely been one of the no named back characters (like a random Mexican soldier) that you may or maiy not see cept once or maybe twice glaces. He clearly made the roght choice.

[@chhe5433]

I didn't even know there was a movie about the Alamo! LOL But I have seen Napolean Dynamite at least 4 times!

[@Alec-x5l]

It’s amazing

[@endlessgrind6951]

I went 4 times to the theater to see it. I was in highschool when it came out and everyone i knew was completely amazed by its comedy and cinematic brilliance.

[@DonovenGrey]

The Alamo movie 🎥🍿 was pure 🔥 I loved it! Have seen it many times. It bombed at the box office though. 🥲

[@michaelstein7510]

I think the 2004 Alamo is a good film, especially for history buffs, but it was one of the biggest box office bombs of all time. Whereas Napoleon Dynamite is endlessly quotable.

[@TheeMilkMan]

You neee to pump those numbers up….gosh!!

[@soulstorm8806]

To this very day: Pedro for President!!!! Forever!

[@c3ramics]

Never seen the Alamo, seen Napoleon Dynamite 1000 times. I'm a Mexican.

[@Noneyabruh]

Same here bro I love that movie it's a classic

[@weaseltown]

It took me 3 attempts at watching this right after it was released on DVD before I found it hilarious. The first two attempts, I could barely get maybe 30 minutes in because it was like wtf is this?! Then it hit me and I've been rewatching, quoting and recommending this masterpiece for 20 years now.

[@AMFER7875]

One of my all time favorite movies, it has such a positive feel good message

[@PotawatomiThunderNew]

My favorite Pedro line is “if you vote for me, all of your wildest dreams will come true” 😂😂😂 the idea that someone is so capable, in the role of something as insignificant as high school class president, that you would bring to life the wildest dreams of all of your peers is hilarious.

[@arlenehenderson8090]

As much as it's a funny movie it teaches friendship ❤

[@jackytumbles]

He made the right choice😄

[@heatherspence3848]

I got to see the anniversary show with the cast a few months ago, in Orlando, Florida. It was such a freaking blast, I will never forget that night.

[@matthewgordillo2084]

Remember the Alamo? NOPE! Long live Pedro!

[@bigtate1439]

Never seen this podcast but I love the way you guys allow the guest to tell his story without interrupting!!! Love Napoleon Dynamite, love Pedro, love Efren! That was a great story. Subbed!

[@JustK009]

Pedro 2024🇺🇸

[@bebop_557]

One of the funniest things to me is how Uncle Rico went on to be in Taken alongside Liam Nissan as one of his ex-SOF operator bros working the concert at the beginning

[@rajabcroswell9020]

He made the right choice, because The Alamo was horrendous.

[@ericMT]

Most movies are. Even big budget movies. No one remembers them.

[@mikepaulus4766]

I remember being 32, seeing Napoleon Dynamite in the theater. There was a highschool girl there with her little brother. She was seeing it for the 5th time.

[@AlejandroSanchez-hs3fu]

Fun fact my mom. Workd for the director of the napoleon movie and my mom is a fault for throwing away napoleons boots away

[@olympian3]

Nooooo

[@RyanKellar-q8l]

Try English

[@NinerTrump]

cool and funny dude! Napoleon Dynamite is a 2000s classic!

[@blancolirio]

Great story Effren! Thanks for posting.

[@mvg-1776]

It was a great movie. Glad you decided to play the part.

[@JBurtonPCExpress]

Love this man I worked at a store he would come into all the time Efren is probably one of the nicest and funniest guys. Glad I got to meet him

[@xxxyyy6741]

Napoleon Dynamite is the bomb.I think about it all the time.

[@churrocrudo]

If anything Napoleon Dynamite is gonna appreciate with time, the humor is from a different time and could never be remade

[@sourkoyote]

This is the same energy as the studio manager that lost Queen because he thought their music was "too long & whimsical."

[@bob7975]

Or the people who turned down the Beatles because "rock music is just a fad".

[@99mage99]

@@bob7975 Or the 10+ publishers that turned down JK Rowling. Publishing just that series alone would have been enough to keep any company afloat for decades even if everything after Harry Potter was an utter flop, and at least 10 MFs passed up on it.

[@Diablo20069]

I was a kid when napoleon dynamite came out. I also lived in a small town in Idaho at the time. My school played it in our gym. I swear everyone was obsessed lol.

[@stephenc0822]

Never heard of the Alamo, the movie...good f'n choice pedro!

