“Vote for me, and all your wildest dreams will come true.” Everyone remembers these famous words spoken by Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite, but how many people know the real Efren Ramirez? This past Thursday night, Ramirez visited RPI to introduce who he really is behind the scenes. After a reception with the members of the speakers forum and Alianza Latina, there was a presentation in the DCC showing students other roles Efren has played, as well as a discussion on just how much Napoleon Dynamite changed his career.
The presentation began with a DVD that integrated clips from the television and movie roles Ramirez has played in the past few years. Naturally, the first shown was Pedro, as this is seen as his “breakthrough role.” From there, more of his lesser known appearances were shown, including a student in “Boston Public,” a convict seeking assistance in “ER,” and even a school bully in “Even Stevens.” These clips provided a solid introduction to his discussion about his profession as a whole and his attempt to prove his versatility as an actor.
After the video portion, Ramirez revealed how he landed the role of Pedro. At the time, he was offered scripts for both Napoleon Dynamite and Remember the Alamo, but he was torn between the two. In Alamo, he was offered a supporting role as the main character’s sidekick, but something about the relatable characters in Napoleon Dynamite appealed to him. He finally called his dad for advice and was told to “follow his heart.” He had never imagined then how much success was to follow.
The discussion led to the production of Napoleon Dynamite and what kind of experience it was. Ramirez explained that most of the cast and crew actually knew each other beforehand, as many were from the Idaho town it was made in. This made the on-set environment more comfortable to work in.
The overall conditions, however, were not ideal as this was a very low budget independent film. Cast members were paid somewhere around $30 a day and wound up eating cheeseburgers for dinner on a regular basis. They did not have much spare film, so the majority of the scenes were shot only two or three times. None of the movie was shot in sequence, so no one knew how well it had turned out until the screening at the Slamdance Festival where they were given a standing ovation. Ramirez mentioned that even the director worked day and night, sleeping on the floor, trying to get everything ready for the festival. He believes that the film’s success is attributed to how easily people can relate to the characters.
Afterward, he opened the discussion up for a question and answer section. He was asked the usual questions such as how he started acting. Typical to most in the business, Ramirez started acting in high school drama and decided to study acting professionally after graduation. He had to accept the smaller stereotypical roles in the beginning, but he was happy to be given any opportunity to advance his career. One of the less pertinent questions asked, yet expected from the RPI audience, was what type of engineer Efren would be. He simply replied that he’d have to look into it.
While the presentation did focus on the success of Napoleon Dynamite and the effect on Ramirez’s career, he ultimately wanted everyone to follow his simple advice. Proving just how down to earth he truly is, he did not gloat about his fame, but rather instructed the audience to advance in life and always remember to give back to the community.
If you can’t get enough of Ramirez, look for him in Potheads: The Movie, set to come out later this year and in Walkout, which is in post-production for 2006. He is also currently filming Rumble, following a student’s transition to public school after the private school burns down.
