Actor In Focus: Chris Pratt

The term ‘loveable hunk’ has its full potential only truly utilised when describing Mr. Chris Pratt, a man who rose to fame after starring in hit sitcom Parks and Recreation as the loveable Andy Dwyer, before being propelled into major popularity with 2014 effort Guardians of the Galaxy as the hunk Peter Quill. Loveable hunk. Never has the world seen such an unexpected transformation. And with the hotly anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 just around the corner, it seems only right to take a peek at his most notable works to date…

Discovered at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company he worked at, a 19-year-old Pratt was soon cast in the short horror Cursed Part 3 before moving onto regular TV roles in Everwood and The O.C. After auditioning for the leads in Star Trek and Avatar, Pratt resolved to rethink his career ambitions having been told he didn’t have “that thing, that ‘it’ factor” that the directors wanted.

Pratt was cast as Parks and Recreation’s Andy Dwyer in 2009, originally a temporary character, but which lasted him six years and flung him into the eyes of the adoring public, earning him a slew of critical commendation. Making a smooth transition into the glitz and glam of Hollywood’s silver screen, he won a supporting role in 2011 effort Moneyball, going against type by playing a dejected father and baseball player.

After more supporting roles in Zero Dark Thirty and Her, things begun to swing in Pratt’s direction as 2014 rolled in. The year would see him headline two blockbusters, the first being The Lego Movie which was released to universal acclaim and went on to become Americas’ third-highest-grossing film of 2014. The second, one of the most anticipated films of the year, saw Pratt take on the role of Peter Quill/Star Lord for the collectively celebrated Guardians of the Galaxy, after originally turning it down, not wanting “another Captain Kirk or Avatar moment.” Luckily, he was praised almost unanimously, “overflowing with charisma,” as The New Yorker noted, “buoying the film and its requisite whizbang special effects.”

2015 saw him star opposite Bryce Dallas Howard in the eagerly awaited Jurassic Park follow up, Jurassic World, as Owen Grady. Further cementing his new typecast as the virile but charming hero, he went on to play Josh Farraday, a gunslinging gambler, in the remake of The Magnificent Seven before starring opposite Jennifer Lawrence in the sci-fi blockbuster Passengers last December.

The next few years will see him intertwined in the glittering realm of the blockbuster, reprising his roles as both Peter Quill and Owen Grady in their various follow ups, including the swiftly advancing Avengers cross-over.

Did You Know?

After dropping out of community college, Pratt worked as ticket salesman and daytime stripper, before becoming homeless in Maui, Hawaii.
An avid fan of Jurassic Park, Pratt refers to the film as “my Star Wars”.

The Films to Watch: