Return to sender.
Justin Cooper, who became famous at age 8 for playing Jim Carrey’s son in the 1997 comedy “Liar, Liar,” says he received unsettling fan letters from prisoners during his childhood.
During a recent appearance on the “Not So Little Rascals” podcast, Cooper told hosts Jordan Warkol and Blake Collins—stars of the 1994 film “The Little Rascals”—that his mother worked hard to protect him from the darker side of being a child actor.
“My mom did a really good job of kind of, like, shielding me from stuff, you know,” Cooper said when asked whether fame had brought any overwhelming or frightening experiences.
He explained that his mother later told him about letters sent from prison by men who described themselves as major fans and commented on how cute he was. She had never shown the correspondence to him as a child.
Warkol and Collins reacted with disbelief, calling the unusual fan mail “next level” and “wild.”
Now 37, Cooper also credited his mother for making sure he was never left alone with anyone on a film or television set. He contrasted her approach with parents who tell their children to simply “do whatever they tell you to do.”
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Cooper, who later played the title role in the 1998 direct-to-video movie “Dennis the Menace Strikes Again,” also discussed the effect “Liar, Liar” had on his everyday life.
“I couldn’t really go anywhere in public. I enjoyed it. I thought it was cool,” he recalled.
The attention may have been more challenging for his family. Cooper remembered people approaching him for autographs, including fans who formed a line at the family’s hometown buffet.
In addition to “Liar, Liar,” Cooper’s major television roles during the 1990s included appearances on “The Boys Are Back” and “Brother’s Keeper.” He also made single-episode appearances on “Full House,” “ER,” “General Hospital” and “Boy Meets World.”
His most recent acting credit came in a 2003 episode of “The Practice.”
Cooper now works as an executive producer on “The Ben Maller Show” for FOX Sports Radio.
“Liar, Liar” also featured Maura Tierney, Cary Elwes and Jennifer Tilly, among other cast members.
For his performance in the Tom Shadyac-directed comedy, Cooper earned a Young Artist Awards nomination for best performance in a feature film by an actor aged 10 or under.
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