Hi, I’m Steve,
If you’d been told a dozen years ago that the chubby guy who played Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation would go onto star as the ripped and muscular Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy, you’d probably have been laughed off the couch. But, in one of Hollywood’s most inspiring body transformations, that’s precisely what Chris Pratt has managed to do.
Chris, your stereotypical endomorph, has used his transformation from blubbery to bulky to establish himself as a leading man, with movies like The Tomorrow War, Avengers; Infinity War, and Avengers; Endgame proving that his bankability is solid as a rock.
Fun Fact: On June 8th, 2019, Chris married Katherine Schwarzenegger, the eldest child of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver. With Arnold in his corner, it’s hardly surprising that Chris has managed to build a body worthy of respect – after all, he couldn’t risk being dismissed as a ‘girl-man’ by his own father-in-law!
The Chris Pratt Story
Chris Pratt was discovered by actress Rae Dawn Chong (remember her from Commando?) while he was serving tables at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company restaurant in Miami, Florida. Rae is also a director and she put her in her directorial debut Cursed Part 3.
From there Chris went on to appear in a succession of TV shows, starting with Everwood in 2002 and leading to Parks & Recreation 7 years later. The show was a hit and it led to Chris being cast as a baseball player in the movie Moneyball.
Chris was initially told that he was too fat for the part, having piled on 40 pounds during the Parks & Recreation run. He took on the challenge of getting in shape, working out religiously, and controlling his diet. In 3 months, he had lost 30 pounds and won the part.
In his next couple of movies (10 Years and Zero Dark Thirty) he piled back on the weight and then lost it again.
Chris’ breakthrough came in 2014 when he won the coveted part of Peter Quill / Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy.
In 2009, Chris married actress Anna Farris. Three years later they had a son named Jack. The couple divorced in 2017. The following year Chris began a relationship with Katherine Schwarzenegger and they were married the following year. Their first child, Lyla Maria, was born in August 2020.
So, what’s up next for Chris? He and Katherine announced that another baby was due in early 2022. He’s also got three new movies coming out in 2022 and early 2023 …
- Thor: Love & Thunder
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume Three
- An untitled movie based on the Mario video game series
- Chris also has two TV shows coming in the near future: The Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special and The Terminal List.
Trivia: Chris was a football player and wrestler in high school.