‘Liar Liar’ Child Star Makes Disturbing Confession About 1997 Film

Michelle Stein September 26, 2026, 1:45 pm

Jim Carrey and Justin Cooper in 'Liar Liar' — Everett Collection

What To Know

Justin Cooper, the child star in Liar Liar, revealed he received fan mail from prison inmates after the film’s release.
Cooper described how his sudden fame at age 8 made public outings difficult.
Liar Liar, starring Jim Carrey and a notable ensemble cast, is currently streaming on Netflix.

Liar Liar child star Justin Cooper was just 8 when he starred alongside Jim Carrey in the 1997 comedy film — and his fame brought fan mail from an unexpected demographic.

In a recent interview on the Not So Little Rascals podcast, Cooper, now 37, opened up about how his life changed after the film.

“My mom did a really good job of kind of like shielding me from stuff, you know,” he told the hosts Jordan Warkol and Blake Collins, who played Froggy and Woim, respectively, in The Little Rascals (1994).

Cooper then revealed, “She would tell me later on about, like, prison mail that I would get that she never showed me.”

After Warkol and Collins expressed shock and disbelief, Cooper explained, “Like letters from people in jail talking about … you know, dudes in jail talking about how they’re such a big fan of me and I’m such a cute kid.”

Additionally, Cooper recalled what it was like to suddenly be thrust into a new level of fame after Liar Liar came out.

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“I couldn’t really go anywhere in public,” he shared. “I enjoyed it. I thought it was cool. I mean, I think it probably annoyed my family a little bit more.”

Cooper added, “We would go to Hometown Buffet… and there would be a line of people at my table, of people wanting to get my autograph.”

In Liar Liar, Carrey played a Los Angeles defense attorney, Fletcher Reede. His son, Max (Cooper), made a wish on his fifth birthday that his dad wouldn’t be able to tell a lie for an entire day. Naturally, this caused a bit of an issue as Fletcher attempted to win a major divorce case while uncontrollably blurting out his honest thoughts.

In addition to Carrey and Cooper, Liar Liar starred Maura Tierney, Amanda Donohoe, Cary Elwes, Anne Haney, Jennifer Tilly, Jason Bernard, and others. Cooper is also known for the film Dennis the Menace Strikes Again! (1998) and the TV series Brother’s Keeper.

Liar Liar, streaming on Netflix