Jon Heder explains truth behind iconic Napoleon Dynamite dance as he reveals he was ready to 'puke'
When you think about iconic dance scenes in films, you might recall John Travolta in Pulp Fiction or perhaps John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, or maybe even John Travolta in Grease.
But arguably the most memorable dance scene actually involves a very different John, so much so that his name is spelled differently.
Jon Heder was a mainstay of 2000s movies and also loved to show off his skills on the dance floor, even putting them to the test on the ice alongside Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory.
However, Heder's starring moment which many will always remember, was his eponymous role as Napoleon Dynamite, where he dances for a good two minutes straight on stage as part of his school's talent competition, having rehearsed for several weeks at home.
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Jamiroquai's 'Canned Heat' is enough to make anyone bust a few moves but nobody can do it quite like Heder, who only stops when the music cuts out and he rushes off the stage.
But it seems as if the awkward nature of his character wasn't the only reason he was ready to run off, as he's now revealed the truth behind it.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the 48-year-old explained that he asked everyone who didn't need to be there to leave because of his nerves.
He said: “I kicked everybody out. It was like shooting my first love scene. I was nervous. I was like, ‘I want this to be good, and what’s the point of having an audience when it’s all on me?’ I just kicked non-essential, you know, members of the cast and crew out."
When the lights came on and action was called, Heder had no instructions whatsoever, meaning that his iconic dance was 'all freestyle', as he admitted that he didn't memorise anything beforehand. What was already a significant cultural moment just took on a whole new light.
Thankfully, director Jared Hess knew that Heder 'liked to boogie' and knew that it could make for an eye-catching scene, so simply let the actor take charge of the scene and do as he pleased.
Heder recalled: “He was like, ‘Jon, you like to dance?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, sure.’ He’s like, ‘Can we put it in the movie? I want it to be the climax of the movie. Everything rides on that, so it’s got to be sweet'. I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’
“I danced until I was ready to puke, and then I’m like, ‘Give me some water. You guys, I’m dying here,’” he said.
In the end, Heder ended up doing the dance on three separate occasions and they mashed together the best bits, as even a professional dancer might have struggled to create something so pure on their first attempt.
Heder concluded: “They were like, ‘Okay, we’re going to have you dancing in the movie as the climax. This is going to make or break the film.’ It was a lot of pressure. I was like, ‘Oh, crap!’ This isn’t just a silly little scene.
"This is the moment where everything comes, and he’s making the sacrifice for his friend.
“That’s the whole theme of the movie. Everything leads up to this,” he continued. “Napoleon’s been this loser. This has to be the moment where he lands a victory. He gets up there, and it’s quiet: no reaction from the audience.”
Although he might have 'just winged it', there's no doubt that anyone who has seen the movie will recognise it as perhaps the best moment of the film, apart from perhaps when the pet llama eats a lasagne.
James Moorhouse