'Napoleon Dynamite' stars still getting laughs on reunion tour

Aug. 26—HIGH POINT — Nearly 20 years after the release of "Napoleon Dynamite," three of the movie's top stars are — pardon the pun — having a blast on their reunion tour.

"We're having such a great time," actor Jon Gries, who played Uncle Rico in the 2004 comedy, said during a telephone interview from his home in Los Angeles.

"We goof off a lot, and we get to tell stories about the experience of making this movie, not just from the technical side of actors trying to come together cohesively but also just silly little stories about how fun it was to make this movie. Making the movie was like going to summer camp."

The reunion tour, "Napoleon Dynamite Live," comes to the High Point Theatre next weekend. The show will feature a screening of the movie, followed by a lively, interactive discussion with stars Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez and Gries.

"Napoleon Dynamite" tells the story of a nerdy high-school student (Napoleon, played by Heder) who tries to overcome his social awkwardness — and several bullies — to survive his high-school experience. Along the way, Napoleon befriends Pedro (Ramirez), an immigrant who's running for class president, and can't seem to get along with his quirky Uncle Rico, who comes to take care of Napoleon and his brother, Kip, after their grandmother is injured in an accident.

Despite being a low-budget, independent film with no big-name stars, the movie grossed more than $46 million, developed a loyal cult following, and was voted No. 14 on Bravo's list of the 100 funniest movies of all time.

Gries, a veteran actor who's better known these days for playing Greg on HBO's "The White Lotus," said he recognized the movie's humor potential from the beginning. The first day he was on the set, he cracked up over a scene in which Kip plays footsie under a table with his girlfriend, LaFawnduh.

"I literally had to walk off the set, it was so funny," Gries recalled. "When I read the screenplay, my manager told me, 'You don't want to do this.' I said, 'You got anything else?' So I read it, and by page 20 I was laughing out loud. It was so fresh, so original. I said, 'Tell them I'll drive there.' I think we all knew there was something special about the film, although none of us could've known how special."

The movie also possesses a sense of optimism and a transcendent message about accepting others.

"It truly engenders inclusion and the acceptance of all kinds of people, whether you're a dork or whatever," Gries said. "With the character of Napoleon, a lot of people who felt outcast in their high school or elementary school find him to be a bit of a hero."

In that respect, "Napoleon Dynamite" has a timeless quality that appeals to viewers of all ages, he said.

"At our shows, we have people in their 80s, and people who are only 5 or 6 years old," he said.

In addition to the show itself, during which there's plenty of audience interaction, the stars offer a pre-show VIP meet-and-greet for those who want to meet the stars personally. Gries promises it'll be more than the usual five seconds of interaction.

"At every theater we go to, we hear stories about celebrities who barely look at people, shake their hand, take a picture and move on," he said. "But we're really into this — it's a very interactive experience, and we really enjoy it."

Tickets for the VIP experience are nearly sold out, but plenty of tickets remain for the screening and discussion, according to David Briggs, executive director of the High Point Theatre.

Gries, whose many television and movie credits also include "Quantum Leap," "Lost" and "The Monster Squad" — not to mention his gig playing Rusty the Bum on "Seinfeld" — says he's happy that his lasting claim to fame will be Uncle Rico.

"When one endeavors in this crazy business I'm in, yeah, I'm cool with it," he said.

"If you're being recognized and acknowledged for the work you do in a field where so many people are struggling and trying to get ahead, yeah. ... We all want to have our one little opus, that character that kind of spans pop culture. If you get that, that's amazing, and I feel so fortunate to have that in Uncle Rico."

jtomlin@hpenews.com — 336-888-3579