Thompson, the kid who stole every scene he was in during the late 2000s, is trending again — and this time it's not because of a throwback clip.
The former child star popped up in a fresh round of headlines this week, and the internet did what the internet does: it split straight down the middle.
For anyone who grew up on "Role Models" and "30 Rock," Thompson was unavoidable.
He played Ronnie Shields at nine years old, delivering lines that grown comedians couldn't sell.
Tracy Jordan's pint-sized nemesis on "30 Rock" became a meme before memes were a business model.
Then he largely stepped back, and Hollywood moved on the way it always does with child performers.
That silence is exactly why his name keeps resurfacing.
Every few months, a clip circulates, someone asks "where is he now," and a new wave of fans rediscovers the kid who out-joked Paul Rudd.
This week's chatter follows that same pattern, with social media users trading jokes, old interviews, and a fair amount of genuine curiosity about what he's been up to.
The reaction online has been a mix of nostalgia and debate.
Some fans want a full comeback, arguing that child stars who disappear deserve a second act without the baggage of a comeback narrative.
Others point out that stepping away was probably the healthiest choice he ever made, and that not every former child actor owes the public a return.
What makes Thompson's case interesting is how little drama there actually is.
In an era where child stardom often ends in a very public crash, a quiet exit reads almost like a plot twist — and the internet isn't sure what to do with a story that doesn't have a villain.
Studios have been mining the 2000s hard lately, rebooting everything from teen comedies to animated classics.
A "Role Models" reunion or a nostalgic cameo wouldn't shock anyone.
Thompson, for his part, has kept his public footprint small, which only fuels the mystery.
Meanwhile, the discourse has shifted into something bigger: how we treat former child stars.
The same platforms that made them famous now archive every awkward phase.
Fans want the comeback without the cruelty, but the two rarely travel together.
Thompson's resurgence — however brief — is a reminder that the audience controls the narrative as much as the industry does.
For now, there's no confirmed project, no official announcement, just a name trending and a fanbase wondering out loud.
A clip, a comment, a wave of "remember him?" And then, sometimes, a phone call.
Our take: Thompson doesn't owe anyone a comeback, but if he wants one, the door is wide open.
The nostalgia machine is hungry, and he's one of the few child stars who left on his own terms.
Final Thoughts
That's a rare position to be in — and honestly, a pretty good one to negotiate from.