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Who is Dan Plumb aka Decoy Dan, where is he now? Chris Hansen's Primetime movie puts focus on Predator team member

In Primetime, Robert Pattinson plays Chris Hansen known for the show To Catch a Predator, while Skyler Gisondo stars as Dan Plumb.

Published on: Sep 25, 2026, 13:52:03 IST
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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.

Skyler Gisondo as Decoy Dan or Dan Plumb in Primetime. (X/@Lulamaybelle)
Skyler Gisondo as Decoy Dan or Dan Plumb in Primetime. (X/@Lulamaybelle)

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.

  • Shuvrajit Das Biswas
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shuvrajit Das Biswas

    Shuvrajit has over seven years of experience covering US, India, and world news. An English Literature postgraduate from Jadavpur University, Shuvrajit started off covering entertainment, gaming and all things pop culture. There were brief periods away from the media industry, with short stints in content marketing, ed-tech and academic editing. However, the newsroom beckoned and over the last few jobs, Shuvrajit has exceedingly focused on team functioning as well, including tracking news and assigning tasks, working on everyday breaking news, framing detailed coverage plans, and creating immersive and data-driven stories. In his time as a digital journalist, he has covered a Lok Sabha election, multiple state elections, Union Budgets and award ceremonies. He has also helped in planning content for company event panels in the past. For work, Shuvrajit enjoys dabbling with data visualization, editing tools, and AI chatbots and attempts to incorporate AI workflows in everyday tasks. He is deeply interested in geopolitics, sports, films and music. Prompting is a new fascination for Shuvrajit now. Apart from that, he can be found doom-scrolling, sharing memes, or cheering on his favorite football team.Read More

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