Efren Ramirez shares what fans can look forward to during live screening of "Napoleon Dynamite" in High Point

US HERE ON THE LOCAL VIBE. WE ARE STARTING THIS NEXT HALF HOUR TALKING ABOUT A VERY EXCITING EVENT AND SOME BIG NAMES THAT ARE HEADED TO OUR AREA. I’M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. IT’S AN ALMOST 20 YEARS SINCE THE RELEASE OF THE CULT CLASSIC NAPOLEON DYNAMITE. AND ISN’T IT CRAZY? I REMEMBER WHEN IT CAME OUT SADLY, AND THIS SUNDAY IN HIGH POINT, YOU CAN HEAR FROM THE CAST OF THE MOVIE DURING A LIVE SCREENING IN A Q&A SESSION AT THE HIGH POINT THEATER. AND JOINING US NOW IS ONE OF THE STARS OF THE MOVIE. YOU PROBABLY RECOGNIZE HIM, EFREN RAMIREZ, WHO PLAYS PEDRO. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. HI. GOOD MORNING. OH, MY GOODNESS. I KNOW IT’S BEEN YEARS, RIGHT? IT’S BEEN ABOUT 20 YEARS. BUT YOU DO THAT VERY WELL. YEAH, IT’S ALMOST LIKE NOT A SINGLE DAY HAS PASSED ABOUT. WELL, SO FIRST QUESTION FOR YOU REALLY IS, WHY ARE YOU GUYS DOING THESE LIVE SCREENING EVENTS AND THESE Q AND A’S WITH FANS 20 YEARS LATER, WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND DOING THIS? WELL, I MEAN, WE GOT APPROACHED BY BY A COMPANY IN THE EAST COAST WHO ASKED US ABOUT MAKING APPEARANCES AT UNIVERSITIES AND SOME SMALL THEATERS. AND WE DIDN’T REALIZE HOW BIG THE MOVIE JUST WAS. AND SO WHEN WE SHOWED UP TO THESE SCREENINGS, IT THEY WERE TWO SOLD OUT SHOWS. AND IT’S IT’S AMAZING FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL ALL OVER THE NATION AND TO SEE DEDICATED FANS TO THIS FILM. THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT THIS FILM THAT THAT THAT’S VERY RESOUNDING TO TO ALL GENERATIONS. AND FOR US TO BE A PART OF IT, IT’S LIKE WE’RE WE’RE GRATEFUL AND WE’RE VERY LUCKY. SO IT’S COOL TO SEE THE FANS, YOU KNOW, JUST AS WE LEARNED ABOUT THIS EVENT AND COMING TO OUR AREA, TOO, I’VE BEEN TALKING WITH COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS AND JUST SAYING, DO YOU DID YOU SEE THIS MOVIE? AND LIKE, I LOVE THIS MOVIE. I MEAN, IT’S DEVELOPED SUCH A CULT FOLLOWING OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS. I MEAN, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU AND YOUR AND YOUR FELLOW ACTORS? I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS ACTORS, I MEAN, WE STRIVE TO INTERPRET CHARACTERS AND AND INTERPRET SCRIPT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. BUT BUT TO THE EFFECT OF OF HOW THE AUDIENCE IS GOING TO REACT TO IT IS ALWAYS A SURPRISE TO US. SO FOR US, KNOWING THE FACT IT’S BEEN 20 YEARS AND AS WE AS WE DO THIS TOUR, AS WE SEE KIDS WHO ARE LIKE I MEAN, FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO HIGH SCHOOLS TO JUNIOR HIGH TO COLLEGE STUDENTS, TO PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS, THEY’RE NOT ONLY ARE THEY AT THE SCREENINGS, BUT THEY’RE THEY’RE DRESSED UP AS THE CHARACTERS AND THOUGHT LIKE, WOW, WOW, THIS THIS THIS HAS MADE SUCH AN IMPACT. AND FOR US, YOU KNOW, IT’S IT’S WE PUT IT ON THE SHOW ON STAGE AND IT’S GREAT. AND WE’RE SHOWING SOME VIDEO TO EFREN OF SOME FORMER SHOWS, SOME PREVIOUS SHOWS, TOO. IT LOOKS LIKE JUST A BALL. IT LOOKS LIKE SO MUCH FUN. I MEAN, EVERYONE’S LAUGHING. LIKE YOU SAID, PEOPLE ARE IN CHARACTER. IT SEEMS LIKE IT’S A REALLY COOL EXPERIENCE WHERE IT’S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN THE CROWD WATCHING YOU GUYS TALK AND NOT HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO SAY WHAT THEY WANT OR KIND OF LIKE GET INTO CHARACTER IS THAT MAYBE YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT THESE LIVE SCREENINGS? IT TAKES IT TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. WELL WELL, I MEAN, WE ALSO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE IT’S SORT OF LIKE I DON’T KNOW IF THE DRESSING CHARACTER OR IF THAT’S HOW THEY JUST NORMALLY LOOK TRUE. SO BUT BUT WHAT’S GREAT IS THAT I MEAN, WE’RE ACTORS, JON HEDER, JON GRIES AND ME. SO WHEN WE GO UP ON STAGE, WE’RE PERFORMING. WE HAVE WE WE HAVE A WHOLE MUSICAL ACT AND WE REENACT SOME OF THE SCENES, WE PULL SOME OF THE CROWD UP ON STAGE AND IT BECOMES SOMETHING OF, OF, OF INTERACTION AND, AND THERE’S AN INVOLVEMENT THAT’S HAPPENING. SO AND THERE’S A LOT TONS OF SURPRISES BECAUSE EVEN ON STAGE WE HAVE A TETHERBALL, WE HAVE A BIKE, WE HAVE A PINATA, WE HAVE CAKES, YOU KNOW, AND