Efrain Antonio Ramírez (born October 2, 1973) is an American actor and DJ, best known for playing Pedro Sánchez in the 2004 indie film ''

Napoleon Dynamite ''Napoleon Dynamite'' is a 2004 American comedy film produced by Jeremy Coon, Chris Wyatt and Sean Covel, written by Jared and Jerusha Hess and directed by Jared Hess. The film stars Jon Heder in the role of the titular character, a nerdy ...

''. He later reprised his role in the 2012 animated series of the same name.

Early life

Ramírez was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, to Salvadoran parents, both are from El Salvador. He has four brothers, one of whom is his identical twin Carlos.

Career

Ramirez has starred in a number of films, including ''Napoleon Dynamite'' as Pedro Sánchez, '' Employee of the Month'' with

Dane Cook Dane Jeffrey Cook (born March 18, 1972) is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released six comedy albums: '' Harmful If Swallowed''; ''Retaliation''; ''Vicious Circle''; '' Rough Around the Edges: Live from Madison Square Garde ...

Jessica Simpson Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, ''Swee ...

, and

Dax Shepard Dax Randall Shepard (born January 2, 1975) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker and podcast host. Since 2018, he has hosted ''Armchair Expert'', a podcast that interviews celebrities, journalists, and academics about their lives. Shepard ha ...

, '' Crank'' and '' Crank: High Voltage'' with Jason Statham, ''Searching for Mickey Fish'' with

Daniel Baldwin Daniel Leroy Baldwin (born October 5, 1960) is an American actor. He is the second oldest of the four Baldwin brothers, all of whom are actors. Baldwin played the role of Detective Beau Felton in the NBC TV series '' Homicide: Life on the Str ...

, '' All You've Got'' with

Ciara Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model and entrepreneur. She released her debut studio album, '' Goodies'' in 2004, which spawned four singles: " Goodies" (featuring Petey Pa ...

, and HBO's Walkout and made cameos in '' Nacho Libre'' and '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith''. In 2009, Efren starred in the comedy ''

American Summer ''The Pool Boys'' (also known as ''American Summer'') is a 2008 American comedy film directed by James B. Rogers. It stars Matthew Lillard, Brett Davern, Rachelle Lefèvre, Efren Ramirez and Tom Arnold. Principal photography began in late Ap ...

'' with Matthew Lillard as well as appearing as a contestant on MTV's ''

Celebrity Rap Superstar ''Celebrity Rap Superstar'' is an American reality show which premiered on MTV on August 30, 2007. The series was hosted by Kevin Hart and Liz Hernandez. Overview The series features eight rappers teaching eight celebrities to be able to perfor ...

''. On July 14, 2008 Sierra Mist released a series of commercials aimed at multicultural consumers in which Efren stars. The first being named "Wedding Girl" followed by "Mannequin Man" and an online spot, "The Whiner," which will be posted at the Sierra Mist dedicated site, RefreshYourMind.com Soon after the success of ''Napoleon Dynamite'', the music group G. Love and Special Sauce asked Efren to appear in their music video "Booty Call". He also played

Ashlee Simpson Ashley Nicolle Ross ( Simpson; born October 3, 1984), known professionally as Ashlee Simpson, is an American singer and actress. The younger sister of singer and actress Jessica Simpson, she began her career as a back-up dancer for her sister ...

's boyfriend in the music video for her 2005 song "

Boyfriend A boyfriend is a male friend or acquaintance, often specifying a regular male companion with whom a person is romantically or sexually involved. A boyfriend can also be called an admirer, beau, suitor and sweetheart. The analogous female ...

". Ramírez made a cameo appearance in a 2005 episode of ABC's ''

George López George T. López (April 23, 1900 – December 23, 1993) was a renowned Santos woodcarver who was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1982. He was born in the small village of Cordova, New Mexico whi ...

'' wearing a T-shirt similar to the shirt

Jon Heder Jonathan Joseph Heder (; born October 26, 1977) is an American actor, best known for his role as the title character of the 2004 comedy film ''Napoleon Dynamite''. He has also appeared in the films '' Just Like Heaven'', '' The Benchwarmers'', '' ...

wears in ''Napoleon Dynamite'' that reads, "Vote For Pedro". In 2007 Ramírez appeared as the judge for an acting challenge on Cycle 8 of ''America's Next Top Model''. Ramírez made several cameos throughout his career. In ''King Cobra'', he portrayed a teenager playing a game of

hide-and-seek Hide-and-seek (sometimes known as hide-and-go-seek) is a popular children's game in which at least two players (usually at least three) conceal themselves in a set environment, to be found by one or more seekers. The game is played by one chos ...

with his girlfriend (portrayed by Ramirez's wife

Iyari Limon Iyari Pérez Limón (born July 8, 1976) is a Mexican-born American actress, best known for her supporting role as Potential Slayer Kennedy on the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. Early life Limón was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, ...

). They later end up as prey for the title

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist. Etymology The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, ri ...

. In the music video for Sleazy, Pedro appears as a cameo and lip syncs

André 3000 André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975), better known as André 3000, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a part of southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi. ...

's verse. He co-founded Powerhouse Pictures Entertainment, LLC with Chris Barrett, and they co-authored the book ''Direct Your Own Life: How To Be A Star in Any Field You Choose'' being published on June 10, 2008 through

Kaplan Publishing Kaplan, Inc. is an American for-profit corporation that provides educational and training services to colleges, universities, businesses and individuals around the world. Founded in 1938 by Stanley Kaplan, the company offers a variety of test prep ...

Personal life

In 1998, Efren married actress

. The marriage was later annulled. Ramírez is also a popular DJ, who has performed worldwide and toured in over 50 cities across 5 continents. His sets include a variety of music, from hip hop,

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mi ...

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric p ...

, to

hard house UK hard house or simply hard house is a style of electronic dance music that emerged in the early 1990s and is synonymous with its association to the Trade club and the associated DJs there that created the style. It often features a speedy te ...

. His production company "Nocturnal Rampage" throws a recurring

rave A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mu ...

event every summer in

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ramirez, Efren 1973 births American people of Salvadoran descent American male actors of Mexican descent American male film actors Hispanic and Latino American male actors Male actors from Los Angeles American twins 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Living people