In the 1990s, Jim Carrey was absolutely brilliant. From Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, his breakthrough film, through The Mask, then to Dumb and Dumber, Carrey used his skillful physical comedy, his malleable face, and his absurd expressions to establish himself as a consistently funny presence.
Before he began to take on more somber roles, he made the family-friendly comedy Liar Liar in 1997, in which he played a lawyer who was miraculously and unexpectedly compelled to always tell the truth.
You could wonder, “How did he get that way? The hijinks start when his son Max, played by the endearing Justin Cooper, wishes on his birthday that his estranged father could no longer lie.
Cooper was one of those adorable little blond child performers who might have seen success similar to that of the Olsen twins or Haley Joel Osment, but he’s gone a very different route today. Before discussing Max from Liar Liar’s current appearance and recent activities, let’s take a look at his early life.
Cooper made a brief appearance on the popular sitcom Full House, like many other young actors from the 1990s. He portrayed a character named Linus Plankton who somewhat resembles a Spongebob Squarepants or Finding Nemo figure.
Heartthrob Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) and Rebecca (Lorie Loughlin) have twin twins, Nicky and Alex, and have been married for a few years in the seventh season episode “Support your Local Parents.” Rebecca begs Uncle Jesse to set up a playdate because she believes Nicky and Alex need more interaction. Here comes Linus Plankton.
Linus is one of those unimpressed young people who usually speaks in overly precocious terms that sound inappropriate for a young child. Even though the other kids appear to be having a great time, he tells Uncle Jesse that he has gone to nicer play dates.
His entire presence is only a few brief exchanges with Stamos, whose snark and arrogance complement Cooper’s straight guy persona well. The guest appearance demonstrates how comical and totally serious Cooper could be at the same time.
Suzanne Pleshette and Hal Linden played parents Jackie and Fred Hansen in this 1994–1995 sitcom, who are about to retire and are eager to unwind, travel, and generally enjoy each other’s company. That is, until one of their two adult sons, who has a wife and children of his own, moves back in with them.
Even though this show is outdated, any millennial who is made to move back home with their parents might find it to be a reflection of their own experience.
Cooper portrayed Nicky Hansen, one of the grandchildren who struggle with bedwetting. The Boys Are Back only had 16 episodes, as Robert Leszczak notes in his book Single Season Sitcoms of the 1990s: A Complete Guide. Not only was Beverly Hills 90210 up against it, but the show’s idea had already been seen by viewers, making it little more than a remake of ’70s sitcoms.
With the cancellation of As the World Turns, ABC’s General Hospital has surpassed As the World Turns as the longest-running daytime soap opera in the world, according to Guinness World Records.
Because of this, character arcs can last decades, just like in many soap operas, and certain characters have been played by several actors over time. Fans refer to General Hospital (GH) as having a character named Lucas Jones, whose life has changed dramatically throughout the course of the show.
Ryan Carnes currently portrays the role of Dr. Lucas, one of the first openly gay characters in the genre; however, in 1996, young Justin Cooper portrayed the part. The plot of Lucas’s life starts with his 1989 birth.
Lucas, a mob boss’s son, becomes embroiled in an unlawful adoption scandal and endures repeated threats from his biological father to abduct him throughout his youth. Cooper portrayed Lucas from 1996 to 1998, when the kidnapping threat was less likely and things were, shall we say, a little calmer.
In his adult life, Lucas experiences having his cousin poison him, being humiliated for being gay, being kept captive under armed guard, and going into a coma.
Cooper made an appearance on an episode of the popular ’90s sitcom Boy Meets World just before Liar Liar hit theaters. The seven-season television program chronicled the coming-of-age journey of Cory (Ben Savage), Shawn, and his best friend Topanga (Rider Strong). Boy Meets World was a favorite among kids in the 1990s. In fact, Girl Meets World, a follow-up series that centered on Riley, the daughter of Corey and Topanga, debuted on the Disney Channel in 2014.
Boy Meets World was in its fourth season when it first debuted in 1997, and Cory’s older brother Eric (Will Freidle) had just begun to enter the real world. In the episode “Uncle Daddy,” Eric starts dating a woman with a small boy, and his parenting skills are put to the test. Justin Cooper portrays the adorable youngster, and of course Eric’s skills are found to be lacking. But given his young age—roughly twenty—who can blame him?
Cooper provided the moral compass that Liar Liar needed in addition to adding the cute. Cooper’s Max would pout, sulk, and cry just enough to make his father feel like an ass and make the viewer pull for Carrey’s Fletcher to get well while Carrey’s Fletcher was lying his butt off.
After years of comedy that was firmly aimed at adults, Carrey made his first foray into more family-friendly ground with Liar Liar. Ace Ventura, The Cable Guy, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber all had overtly adult elements, but Liar Liar’s child protagonist and joyful ending marked a departure from this trend even if the film was still rated PG-13. More family movies like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Mr. Poppers Penguins were in the works following it, but the touching scenes with Cooper in Liar Liar may have also prepared him for his foray into more dramatic material like Man on the Moon and The Truman Show.
In the 1990s, were there a lot of adorable child actors? With films like Home Alone, My Girl, Matilda, and Dennis the Menace, it definitely seems that way at times. There was was a time when lovely kids going on crazy adventures made for a great movie. Of course, Dennis the Menace’s 1993 success led to a second round being requested by the studio in 1998, but this one didn’t end up in theaters.
One of the countless direct-to-video sequels that were popular in the 1990s was Dennis the Menace Strikes Again! Cooper replaced Walther Matthau and Mason Gamble, who played Dennis and Mr. Wilson, respectively, in the remake of Dennis the Menace. Don Rickles joined the ensemble as the grouchy Mr. Wilson. Naturally, there aren’t many differences between the two movies’ plots, with Dennis annoying Mr. Wilson to no end until his antics wind up protecting the neighborhood from some unscrupulous con artists.
Cooper, who is currently 31 years old, serves as an Executive Producer for Fox Sports Radio’s The Ben Maller Show. Since playing the adorable child in Liar Liar who frowns and guilt-trips his father into doing the right thing, he has matured considerably.
Cooper’s Twitter account is proof that he has completely changed into a sports radio host and has abandoned his acting career. Although he occasionally tweets about other topics besides sports, you can find him making comments on things like actors, music, and movies.
Additionally, his coworkers occasionally seem to poke fun at him; in a previous tweet, Fox Sports’ Brian Noe made a reference to the Claw from Liar Liar. In any event, we wish Cooper luck in his new endeavor and appreciate him for the kind and entertaining memories.
