The 2004 comedy, Napoleon Dynamite is officially a cult classic thanks to a goldmine of quotable
exchanges.
"Napoleon, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day. Besides,
we both know I'm training to becoming a cage fighter."
It's been more than 15 years since the teen from Preston, Idaho entered our lives, but
Napoleon's legacy lives on. It's even been said the film introduced us to an entirely
new genre of quirky and weird heroes.
The comedic flick is perhaps most celebrated for giving us the gift of Jon Heder. Heder's
portrayal of the title role Napoleon launched him into early 2000s stardom, even if he only
got paid $1,000 for playing the iconic character. But it's another actor from the film that's
turning heads in 2021.
Aaron Ruell played Napoleon's internet-obsessed older brother, Kip, who proved that internet
dating can have a happy ending. After the film's debut, Ruell returned in 2012 to voice
Kip in the short-lived animated Napoleon Dynamite series.
Kip reemerged on social media in 2020. In an interview with Deseret News, Ruell revealed
his inspiration for the comedic return to form. He saw a headline that read, "Who is
the expert on self-isolation that we can all turn to?" and revealed that:
"Kip immediately came to mind. Who better to speak to social distancing [and] self-isolation
than a guy who has been doing it his entire life?"
We don't disagree. Ruell's new account has a bio that describes himself as a "Social
Isolation Professional. Inspiration giver. Technology expert. Grandma's favorite. CEO."
The first video features Ruell donning Kip's signature glasses, polo buttoned to the top,
and, of course, iconic mustache. Over a track of 1980s elevator music, Ruell introduces
himself as Kip and explains he's here to: "Maybe I could offer some help to people.
Give you some tips on how to pass the time."
Other videos range from financial advice to recipes to making homemade masks out of his
grandma's old bras. Just be sure to wash it first! However brief this stint may be, we're
grateful to Ruell for bringing Kip back into our lives.
But where did Kip come from? In a 2020 interview with Muse by Clio, Ruell revealed that his
"Napoleon Dynamite" character work came from within his family tree. He revealed:
"Here's the thing about Kip. He's basically my real-life brother. I have a brother who
lives with my parents, and he leads the life that Kip does. Or vice versa."
Ruell's off-screen connection with the character makes perfect sense considering the time and
effort he put into reprising the role. He even contacted the film's director, Jared
Hess, for permission to resurrect his intellectual property. Thankfully, Hess responded with
three capital letters: Y, E, S. Ruell took this invitation seriously, immediately shaving
off his beard to fully transform into the aspiring cage-fighter, much to his kids' dismay.
His commitment extended to even changing up his office setup by adding a DSLR camera and
mic to his desk.
As for the realistic grainy footage? We have Hess to thank for that. Ruell sent his "Kip
Tips" footage to the director, who applied a filter to make the short clips appear like
they came straight out of a 1980s time capsule.
Ruell embodies the character of Kip so effortlessly, it may come as a shock that he was never supposed
to be an actor. In a 2019 interview with ABC News, Ruell revealed that while "Napoleon
Dynamite" was being shot, he was studying film and photography at Brigham Young University.
He said:
"We were just outta school and [Heder] said to me, 'So Aaron, what are you gonna do if
this movie makes it? Are you going to change paths and become an actor?"
Lucky for us, Ruell did incorporate more acting into his path than he intended, spending the
early aughts taking on roles in The Problem with Percival, Think Tank, and On the Road
with Judas. But for the most part, Ruell stuck with his plan of being on the other side of
the camera, directing commercials with the goal of bringing sincerity to the ads.
Ruell has directed commercials for companies like Target, Mastercard, Volkswagen, and Coca-Cola
and currently works for Sanctuary Content. In addition to directing, Ruell is also an
accomplished photographer, shooting ads for Old Spice, LG, Quaker Oats, T-Mobile, and
Citibank. That's the way to make some "sweet moolah!"
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