The unlikely breakout star of independent movie hit "Napoleon Dynamite," Heder will likely be permanently associated with “Vote for Pedro” T-shirts. He grew up in a close-knit Latter Day Saint family in Colorado, did his mission trip in Japan, and then attended Brigham Young University. Heder graduated from BYU in 2002. A few years later, Heder appeared in the short film "Peluca," which was produced by the LDS filmmaker Jared Hess. The movie aired at BYU and several local film festivals, and was eventually adapted into "Napoleon Dynamite." Heder followed up his star-making role with a role opposite Will Ferrell in "Blades of Glory." Heder and his wife, Kristen, are active in their local LDS ward in Los Angeles. Heder has said in interviews that he abstains from alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco, all of which are outlawed for Mormons.
