Justin Cooper was only 8 years old when he played Jim Carrey’s son in“Liar, Liar,”and the 1997 comedy made him recognizable everywhere he went. What he didn’t know at the time was that some of his fan mail was coming from prisons. On the“Not So Little Rascals”podcast, Cooper revealed that his mother intercepted those letters and never showed him a single one. He only learned about them years later.
That wasn’t the only line of defense. Cooper said his mom never left him alone with anyone on set, a detail that lands differently when you consider how many child star stories from the 90s end badly. As for the fame itself, he remembers it fondly.“I couldn’t really go anywhere in public,”he said.“I enjoyed it. I thought it was cool.”
Cooper, now 37, left acting behind after a 2003 episode of“The Practice”and built a career behind the scenes. He’s currently an executive producer on“The Ben Maller Show”on FOX Sports Radio. His story is a rare one: a former child actor with no bitterness, a steady career, and a mom who made it all possible.
What’s the wildest thing your parents ever shielded you from? Tell us in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.