Jared and Jerusha Hess

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Jared Lawrence Hess (born July 18, 1979 in Preston, Idaho) and Jerusha Elizabeth Hess (née Demke) (born July 12, 1980 in Olathe, Kansas) are husband-and-wife American filmmakers best known for their work Napoleon Dynamite (2004) and Nacho Libre (2006), both of which they co-wrote and directed. They also produced the video for The Postal Service's third single, "We Will Become Silhouettes."

Jared is a graduate of Burton Elementary School located in Kaysville Utah. He attended Burton Elementary while living in Fruit Heights during his youth. He also attended Manhattan High School in Kansas for two years, before transferring to Preston High School, where many scenes from Napoleon Dynamite were filmed, and from which he graduated in 1997.

Jared met Jerusha while attending Brigham Young University's film school. She co-wrote Napoleon Dynamite with her husband, and the film was produced and edited by classmate Jeremy Coon.

Jared also wrote and directed a short film entitled Peluca. Often thought of as a prototype for Napoleon Dynamite, Peluca featured much of the same cast and plotline, including Jon Heder as Seth, "super nerd extraordinare".

Besides his efforts on Napoleon Dynamite and Peluca, Jared has worked as a camera assistant in a number of films and has appeared playing minor roles in a few LDS comedies. These include The Singles Ward and The R.M.

Jared and Jerusha Hess are both members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have one son, Elliot and one daughter, Greta. They currently reside in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Their second movie Nacho Libre, starring Jack Black, was released on June 16, 2006.