Stuart Little child star Jonathan Lipnicki unrecognisable after becoming an MMA star and Celebs Go Dating
A FAN-FAVOURITE Stuart Little star looks completely different decades after finding film fame.
Former child actor Jonathan Lipnicki, now aged 33, is unrecognisable from the sweet-faced star who stole hearts in the Jerry Maguire and Stuart Little movies.
As a six-year-old, he commanded the screen opposite Hollywood legends Tom Cruise, 61, and Renee Zellweger, 54, in the Oscar-nominated movie in the role of Ray Boyd.
He then went on to appear in animated classic Stuart Little, as well as Doctor Dolittle.
But now, Jonathan is supplementing his career with something completely different- this being a double-header of sports fame and reality TV stardom.
On Instagram he has shared snaps of his new life - as a ripped MMA fighter and a far cry from the sweet boy who charmed movie audiences in the late 90s.
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Lipnicki began martial arts training when he was a young boy, after a fighter said he would teach him how to box.
After 14 years of training, he got his black belt in Jiu-jitsu in 2020.
While his dad owned an MMA promotion company, so he became a fan of the sport growing up.
“My family actually owns an MMA promotion company, so it’s kind of a family deal," he told ESPN in 2012.
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"Because of that, I’ve given my mom a lot of the fighters to fight in a show. I’m actually training one of my friends right now — he’s fighting a jiu-jitsu guy. So I’m his sparring guy. If it’s someone way better, I won’t be a good sparring partner.”
Last year, Lipnicki put his combat training to good use by escorting orthodox Jews to temple in the wake of anti-semitic attacks across the US.
After an incident outside an LA restaurant where a group of Jewish men were attacked, Lipnicki and his pal Remy Franklin set up groups outside synagogues to make sure worshippers could get to and from the temple safely.
“There have been a lot of anti-Semitic hate crimes and violence towards Jews," he told TMZ.
“He (Remy) started this group where we decided to make sure people got home and to the synagogue safely.
"A lot of us are martial artists or own martial arts gyms and not all of us are Jewish. It’s just people wanting to help other people."
“Everyone should have the right to worship without being discriminated against.”
He added: “Bullies of any sort or people who promote hatred don’t like when there’s a presence there and I think having a presence is a huge deterrent.”
Lipnicki is still an actor - having starred in a series of short films. He also appeared in reality TV show Worst Cooks in America.
Meanwhile, he has also attempted to find lasting love on E4 series, Celebs Go Dating.
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He made a sensational return to the spotlight in the dating series.
The American later confirmed how agency bosses had indeed found him a partner after he flew his date Rebecca to LA.
