Former child star Jonathan Lipnicki has taken on his boldest acting role to date in the A24 film "Primetime," which stars Robert Pattinson as controversial "To Catch a Predator" host Chris Hansen. After a period of professional difficulty, the 35-year-old actor—best known for his childhood roles in "Jerry Maguire" and "Stuart Little"—pursued this part as a significant career turning point, stating that he believes artists should embrace things that frighten them.

Directed by Lance Oppenheim, "Primetime" dramatises the darkest year of Hansen's tenure, with Lipnicki playing a character called Crazyfrog73 who appears in a full frontal nude scene that Oppenheim describes as tonally crucial to the film. The director intentionally cast former child stars including Lipnicki and co-star Skyler Gisondo to help them move beyond their childhood roles and reinvent their careers. The film, which debuted at the Venice Film Festival and is now in cinemas, also features Merritt Wever, Phoebe Bridgers, and Bokeem Woodbine, and was adapted by first-time screenwriter Ajon Singh from an Esquire article.