Thompson, the kid who stole every scene he was in during the 2000s, is back in the news — and not for a comeback role.
The former child star, now 29, was arrested this week in California on a felony charge, according to booking records, marking another chapter in a career that went from Hollywood's most quoted pint-sized comedian to a string of run-ins with the law.
For millennials, Thompson is instantly recognizable.
He played Ronnie Shields in "Role Models," the foul-mouthed pint-sized sidekick who made grown men cry laughing.
Before that, he was Tracy Jr. on "30 Rock," traded barbs with Will Ferrell in "Kicking & Screaming," and voiced characters in animated hits.
He was that rare child actor who could hold his own against comedy legends and walk away with the movie.
Thompson became more famous for his social media presence than his filmography, posting videos that ranged from genuinely funny to eyebrow-raising.
He's been candid in interviews about the awkward limbo of being a former child star — too old for the cute-kid parts, too young and too typed for the leading-man roles.
Hollywood, as it often does, moved on quietly.
Thompson has had prior run-ins with authorities, and each time the internet splits into two camps: the people cracking jokes using his old movie lines, and the people pointing out how brutally the industry treats kids it stops needing.
What's notable is how fast the story spread.
Within hours of the booking report, clips of his most famous scenes were recirculating with millions of views — a reminder that nostalgia is a reflex, and the same audience that laughed with him as a kid now watches his mugshot like it's content.
There's a darker thread here that keeps repeating across Hollywood.
Child stars get famous before they get coping skills, then get judged as adults for not having them.
Thompson's story isn't unusual; it's a pattern the industry keeps producing and then publicly wringing its hands over.
The difference is that for a certain generation, this particular face is attached to some of their favorite childhood memories.
For now, details around the charge remain limited, and Thompson hasn't issued a public statement.
Whether this becomes another cautionary tale or a turning point is entirely up to him — and, frankly, none of the people sharing his old clips actually know which way it'll go.
It's easy to laugh at the old punchlines, but the guy behind them has been stuck in a weird spotlight since he was a kid.
Final Thoughts
Maybe the most useful thing the internet could do this time is nothing at all.