Stuart Little actor lands shock role in first major film for 24 years opposite Robert Pattinson

The actor who played Stuart Little is no longer primarily an actor, instead working elsewhere in entertainment, but has continued to act in small indie projects for the last 20+ years.

Now though Jonathan Lipnicki, who played George Little in the first two Stuart Little films and Ray in Jerry Maguire, is appearing in his first major studio film in 24 years, and he’s starring opposite Robert Pattinson.

Lipnicki was one of the biggest child actors of the 1990s and 2000s, also appearing in Like Mike and a few episodes of Dawson’s Creek.

After that though Lipnicki starred in very few major projects, having spoken openly about the dry spells of auditions he faced and issues with transitioning to acting as an adult.

He was very frank about this, telling Variety that he was ‘not a good actor’ for a long time, working instead quite heavily in producing.

Now though, Lipnicki is set to appear in one of the year’s biggest films, Primetime.

Lipnicki’s role in the Chris Hansen-focused film has not yet been fully disclosed

Outside of Robert Pattinson playing To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen and Anna Faris playing his wife Mary Joan Hansnen, none of the cast of Primetime’s roles have been announced.

The movie will follow Pattinson playing the nonce-catching TV host during the show’s rise and eventually it’s darkest moments, the death of Bill Conradt by suicide after he was confronted by a SWAT team at his home.

Lipnicki is set to appear in the film in a minor role, appearing alongside Pattinson, Faris, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, and The Office star Creed Bratton.

This marks his biggest role since Like Mike in 2002, 24 years ago.

The actor has been open about his troubles with finding work in the years since, but has been quite successful as a producer, setting up his own company.

Lipnicki said he ‘loved acting’ but has also addressed ‘misconception’ he quit acting

Jonathan Lipnicki still works as an actor despite reports (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for JITC Hollywood Bureau)

The actor was widely reported to have ‘quit acting’ back in 2022 when he spoke about experiencing dry spells in his career, but this is not accurate.

Speaking to Christy Carlson Romano in 2022, a fellow child star who voiced Kim Possible, he said: “I think it's like it's easy to come on a podcast and be like I got it figured out. But I have not a lot figured out, I have so much to figure out.

“I wanted to eliminate everything that was holding me back because I love acting so much and I know my career will be in a certain place that I want it to be, I want to get there.”

He also said he ‘loves acting’, crediting Stuart Little for helping him discover this, in an interview with E! News last year where he addressed rumours he’d quit the profession.

He said: “I’m just trying the best I can… my focus you know is always just to be the best person I can be um and to pursue the thing I love, I've trained in it extensively.

Lipnicki has credited his early success with teaching him his love for acting, but states he wants to focus more on the present (TriStar/Getty Images)

“I've done theatre I've done a lot of movies that nobody's ever seen and probably won't.”

Lipnicki continued by saying that the extended period where he rarely acted coincided with him going to high school, saying he was still auditioning but admitted: “There's also a level of transparency I feel comfortable with where I auditioned for a lot and I just didn't get things and I think that's okay to say.

“Acting is this thing that I've always loved and sometimes it just doesn't love you back you know and there was a span where I didn't work for a while and I was pursuing it.”

Appearing on Pod Meets World earlier this year, the Stuart Little star said that, because he didn’t work for so long ‘every time [he] works now, he gets a little emotional’.

The actor, who is now 35, also works as an Executive Producer at production company Buffalo 8.