Background and career
Derek Aaron Ruell (born June 23, 1976) is an American director, photographer and actor. He is most recognized for his performance as Kip Dynamite in the indie movie Napoleon Dynamite.
Ruell was born in Fresno, California and raised in a Mormon family in the nearby town of Clovis. After graduation from Clovis West High School, Ruell studied film at Brigham Young University.
Ruell is an accomplished commercial director and photographer. As a director, he is represented by Sanctuary in Los Angeles. He was declared one of the most promising new directors in the world of advertising by Shoot magazine in 2009, and "one of the emerging directors to know now" by Creativity. He has directed commercials for clients such as T-Mobile, Nintendo, Coke, and Burger King. He was the only filmmaker to have two films, Everything's Gone Green and Mary, which he wrote and directed, premiere at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
Ruell is best known for playing the role of Kipland Dynamite in the movie Napoleon Dynamite. In 2007, he starred in On the Road with Judas, which premiered in the Dramatic Competition section of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Ruell played a successful New York businessman who led a double life as a computer thief.
Ruell and his wife, Julia Yuka Ruell, were at one time members of the Los Angeles Latebirds, an official Moped Army branch. They currently reside in Portland, Oregon after having resided in Pasadena, California.
2005: Nominated, "Choice Movie Rockstar Moment" - Napoleon Dynamite
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
