Chris Pratt’s breakout role as a lead actor was the goofy and lovable Andy Dwyer in the mockumentary sitcom Parks and Recreation. Pratt then went on to become a Hollywood mainstream hero with his role as Peter Quill / Star-Lord in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. However, Pratt’s journey to stardom was not so easy.
The Passengers actor revealed that he had once gone through a physical transformation, prior to getting ripped for the Star-Lord role, to stay relevant in Hollywood. However, it was kind of the opposite of what he did for the Marvel movie.
Chris Pratt Gained Weight To Get More Audition Opportunities
It is a known fact that Chris Pratt went from the chubby Andy Dwyer to the muscular Star-Lord after undergoing rigorous training with trainers appointed by Marvel. The studio wanted an actor who could work humor for their Star-Lord role while also relating with the viewers. The Moneyball actor was the perfect fit for the role and joined the Marvel project, agreeing to a physical transformation.
However, the Jennifer’s Body actor revealed that earlier in his career, he had intentionally gained weight to avoid getting stereotyped in a specific type of role. Audiences will forever remember James McAvoy’s Wesley smashing the keyboard on Pratt’s character Barry’s face in the 2008 movie Wanted. The Jurassic World actor was typecast into such do*chebag roles in his earlier movies.
But, Pratt realized that putting on weight to look chubbier could actually open doors for him in comedic roles. The Avengers: Endgame actor shared that he began landing more auditions for fun and likable characters. Pratt further revealed once his trick began working, he actively tried to gain weight, to the point of getting very unhealthy.
People Disliked Chris Pratt For Getting In Shape
People began loving the chubby Chris Pratt, but once he underwent the physical transformation for the Marvel movie, he received a lot of hate. The Tomorrow War actor was answering questions in a Reddit AMA when a fan asked him how his overweight roles influenced his career. The Magnificent Seven actor responded:
“I was confident and in good shape when I first came to LA but nobody would cast me in any well-written roles. People assumed based on my looks I was an as*hole and a one-trick pony. I only auditioned to play the do*chebag characters. my audition material would be like ‘Bradley, 24, you hate him immediately’”
It appears people have always hated the in-shape Chris Pratt. The Zero Dark Thirty actor earlier in an interview with Men’s Health U.K., disclosed the obsessive levels he went to gain weight. Pratt indulged in a binge-eating spree during Parks and Recreation filming, eating four burgers at every table read. The Onward voice actor revealed that his unbalanced diet led to health issues.
As a leading star in Hollywood today, Chris Pratt no longer needs to go to such extremes to land auditions. He may not even need to worry about his physical appearance as he is one of the highly acclaimed and in-demand voice actors in the industry.
Source: The Things
