Chris Pratt Almost Refused To Audition For His Best Role
Chris Pratt didn't want to audition for Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Sometimes, a starring role is meant to be, whether or not the actor for the job is aware of it or not. And according to Comic Book, this was very much the case for Chris Pratt in regard to his role as Peter Quill/Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. In fact, casting director Sara Finn went so far as to state that Chris Pratt didn’t want to audition for the role, and James Gunn didn’t want want him to either!
But in an unlikely turn of events, Chris Pratt’s audition was arranged, and he was just the guy for the part. And we’re glad that Sara Finn saw something that neither Chris Pratt nor James Gunn did because it’s oftentimes those roles that are approached with a bit of apprehension that prove to be the most iconic in an actor’s filmography.
In 2014, Chris Pratt was more comfortable with supporting roles, like his Andy Dwyer character in NBC’s Parks and Recreation. What’s more, Pratt was discouraged after a number of failed auditions for films like Thor, Avatar, and Star Trek. So it’s safe to say that his confidence was shaken up a bit, and he was ready to accept that he didn’t have the “it” factor to carry a big-budget Marvel film.
But it’s clear that Sarah Finn saw something in Chris Pratt. Though Pratt didn’t feel he could cut it as Star-Lord, and James Gunn wasn’t interested at first, it was immediately clear that Pratt was the guy for the job during his audition.
At this point, Chris Pratt had to immediately hit the gym to shed some pounds for the role. Coming off a supporting role alongside Vince Vaughn in 2013’s Delivery Man, Pratt had to shed 60 pounds in six months to prepare for the role. And for those of you who have ever tried to cut a substantial amount of weight quickly, you know what kind of dedication and discipline is required to accomplish such a feat.
It’s crazy how quickly Pratt went from not wanting the role to firing off on all cylinders to look the part.
And in hindsight, Chris Pratt is the perfect guy to play Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. For you Parks and Recreation fans, you know all too well that Pratt is an expert at portraying the living embodiment of the Dunning-Kruger effect. In other words, at this point in his career, he was great at playing the dimwit, who may be a little too overconfident, given his station in life.
And this kind of energy translates well into Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill/Star-Lord character in Guardians of the Galaxy. Pratt has even gone on record describing Quill as a “rogue and a bit of a jerk,” suggesting that his character is a combination of Han Solo and Marty McFly. He’s not wrong to make this comparison because, despite Quill’s arrogance and personality flaws, he’s still quite charismatic and likable.
If you’re an aspiring actor and you’ve faced your own rejections, Chris Pratt’s story should be one of inspiration. One of the unfortunate realities about the audition process is that you’re going to get rejected a lot. And as cliche as it sounds, everything happens for a reason.
Think about it, if Chris Pratt ended up landing the Avatar gig, Guardians of the Galaxy would have had an entirely different trajectory. It’s almost as if cosmic forces were at play because, by now, it’s clear that Chris Pratt is synonymous with Star-Lord. And we’re so glad he took the chance (albeit reluctantly) to audition for what is now considered one of his most iconic roles.
