Chris Pratt’s journey to Hollywood stardom began unconventionally, with the actor living in a van in Hawaii and working as a waiter before a pivotal moment changed his life.
In a recent social media post, Pratt, 47, reflected on his early days. "Before Hollywood, I was living in a van in Hawaii and waiting tables at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company," he shared. His life took a turn when actress Rae Dawn Chong entered the restaurant where he worked. Pratt approached her table, recognizing her as a movie star, and asked what she was doing there. Chong inquired if he could act, to which he responded affirmatively, expressing his eagerness to be in her movie.
Unable to provide a phone number, Pratt gave Chong his friend's contact information. A few days later, he learned Chong had called for him. "I called her back, and sure enough, she was serious," Pratt recounted. He drove to pick up the script for "Cursed Part 3," a low-budget horror-comedy. After reading the entire script multiple times, he felt confident he could play the character.
Chong offered him the part, but Pratt faced a logistical challenge: the film was shooting in Los Angeles, and he had only about $60 and a bag of clothes. Chong offered to fly him to Los Angeles for production, a gesture Pratt recognized as life-changing. "I remember thinking right then and there, my life just changed forever. I'm going to be an actor," he wrote. He credits Chong for taking a chance on him, stating, "Everybody starts somewhere, and this is where it all began for me."
Pratt's role in "Cursed Part 3" opened the door to further opportunities. He landed a breakout role as Andy Dwyer in the NBC series "Parks and Recreation." This led to his casting as Peter Quill, or Star-Lord, in Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise, including its sequels and appearances in "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame."
Reflecting on his casting in "Guardians of the Galaxy," Pratt told Moviefone in May 2023 that director James Gunn had changed his life. "He brought me to a whole new level that ultimately changed the entire way the industry saw me. I no longer was auditioning. That was the last audition I ever had. So he changed my life," Pratt said.
Since his Marvel success, Pratt has starred in the "Jurassic World" franchise, voiced characters in animated films such as "The Lego Movie" and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," and led the Amazon Prime Video series "The Terminal List." He has also appeared in standalone films including "Passengers" and "The Tomorrow War."
Pratt has two marriages and five children. He was previously married to actress Anna Faris, with whom he shares a son, Jack. He is currently married to Katherine Schwarzenegger, and they have three daughters: Lyla, Eloise, and Ford.