He started from nothing — wearing shoes three sizes too small and growing up in a cramped trailer with his dysfunctional family.
But thanks to his determination, he went from being a waiter and playing small roles to becoming the face of major Hollywood film franchises.
Chris Pratt’s journey is truly inspiring — let’s take a closer look at his incredible rise to fame.
Despite his enormous success, Chris Pratt remains humble — perhaps a reflection of his upbringing. He carries himself with grace, humour and class, which makes him not only a wonderful performer, but also an even more likeable person than his characters. It’s no surprise that fans, myself included, have come to love him off-screen as well. If he weren’t an actor, he could easily have become a top-tier comedian.
His father worked in the mines
Born into a working-class family in a small town, the 45-year-old actor grew up learning the harsh realities of life. He had no idea that his natural charm, humour and determination would one day make him one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors. From playing a sea lion in The Terminal to voicing Garfield, Pratt has proven that he can do anything. Over the past decade, his career has skyrocketed thanks to roles in Zero Dark Thirty (2013), the Jurassic World trilogy and Guardians of the Galaxy, winning over audiences with his versatility.
Before becoming a Hollywood star, Christopher Michael Pratt was a simple child who grew up in a working-class family and learned the value of a dollar firsthand.
Chris was born on 21 June 1979 in Virginia, Minnesota, and grew up with his two older brothers, Callie and Angie. His mother worked at a Safeway supermarket, and his father was a taconite miner and then a construction worker. Despite their hard work, money was always tight.
I remember when I was a kid, we had so little money that if someone asked me if I read comics, I would say, ‘No! Comics are expensive.’ And they would say, ‘What do you mean? They cost three quid.’ But if you don’t have three quid, then it’s expensive!
Hard times and tight shoes
When Chris was seven, the family moved to Lake Stevens, Washington, probably hoping for better financial stability. But times remained tough, and Chris quickly learned not to ask for things he knew his parents couldn’t afford.
‘I know what it means to ask for nothing. Just be smart enough not to even ask. What’s the point? Eventually, you stop asking…’
One of the biggest problems? Shoes.
We always had the most pathetic shoes. But shoes were so important when you were a kid! Once I won 85 bucks playing bingo with my mum and bought myself a pair of Reebok Pumps trainers. Man, I wore those shoes for three years. They got so small that I had to take a razor and cut out the pump to give myself a little more room.”
Chris Pratt is known for his roles in Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World, but he wasn’t the most athletic kid growing up. Due to an injury he sustained as a child, running became something of an adventure for him.
His leg grew a little funny
‘My leg grew a little funny. So when I run, I run a little crooked. And if I run at full speed, there’s a good chance I’ll fall,’ Pratt said in an interview with the AP in 2018.
He even joked that his school football tape didn’t feature any touchdowns or incredible plays — mostly just him falling unexpectedly.
‘My school football tape was just footage of me falling in the middle of the field, like I tripped over my shoelaces or something.’
Realising that sprinting wasn’t his strong suit, Pratt focused on wrestling in his senior years. The Seattle suburb of Lake Stevens, which Pratt grew to love, was crazy about wrestling — much like football in Texas.
Chris also did shot put on the track team, proving he had both strength and determination. And although he hadn’t yet found his path, he already had a sense of where life would take him.
His family lost their home
When his wrestling coach asked him what he wanted to do with his life, Pratt replied confidently:
‘I don’t know, but I know I’m going to be famous and make a hell of a lot of money.’ I had no idea how. I wasn’t doing anything proactive.
It turned out that his belief in himself was right. But he had a long way to go before becoming famous on the silver screen.
Chris Pratt’s path to stardom was not only a pursuit of his dream, but also an overcoming of life’s difficulties. While he was still attending Lake Stevens High School, his family lost their home and had to rent an apartment. When his parents later offered him a place to live in the attic of a shed next to their trailer, he decided to move in with a friend.
Diagnosis: multiple sclerosis
As if financial difficulties weren’t enough, Chris’s father’s health also began to deteriorate. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a hereditary disease, he withdrew from life and became even more bitter.