[@ADxG1369]

I picked Napoleon Dynamite for my youngest daughter to hang out and watch this weekend. She never saw it & immediately fell in love with it! All of my kids (5) 16-26 are diehard ND fans for life. (including me of course). Efren your are a legend in our house!!!

[@UmbrellaWatch]

GOOD BECAUSE The Alamo sucked!!!!! You rocked in Napoleon. With Alamo you would have been lost in the damn crowd.

[@LemmingOfEvil]

I forgot The Alamo existed. Meanwhile, Napoleon Dynamite lives rent-free in my head.

[@crow6676]

Alamo? Never heard of or watched it. You made the right choice.

[@Stuff_And_Things]

I don't know if they still sell them but a few years ago, around 2015, a small service station off I-95 in Vero had a rack of Napoleon Dynamite collectables like the "Vote for Pedro" buttons. I love the movie. It's like a Wes Anderson film that actually turned out good. ;)

[@johnsmith6217]

Good decision. My sister bought it for me when I was 15 or so when it came out for Christmas. I thought it was a joke and then I watched it. Great movie. I can't stand it when people think movies are good just because of animation and special effects. People who think that are usually nerdy or wasn't born in the 80s

[@RambofromWarzone]

The funny bone that movie hit for a Middle School Me was unmatched. I swear every single kid knew the lines. The mid to late 00’s was a great time to be alive at that age!

[@stephandiehl3893]

you made a cult masterpiece instead of a big studio piece of .....

[@dawg2100]

He became a big fish in that small pond. He is still recognized today. His face still brings a smile to mine. No one would know or remember him if he had chosen the Alamo. Pedro for President 2024 !

[@dinewalton]

The Alamo, 24% on Rotten Tomato. Napoleon Dynamite, 76% on Rotten Tomato

[@damodattilio6496]

I remember the intro playing constantly on our tv just waiting for someone to push play. the beat is still in my head.

[@geraldomorales683]

Great story 👏

[@antman674]

Thats a cool story. As an artist it has to feel good to be a part of something special and timeless that will continue on and get new fans with each generation rather than having gone after the big payday that probably wouldnt have gotten him anywhere in the long run anyway. Lots of actors are in lots of different big budget Hollywood films. But not many actors get to be part of a film that actually becomes part of our culture.

[@LosDoyerss]

Dude still looks like Pedro still to this day. Lmao!

[@Thulgore]

Napoleon Dynamite was the greatest word-of-mouth movie I have ever imagined. I worked at a gas station at the time and the amount of customers that came in screaming it's praises when I had never even heard of it. Also, one of the few movies that is actually funnier on rewatches.

[@jjkcharlie]

His management wanted the bigger paycheck. I get it, but, he made the right choice.

[@HRodz-eipx]

Absolutely, management wanted that juicy commission from the big movie. But management is supposed to nurture an actor's career. With all of those big name actors in The Alamo, Efren more than likely would have been lucky to be in a handful of scenes. In Napoleon, he was practically a second lead with a story arc. Management should've wanted to see him showcased if they cared about building his career.

[@jjkcharlie]

@@HRodz-eipx that's why them foolz was wrong

[@Triplesevn33]

As a fellow actor, I have been in his place many times. And most of the time, those Indies fail sadly. It is a winning lottery ticket and picked the right numbers, but HE PICKED them which makes it all that much sweeter. The other problem with making an Indie is the low pay. We all sacrifice it at first, but when a hit likes this happens, you don't get to reap the rewards financially, and it's almost never negotiated early on cause it's sort of a passion project with the pure hopes it will reach what ND has done. You then have to hope it will propel you on to other works that will pay. That is the life of an Indie actor. Congrats to Efren and being immortalized in this crazy world for something unique and fun. Great film, great actors...

[@RealNinjaToday]

When I was in high school, I used to know this friend that looked exactly like Napoleon Dynamite, im talking same face, same slow voice, same manerisms, but I had no idea who Napoleon Dynamite was at the time, one day I was browsing through some jeans, when I pull out a tag with a picture of Napoleon Dynamite, I froze for a few seconds, thinking "What the fuck is Travis doing in my jeans?" I wanted to give him the picture without context as a joke, but thought he might get offended, the funny part is that my name happens to be Pedro LMAO

[@Hikingalliance]

Pedro is such an iconic character that this last weekend i went dressed as him to a party, and my wife as Napoleon 😁

[@OTRTexanNative]

Your bruising my neck meat.

[@laneking86]

Preston just celebrated 20th anniversary. It was a massive event yall put that little town of ours on the map.