Primetime sees Robert Pattinson play Chris Hansen, known for the show To Catch a Predator, while Skyler Gisondo stars as Dan Plumb. The movie, which released yesterday takes some liberties with the actual incidents.
Plumb’s character, meanwhile, has earned a lot of praise online. “Skylar Gisondo as Dan Plumb was also phenomenal, the scene where he imitated Hansen was crazyyy,” one fan wrote. Others also mentioned Plumb’s scenes, including the one where a predator was caught spreading whipped cream on his penis.
This has raised curiosity about Dan Plumb or Decoy Dan. Here is all you need to know.
Who is Dan Plumb or Decoy Dan?
In Primetime, Gisondo plays Dan Plumb, who is shown as an aspiring actor who loves musical theater. Plumb auditions for Predator and gets hired as one of the major decoys.
In real life, Decoy Dan was an aspiring actor named Dan Schrack. He auditioned for Predator believing he would be acting in dramatic reenactments. Then, Schrack learned that he had to interact with predators directly.
Also Read | Where is Chris Hansen now? Is he still catching predators? What to know as ‘Primetime’ revisits his story
As per Esquire, Schrack had done commercial work for Toys “R” Us before he joined Hansen’s team. Schrack was reportedly paid $5,000 per Predator episode, a Vanity Fair article noted.
Where is Decoy Dan now?
After the show with Hansen, his experience led Schrack to become a broadcast journalist. He joined 13WHAM News team in June 2019, following stints as a producer in Buffalo and an anchor in Elmira, New York.
What fans are saying about Dan Plumb and Primetime
Fans appear to be loving Decoy Dan’s role in the movie. One fan shared a GIF.
Another observed “#Primetime is a disquieting, engrossing watch as we see a man’s soul erode over time. Pattinson nails Chris Hansen’s obsessive pursuit of bigger and bigger stories while Merritt Wever shines as his producer. Skylar Gisondo also a standout as Decoy Dan. Film’s look/score is great.”
Meanwhile, another noted that Decoy Dan’s role had been used in a manner that some other members of Hansen’s actual team were not portrayed in the movie.
“Also while I love the choice of following Dan, I think it’s a little strange the film outright erased Casey Mauro from ever being in operation, to the point where one of the bigger moments of the film completely swaps Casey out for Dan, and implies he was their main decoy,” one wrote.
Primetime is now in theatres and for those wondering the movie does not have any post or end credit scenes. Phoebe Bridgers‘ new song “On Video” plays as credits roll. The movie ends as Pattinson’s Hansen contemplates the gravity of his actions. The case at the end of the film is a fictionalized telling of Bill Conradt’s suicide. The assistant district attorney of Rockwall County, Texas, killed himself when cops and the Predator team attempted to draw him out with a sting.