Jared Hess Biography

Date of Birth: July 18, 1979

Raised in Preston, Idaho, Jared Hess worked as a camera assistant during his teens on feature films in Utah and California, beginning as a camera intern in 1996 with The Clubhouse Detectives. He studied film at Brigham Young University, where he met his wife, Jerusha. While at university, Jared made the award-winning short film Peluca, which was chosen as one of 12 shorts to compete at the 2003 Slamdance Film festival.

With Jerusha, he co-wrote the script for his feature film directorial debut -- the comedy Napoleon Dynamite, which was nominated for Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. The quirky film made a star of the lead actor, Jon Heder, and won much critical acclaim, including the Film Discovery Jury Award at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.

Hess followed up that success by directing and co-writing the major motion picture Nacho Libre (2006) starring Jack Black. He and Jerusha (who co-wrote Nacho Libre) have one child.

Filmography:

Masterminds (2016)
Don Verdean (2015)
Gentleman Broncos (2009)
Nacho Libre (2006)
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)