Chris Hansen Calls Robert Pattinson's 'Primetime' Performance 'Overly Dramatic'

Chris Hansen has offered a mixed review of Robert Pattinson’s portrayal of him in A24’s upcoming thriller “Primetime,” calling the performance “overly dramatic” while conceding the actor nailed key mannerisms from his years hosting “To Catch a Predator.”

“Obviously he has practiced imitating me, and while I think it’s overly dramatic, I think there is a pretty good imitation there in the trailer,” Hansen told Entertainment Tonight. He noted that his own household has responded more warmly to Pattinson’s take than he has. “It’s not so much what I think; it’s what other people think,” he said.

“My wife and my family seem to think it’s a pretty good imitation.” Still, Hansen drew a firm line between himself and the character on screen, saying the film invents dialogue and behavior that never happened. “He’s saying things I never said and doing things I never did, and that’s not who I am,” he said, adding that he wants audiences to remember the movie is fiction loosely inspired by real events.

The comments follow a tenser exchange between Hansen and the studio over access to the film itself. Speaking on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Hansen said A24 asked him to sign away rights to his name, image and any legal claims tied to the movie before allowing him to attend a private screening. He refused and left without seeing the film.

A source close to the studio disputed that account, telling Variety that Hansen was asked to sign the same nondisclosure agreement required of every preview audience for an unreleased project, a standard measure meant to guard against spoilers.

Hansen has taken a more active approach to promoting his own brand alongside the film’s rollout, buying preshow advertising on every screen playing “Primetime” to direct moviegoers toward TruBlu, his streaming service focused on predator investigations. Written by Ajon Singh, “Primetime” traces Hansen’s run hosting the NBC hidden-camera series, which aired stings targeting adult men attempting to meet minors, from 2004 to 2007. Hansen has said he intends to withhold full judgment on the project until he sees the finished film.