Celebrity Extra: Will Smith
By Dana Jackson
Q: Whatever happened to the actor who played "Napoleon Dynamite"? I haven't seen him in years. --U.R.
A: Jon Heder will probably always be linked to his cult-comedy character Napoleon Dynamite. The indie comedy has endured as a cult classic, inspiring Halloween costumes for almost two decades since its premiere, but Heder has remained under the radar. After that success, he starred in silly comedy films "Blades of Glory" and "The Benchwarmers." In recent years, Heder starred in the Thanksgiving film "Funny Thing About Love" and voiced the character of Tybalt in the new animated film "Pinocchio: A True Story."
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Q: Is Will Smith's career over after he lost his temper and hit Chris Rock at the Oscars? I know he's been banned from the awards ceremony, but will anyone hire him as an actor again? -- B.W.
A: Academy-Award-winning actor Will Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years, but he can still be nominated for an award. He actually has several projects in the works, but we'll see if movie audiences still accept him as these projects are rolled out. First up is "Emancipation," which is based on a true story about a slave who escapes captivity during the Civil War. It will be available to watch on AppleTV+ starting Dec. 9, a week after its theatrical release.
Smith will also team up with Martin Lawrence in "Bad Boys 4." Just to give you an indication of how high the bar is for this one to be a hit, the third "Bad Boys" film, "Bad Boys for Life," generated more than $400 million at the box office in 2020. Sony producer Tom Rothman said that despite Smith's violent outburst earlier this year, the movie is still on track to begin filming in the near future.
Will Smith in "Emancipation". Photo Credit: Courtesy of AppleTV+
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Q: Whatever happened to Troy Landry from "Swamp People" and Duane and Beth Chapman from "Dog the Bounty Hunter"? -- S.W.
A: According to the History Channel's biography on him, Troy Landry, otherwise known as "King of the Swamp," is one of the most "fearless alligator hunters in the bayou." Along with his sons, Jacob and Chase, "the Landry gang runs an armada of boats each season to help control the gator population."
Jacob recently addressed the status of his father's whereabouts in a Facebook Live video, saying that Troy was on the road to recovery after having his prostate removed due to cancer, but that there would be a 14th season of "Swamp People" at some point.
As for Duane and Beth Chapman from "Dog the Bounty Hunter," Duane was widowed after Beth passed away in 2019 from throat and lung cancer. The series ran from 2002 to 2012. He's now married for the sixth time to widow Francie Frane, but he doesn't currently have a reality show. The couple has been focusing on their charity group, The D.O.G. Foundation, which provides housing, counseling and life-skills training to trafficking victims.
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