'Jerry Maguire' child actor Jonathan Lipnicki is all grown up! Star, 32, now wants to land action film roles
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CALIFORNIA: Jonathan Lipnicki, who once portrayed a young child in 'Jerry Maguire,' now discusses his love of martial arts online and has a significantly different appearance. After starring in the Academy Award-winning classic as Ray Boyd, Renee Zellweger's son, 26 years ago, Jonathan is now a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt.
The now 32-year-old delivered trivia-peppered lines with an adorable lisp as a child actor like "the human head weighs eight pounds" in the 1996 blockbuster, which helped 'Jerry Maguire' become a successful movie. He currently shares images on Instagram that demonstrate his love for martial arts and display his lean physique.
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Of Jewish descent, Jonathan also supports organizations that fight anti-Semitism and cancer charities. After appearing in 'Jerry Maguire' as a child, he went on to land roles in 'The Single Guy,' 'The Jeff Foxworthy Show,' and 'Dawson's Creek' episodes. After that, he acted in the sitcom 'Meego' before breaking out once more in 1999 as the lead in the successful movie 'Stuart Little.' He portrayed a little child whose parents take in a talking mouse. Michael J. Fox, a fellow former child star, provided the voice for Stuart Little, the mouse.
He took on roles in the 2000s 'The Little Vampire' and 2002's 'Like Mike,' a sports drama he co-starred in with hip-hop superstar Bow Wow. In 2016, Lipnicki told DailyMail that it had been challenging to persuade movie directors and producers to see him as anything other than the charming youngster from the movie ever since 'Jerry Maguire.'
The star claimed that acting is a constant hustle but that he has still managed to land parts in action movies and that his goal was to become a well-known adult actor. He also considered it a blessing that he still keeps in touch with his former co-star, Tom Cruise, who served as a mentor to him. In the competitive world of Hollywood, Lipnicki believes that his rigorous martial arts training keeps him focused and mentally strong. He also claims that having a six-pack makes it easier for him to land roles.
Daily Mail reported that 'Jerry Maguire,' that Lipnicki made his acting debut, is one of the all-time highest-grossing romantic comedies. It generated a cool $274m globally and was a resounding box office hit. As a five-year-old, Lipnicki reflected on his time spent on the set: "Every year the memories get less and less, but Tom and Renee were really great to work with. Everyone was really a pleasure to work with, and I got lucky that that was my first role with such a positive environment. What I remember was how warm everyone was to me."
Lipnicki claims he has stayed in touch with most of the cast, but especially with Cruise, whom he contacts occasionally and last spoke to around a year ago. "That was the last thing, I had a new car - I had a 67 Mustang for a while - and [Cruise] wanted to see it so I sent him a picture of that. He’s a dude!" Lipnicki holds Cruise in the highest regard and refers to him as his hero. Additionally, he admires Cruise for performing all of his own stunts, which he freely acknowledges he would like to do more of.
The actor shared his adorable Jerry Maguire photo in 2021 and captioned it, "25 Years ago Jerry Maguire came out in theaters and my life changed forever. I'm beyond grateful that I got to figure out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life when I was five years old. The best is yet to come, I promise you that."