Former child star Jonathan Lipnicki is returning to the big screen with a full-frontal nude scene as a pedophile in the psychological thriller Primetime.
The 35-year-old American actor, best known for his early roles in Jerry Maguire and Stuart Little, plays a character who is caught by television host Chris Hansen while attempting to meet an underage boy for sex. English actor Robert Pattinson, widely known for his starring roles in the Twilight vampire film series and The Batman, portrays Hansen in the film.
Lipnicki spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, a major entertainment industry trade publication, about the challenging scene. He revealed to the outlet that he had actively sought out darker material to develop his acting career.
"I've done full frontal before in a play, Lost Girls, so that part didn't bother me as much," Lipnicki explained to the publication.
However, the actor acknowledged the difficulty of the specific subject matter he had to portray.
"The pedophile element by itself is terrifying to tackle, and then you add the nudity," Lipnicki said. "Not only are you a pedophile, you're a naked, full-frontal pedophile. It was intimidating, to say the least."
Breakout success in Jerry Maguire
The release of Primetime marks only the second theatrical film release for Lipnicki since he reached adulthood. The actor first achieved international fame at the age of six in the 1996 sports romantic comedy Jerry Maguire.
The hit film starred Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger as a couple navigating significant difficulties in their romance. Lipnicki played Ray Boyd, the young son of Zellweger's character. He famously improvised the line, "The human head weighs eight pounds," which remained in the final cut of the film and became one of its most memorable moments.
His performance in Jerry Maguire earned him the Critics' Choice Award for Best Child Performance, as well as a Young Artist Award from the Young Artist Foundation, an organization that recognizes young performers in the entertainment industry.
Lipnicki followed this initial success by starring in the 1999 family comedy Stuart Little, based on the classic children's novel. The film earned 300 million dollars at the global box office. He subsequently appeared in the sports comedy Like Mike and the 2002 sequel Stuart Little 2. He also held a minor recurring role on the popular teen television drama Dawson's Creek.
Struggles in Hollywood
Following his early successes, Lipnicki saw his acting career slow down significantly. Like many former child stars, he faced difficulties in transitioning to adult roles in the entertainment industry.
During a past interview with ABC News, Lipnicki recalled a damaging encounter at an audition when he was 19 years old. He stated that a film producer told him, "You used to be cute. What happened?"
"He said I'm not attractive anymore and a lot of really rough stuff," Lipnicki said of the incident. "I took it hard. I cried on my way home."
Lipnicki is now hoping that his striking performance in Primetime will lead to more substantial acting opportunities and meatier roles in Hollywood.
The film is the first fictional feature directed by Lance Oppenheim, an American filmmaker who previously specialized in creating documentary films. Primetime examines Hansen's NBC television program with a critical focus, raising questions about whether ethical boundaries were crossed in the pursuit of high television ratings.
To Catch a Predator history
To Catch a Predator was a popular and controversial recurring segment on Dateline NBC, a long-running broadcast television news magazine in the United States. During the segments, Hansen confronted suspected child predators who had allegedly attempted to meet with minors they met online. The minors were actually adult decoys employed by the television program.
The segment was cancelled in 2007 following the death of Bill Conradt, an assistant district attorney in Texas who was targeted by the show. Conradt killed himself while a police SWAT team raided his home, with Hansen's camera crew stationed immediately outside the residence.
Throughout its broadcast history and after its cancellation, To Catch a Predator faced persistent questions regarding its journalistic ethics, particularly concerning the balance between law enforcement operations and the demands of showbiz and television entertainment.
Primetime held its premiere earlier this month at the Venice Film Festival, a major annual international cinema event in Italy. The screening concluded with a seven-minute standing ovation from the audience in attendance. Critics have praised Pattinson's performance as Hansen, with some reviewers suggesting the English actor will be a shoo-in for an Academy Award at the Oscars next year.
