‘Jerry Maguire,’ ‘Stuart Little’ child star Jonathan Lipnicki is unrecognizable in dark new role

See more of our coverage in your search results. “Jerry Maguire” and “Stuart Little” star Jonathan Lipnicki is nearly unrecognizable as he takes on a far darker role in his latest film. The former child star, 35, appears in “Primetime,” a psychological crime thriller about the making of NBC’s “To Catch a Predator,” the reality series that confronted men accused of trying to meet minors for sex. The film features a nude scene involving Lipnicki, whose character is caught by “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen, played by Robert Pattinson, while attempting to meet an underage boy. Jonathan Lipnicki attends the Los Angeles premiere of “Primetime” on Sept. 23, 2026, in which he plays a predator. Max Christiansen/BFA.com/Shutterstock “I’ve done full frontal before in a play, ‘Lost Girls,’ so that part didn’t bother me as much,” Lipnicki told the Hollywood Reporter. “The pedophile element by itself is terrifying to tackle, and then you add the nudity. Not only are you a pedophile — you’re a naked, full-frontal pedophile. It was intimidating, to say the least,” he continued. “Even after I shot it, I thought, ‘I really hope I made the right decision.’ But I’ve tried to live by the idea that, when it comes to art, if something scares you, most likely you should do it,” Lipnicki added. “Primetime” is only the second film Lipnicki has starred in as an adult to receive a theatrical release. Lipnicki made his acting debut at age 5 in the 1996 film “Jerry Maguire,” starring alongside Tom Cruise and Renée Zellweger. Jonathan Lipnicki in a scene from “Jerry Maguire” at age 5, 1996. Getty Images He played Ray Boyd, the young son of Zellweger’s character, and became one of the film’s most recognizable child stars. His performance earned him a Critics’ Choice Award for Best Child Performance and a Young Artist Award. He followed “Jerry Maguire” by starring as George Little in “Stuart Little” in 1999. Jonathan Lipnicki promotes “Stuart Little” in 1999. New York Post The family comedy earned about $300 million worldwide, and Lipnicki returned for “Stuart Little 2” in 2002. He also appeared in “Like Mike” and had a small role on “Dawson’s Creek” before his acting career slowed down. In 2017, Lipnicki spoke about being bullied by classmates after becoming a child star, saying the experience contributed to his anxiety and depression. Robert Pattinson stars in “Primetime” as “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen. A24 via AP “I was told I was a has-been and would never book a job again,” he wrote on Instagram at the time. “I was made to feel like garbage every day of middle school to the point where I had a panic attack every night before school, because I wondered how I would get through the next day.” However, Lipnicki reflected at the time, “I am grateful for the amazing life I have and I hope I can pass on that it DOES get better.” In 2025, the actor said he had turned down several movie roles while trying to figure out his next move. Jonathan Lipnicki attends The Algemeiner’s eighth annual J100 Gala in Rockleigh, New Jersey, Oct. 12, 2021. Getty Images “To be quite honest, I said no to about five movies in the last year,” he told People. “I pray every night for clarity on where I need to go, and I’m confident the best is yet to come for me. And I think you just have to believe that.” “If you’re going to pursue this, you’re doing yourself a disservice not to dream big,” he added. Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across. 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions! Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules. Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!