58 MEN’S FITNESS JUNE 2017
Come to think of it, ice cream, with
all that sugar and fat, may lose in a
battle with Pratt; and unlike with ice
cream, people can’t get their fill of the
charismatic 37-year-old actor, who has
been described as “the human golden
retriever of your dreams” (BuzzFeed),
Marvel Studio’s No. 1 Chris (according
to Marvel’s two other star Chrises —
Evans and Byron Bay’s Hemsworth),
and top choice for favourite imaginary
Hollywood friend, especially if he brings
actress wife, Anna Faris, with him
(various fan sites).
Pratt didn’t plan to be a unifying
force — it’s just the way it worked out.
As the face of two franchises (Guardians
of the GalaxyandJurassic World), he’s
now one of the most bankable actors
in Hollywood, bringing a much-
needed touch of relatable humanity
to CGI-dominated films. This month
he reprises his role of Peter Quill (aka
Star-Lord) inGuardians of the Galaxy
Vol. 2, in which he’ll lead his band of
merry mutants on another wisecracking
quest to save the universe and create
shareholder glee at Marvel Studios (the
first Guardians grossed more than $770
million worldwide). Currently filming,
Pratt will play Star-Lord in an upcoming
Avengerssequel, adding to his résumé of
franchise vehicles.
It’s not just the escapism of his movies
that draws audiences to Pratt, it’s him:
his enduring, unkillable likability.
Pratt’s natural charm can survive any
environment. Play a douchebag on
TV’sEverwood— and viewers want
more. Channel parasitic slacker Andy
Dwyer onParks and Recreationand his
irresistible appeal persuades series
writers to gradually turn the character
into a lovable goofball.
His ease in front of the camera
extends to magazine shoots as well.
Game for just about anything, Pratt
didn’t refuse any request from our
photographers: He jumped and flipped
on a trampoline, hopped on a horse,
curled dumbbells, straddled a dirt bike,
hugged a pug — and that was before
lunch. At one point he sniffed his fingersTHESE ARE FRAUGHT TIMES FOR THE WESTERN WORLD. THE LONG-
STANDING SOCIAL THREADS OF CIVILISATION ARE BEING FRAYED
BY EXTREME PARTISANSHIP THAT SEEMS OMINOUS FOR ITS LONG-
TERM CONSEQUENCES. THIS IS A DIVIDED WORLD, COMMON GROUND
SHRINKING AS THE RANCOUR GROWS. AND THOUGH THE LIST OF THINGS
A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE CAN AGREE ON GETS SHORTER BY THE DAY,
IT CAN BE STATED WITH CERTAIN CONFIDENCE THAT A PLURALITY OF
CITIZENS LIKE: ICE CREAM, PUPPIES AND KITTENS — AND CHRIS PRATT.in a mockery of the pretentious movie
star pose — fitting for a guy with a blue-
collar past who wins plum roles over
drama-school graduates.
Pratt’s hard-scrabble youth — he’s
the son of a stern father who worked with
his hands in various jobs and a mother
who was a supermarket employee for
decades — may not have included training
in Shakespeare soliloquies growing up
in the quintessential American working
class town of Lake Stevens, Washington
state, but it’s taught him how to keep his
head as he established himself as one of
the biggest stars on the planet.
“I’m a worker, a guy meant to do a
physical job,” says the guy who raised
money for a new recreation centre in
his hometown. “That’s what my dad did.
That’s what my grandfather did. It’s
the type of work I’d be doing if there
were no such thing as acting.”
Luckily, his films usually have a fairly
physical side: “When you do movies that
are action-based, you’re running and
jumping, diving, rolling, getting out of
the way, doing stunts, being strung up
on wires — and doing all the prep that’s
involved in that. There’s a certain Zen to
it,” he says. “You lose yourself, kind of
quiet your mind when you do something
physical. It’s therapeutic. I like hard,
physical work.”AGALAXYAPART
As established as Pratt is as a
Hollywood player, he often feels out
of place, like a pair of barbecue tongs
in a tea house. He may have left his
small hometown of 30,000, but it didn’t
leave him. He’d rather pop off a few
rounds at the local shooting range than
spend a night on the tiles. A practising
Christian, he attends church. And
though he’s married to a successful
actress — Anna Faris grew up just 40
minutes away — the two prefer a quiet
night at home with their young son to a
night of clubbing.
“Even though I’ve lived here longer
than I’ve ever lived anywhere in my
life, I’ve always considered myself
an outsider here — and that’s really