Vote for Pedro might be one of the most famous lines of the early 2000s. Even if you’ve not watched the movie, “Napoleon Dynamite,” you know the saying. You know the shirt. You know why it’s famous. Efrain Antonio Ramirez (Efren) is Pedro. He’s the actor who portrayed Pedro Sanchez in the hit movie released in 2004, and he has more fans than we can count. He was such a hit – the entire movie was such a hit – that people have been following his life for almost two decades now, and we want to know more about him. What’s Efren Ramirez been up to since his time on the big screen?
Efren’s Early Life
He was born Efrain, but he goes by Efren. It’s how his fans know and love him. He was born on October 2, 1973, in Los Angeles. His parents are both from El Salvador, and his family is quite proud of their heritage. He grew up in LA alongside not only his parents but also his four brothers. He is one of five sons in the family, and he also has his own identical twin, Carlos. Many of his fans are unaware that he’s an identical twin, but it’s a fun fact that never fails to surprise. Another surprising fact that many don’t realize is that Ramirez might be well-known and best-known for his role as Pedro, but he was working for more than a decade in Hollywood before he landed that role – while also in his 30s playing a high school student. Ramirez got his start in Hollywood in 1994 as a pizza boy in the film, “Tammy and the T-Rex,” which was followed a year later by his role in “Jury Duty,” as an employee of Pirate Pete. His first named and credited role came in 1996 when he played Carlos in, “Kazaam”. Before he starred as Pedro, he’d already been in 7 films and made 11 guest appearances on television shows such as “Boston Public,” “Judging Amy,” ER,” and “Even Stevens”. He was a busy young man, and he didn’t have any reason to stop.
Life After Napoleon Dynamite
When this movie hit it big, the stars became household names. Efren was recognized everywhere he went (we are laughing imagining his identical twin out and about and being stopped because fans thought it was him) along with co-star Jon Heder, and his star only continued to rise. While he might be relatively private and not interested in being in the spotlight where his personal life is concerned, his professional life has continued to thrive. Following the unexpected hit in 2004, he went on to play roles in 20 more films. Some of those films include hits like, “Employee of the Month,” and, “When In Rome”. He also had roles in 14 more television shows. “George Lopez,” “MADtv,” “Scrubs,” and even “American Dad”. He’s been busy acting and lending his voice to different characters since he was Pedro.
Television and the movies aren’t the only work Efren’s been up to since starring in “Napoleon Dynamite”. He’s also tried his hand at reality television. He was a contestant on MTV’s “Celebrity Rap Superstar,” and he’s made cameos in many major motion pictures. He also became a music video star after he was invited to star in videos for “Booty Call,” by G. Love and Special Sauce, “Boyfriend,” by Ashlee Simpson, and he even guest judged for “America’s Next Top Model,” in season 8. He’s also done big things in the business world. Efren Ramirez co-founded a company called Powerhouse Picture Entertainment, and he authored a book with the other co-founder of his business, Chris Barrett. In addition, he works as a DJ. He even went on tour hitting more than 50 cities across the world (five continents to be precise). Finally, he has a production company called Nocturnal Rampage.
Now that you know what Efren Ramirez has been up to in his professional life over the last 17 years, we’ll update you on his personal life. He doesn’t have any kids, but he did get married for a short time. he married actress Iyari Limo in 1998 – which was actually before he hit it big as Pedro. Their marriage was annulled a year later, and he has not remarried since. We don’t know much about his personal life because he chooses not to share much about it. However, we know that he’s become even more successful than ever since the early 2000s, and his career is thriving in many ways.Ashlee Simpson
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