Former child star Jonathan Lipnicki is taking on one of his most adult roles yet, leaving behind the family-friendly projects that made him famous. The actor opens up about the experience in A24’s new crime thriller Primetime.
Lipnicki plays an online target named Crazyfrog73 in the film, which features a full-frontal nude sequence inspired by sensationalist television investigations such as To Catch a Predator. The actor told The Hollywood Reporter that accepting the role required him to confront his own limits as a performer.
“As actors, we pray for dark material and for things we can really sink our teeth into. At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself, ‘Am I as courageous an artist as I say I am?’ I had to answer that question, and I was courageous enough to take the plunge,” Lipnicki said. “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’s unexpected ‘Primetime’ role leads into the story behind his return
Directed by Lance Oppenheim, Primetime stars Robert Pattinson as an ambitious television host who builds a national broadcast around exposing people accused of seeking illicit encounters online. Lipnicki’s Crazyfrog73 becomes one of the targets drawn into the program’s sting operation.
The sequence requires Lipnicki to appear fully nude, but the actor said the character’s darker behavior presented a greater challenge than the physical exposure. The role places his character at the center of the film’s questions about exploitation, entertainment, and the ethics of televised confrontations.
Lipnicki became widely known as a child star through films including Jerry Maguire and the Stuart Little franchise. As an adult, he has increasingly worked in independent film and theater while developing projects away from the major Hollywood studio system.
The actor has also relocated to Oklahoma, where he teaches acting, directs theater, and produces independent projects through Buffalo 8 Productions.
At 35, Lipnicki sees Primetime as an opportunity to take on material far removed from the roles that defined his childhood career. The film also stars Merritt Wever and Skyler Gisondo.
