Jonathan Lipnicki, the former child star of Jerry Maguire, is returning to the big screen in a very unexpected role. He will play internet predator Crazyfrog73 in A24's Primetime, a film dramatising the rise of Chris Hansen's reality TV show To Catch a Predator.
From Stuart Little to A24 blockbuster
Lipnicki, now 35, rose to fame as Ray Boyd in the 1996 hit Jerry Maguire, which starred Tom Cruise. He later voiced a character in Eddie Murphy's Dr Dolittle and starred as George in Stuart Little, becoming one of the most well-known young actors of the late 90s. After a break from acting, he returned in 2011 with small-budget films and joined the studio Budget 8 Productions as an executive producer.
Coming from a family of MMA promoters, Lipnicki also gained a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In 2021, amid rising antisemitic attacks, he allied with the security firm Magen Am to help people get to synagogues safely.
Primetime's cast and release
Directed by Lance Oppenheim, Primetime follows Hansen's pursuit of success and the cost of his ethically questionable methods in tracking down online groomers. Robert Pattinson plays Hansen with an outlandish voice, and critics on IMDB have described his performance as "unforgettable". The film is set to be released in the UK on October 30.
Lipnicki is listed as one of Hansen's marks alongside Spiderman star Tony Revolori, 30, another former child actor who rose to fame in Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel. In the trailer, Revolori plays Hansen's first target, pleading and panicking as cameras capture his guilt.
Child stars and decoys
Grammy-winning musician Phoebe Bridgers plays one of Hansen's "decoys", crew members whose voices lure targets into a house where cameras wait. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Oppenheim said: "I was amazed that someone who had such a deep speaking voice could produce this beautiful singing voice. That's exactly what a decoy would do."
Skylar Gisondo, 30, plays a decoy called Dan and found fame with roles in Vacation and the Santa Clara Diet, most recently playing Jimmy Olsen in DC's Superman. He began acting at age six and based much of his nervous performance on his own Hollywood experiences.
The Guardian notes extremes such as Judy Garland and Macaulay Culkin, who were physically and financially pushed to the brink after childhood stardom. While Lipnicki has never said he struggled as a child actor, the job title now carries a darker connotation. He hasn't been in a major studio production for nearly 20 years, focusing on independent films, MMA, and advocacy for breast cancer and diabetes research.
The film also examines how Hansen exploited his marks for ratings rather than justice. Hansen's methods have drawn criticism for disregarding privacy and inspiring vigilante "paedophile hunters". With the film's release imminent, Lipnicki is set to remind audiences he is much more than the kid who charmed his way into his first movie.