FOR US, WITH OUR GUITAR, HARMONICA AND THE KEYBOARD, IT’S BECOME A MUSICAL ACT. IT’S BECOME KIND OF LIKE BROADWAY. SO WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE FOR THE THREE OF YOU TO BE REVISITING THESE ROLES SO MANY YEARS LATER, TO WATCH THE MOVIE BACK SO MUCH NOW? IT PROBABLY HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE YOU ACTUALLY SAW IT IN ITS ENTIRETY. WHAT IS IT LIKE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AGAIN AND SAY THOSE LINES? IT FEELS LIKE YOU’RE YOU’RE KIND OF BACK IN CHARACTER A LITTLE BIT. WELL, I DON’T HAVE MUCH TO SAY, SO. BUT THERE’S SO MUCH JOY. AND AND WHAT’S AMAZING TO SEE IS THAT THIS FILM CARRIES SO MUCH HOPE BECAUSE THERE’S INCLUSION, BECAUSE THERE’S DIVERSE CITY AND BECAUSE IT’S FAMILY ORIENTED. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A FILM WHERE FAMILIES CAN SIT TOGETHER AND WATCH AND ENJOY WITHOUT HAVING TO EDIT THEMSELVES OR OR WORRY ABOUT LIKE, THERE’S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, BAD THAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. UM, SO FOR US TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THE AUDIENCE LIVE IS, IS SUCH AN EXPERIENCE. AND, AND WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN LIKE I REMEMBER WORKING ON THE FILM ITSELF AND IT’S IT WAS WE WERE FANS OF THE MOVIE, BUT WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS GOING TO GO. WE JUST ENJOYED IT AND THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE, HEY, THAT’S KIND OF QUOTABLE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WHEN YOU HEAR KIP SAY YOUR MOM GOES TO COLLEGE, YOU’RE LIKE, WHO SAYS THAT? SO? OR LIKE UNCLE RICO GOES, YOU KNOW, HOW ABOUT IF I THROW THAT FOOTBALL OVER THE MOUNTAINS, YOU KNOW, OR OR NAPOLEON? BUT IF AN IDIOT. SO, BUT WE SEE THAT ALL THE TIME AND IT’S AND WHEN PEOPLE COME TO THE SHOWS THEY BRING CAKES. THEY BRING FOOTBALLS. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE ALL THESE T SHIRTS. AND I’M LIKE, WOW. AFTER 20 YEARS, YOU KNOW, IT’S STILL STRONG. AND THERE’S IT’S NICE TO BE A PART THE THE MOVIE HAD SO MANY FUNNY, ICONIC LINES THAT YOU STILL HEAR TODAY. LIKE YOU WERE JUST SAYING TO DOES A TOUR LIKE THIS GETTING TOGETHER WITH THE OTHER ACTORS AND PERFORMING LIKE THIS, DOES IT MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT POSSIBLY DOING A SEQUEL? HAVE YOU BEEN APPROACHED ABOUT DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE THE MOVIE HITS SO LARGE BACK THEN AND EVEN TO THIS NOW, IT’S SO RESOUNDING. PEOPLE DO ASK US, EVEN AS WE AS WE TOUR THE NATION. I MEAN, WE’RE ALWAYS WORKING ON PROJECTS. BUT NOW AS WE TOUR THE NATION AND WE SPEAK WITH PEOPLE, PEOPLE WANT TO SEE A SEQUEL. AND WHO KNOWS? IT’S LIKE I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS I TALK WITH THE GUYS, IT’S LIKE, I DON’T THINK THE BOOK HAS CLOSED WITH CHARACTERS AND WITH THE WORLD AND THE DYNAMITE. I MEAN, GRANTED, I MUST SAY, THERE IS A TIME MACHINE, SO WE HAVE ENOUGH MAY GO BACK IN TIME. AND JUST LIKE DO A SEQUEL. I DO WONDER WHAT KIND OF VOTES PEDRO WOULD BE GETTING IN MODERN DAY. YOU KNOW, I WONDER WHERE MY VOTE, I GOT TO TELL YOU, THAT GOT MINE. WELL, I WOULD THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, PEDRO WOULD PROBABLY BE MARRIED TO SUMMER WHEATLEY AND SHE’D BE SUMMER SANCHEZ. IT WOULD HAVE A BIG SHOP WITH FIVE KIDS, MAYBE TWINS. JOSE AND JOSE. SO AND AND THEN, YOU KNOW. AND HOW ABOUT MY FRIEND NAPOLEON AND UNCLE RICO? GOT SOME. BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO GIVE EVERYBODY LOVE AND HELP EACH OTHER OUT. THAT’S THE WHOLE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS AT ALL. HAVE YOU? IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU’VE ALREADY STARTED WRITING THE SEQUEL, FRIEND. YES. ALL RIGHT. TERRIFIC. IVAN, THANK YOU FOR MAKING US LAUGH THIS MORNING. AND WE KNOW YOU’RE ON THE ROAD CLEARLY. SO YOU’RE VERY BUSY. YOU’RE IN BOONE PERFORMING TONIGHT. WE’RE SO EXCITED TO HOST YOU IN HIGH POINT COMING UP THIS WEEKEND. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. GOOD LUCK. IT WAS REALLY SPECIAL TO HAVE YOU ON OUR SHOW. AND FOR EVERYONE AT HOME, YOU CAN CATCH NAPOLEON DYNAMITE LIVE AT THE HIGH POINT THEATER ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3RD. DOORS WILL OPEN AT 6:00. THEY’RE AT THE THEATER ON COMMERCE AVENUE. YOU CAN STILL GR