It was in the late 2000s when actor Chris Pratt secured Hollywood fame for his portrayal of Andy Dwyer in the NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation.”
Although his role in the sitcom was meant to be temporary, producers liked him so much they asked him to become a series regular.
After dropping out of college, working as a waiter, and living homeless in Hawaii, Pratt had clearly come a very long way. He was now a genuine TV star.
His career would continue to rocket as he obtained supporting roles in a number of significant films, including “Moneyball,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” and “Her.”
He hit true A-list status through major roles in two blockbuster film franchises: Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” series and the “Jurassic World” trilogy.
“The Magnificent Seven,” “Passengers,” and “The Tomorrow War” would usher in other stellar roles. And his voicing of characters in “The Lego Movie” franchise, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” and “The Garfield Movie” would further expand his audience horizons.
As an actor, Pratt possesses a unique capacity to simultaneously handle drama, action, and humor. This combination is serving to continually propel his career.
The proof is in the celluloid. Movies in which he has had a starring role have grossed over $13 billion worldwide.
With all the success he has achieved, he is nevertheless motivated by something much greater – a deep and abiding faith.
Like nearly everyone else on earth, Pratt has wrestled with doubt and particularly throughout his early years found himself falling into old habits.
“I’d make promises, but I didn’t keep them,” he said in an interview.
However, his life changed in 2012 when his baby son Jack was born premature and was forced to spend his first month in a neonatal intensive care unit.
“We were scared for a long time,” Pratt said.
“He [Jack] had all of these issues going on. I prayed hard to God. I was in a season of transition spiritually at that time, and didn’t quite fully understand. I made a deal with God again: ‘I’m sorry, God, here I am again, asking for your grace again.’ And He really saved my son, and that was the moment [my faith] was cemented,” he said.
Pratt recalls it as a miracle that restored his faith in God.
“My heart softened, and my faith hardened. That was the moment that I was like, ‘Moving forward, I’m going to give my platform to God,’” he said.
Since then he has used his celebrity profile to enhance awareness of the Almighty.
He wants to affirm people who are believers in Christ, but he also hopes to reach out to the people who haven’t yet experienced God’s presence.
“I want to be a light to people who’ve never seen light. I want to be a light to people who have seen light but turned away from it or been afraid of it,” Pratt said.
As a father of four, he wants to raise his children “with an understanding that their dad was unashamed of his faith in Jesus, and with a profound understanding of the power of prayer, and the grace and the love and the joy that can come from a relationship with Jesus.”
He is well aware that many in the entertainment industry don’t share his views. But this doesn’t deter him.
“It’s who I am. I’m not going to hide behind it. A city on a hill cannot be hidden,” he stated.
Pratt understands the dark side of fame and the ways in which celebrities can oftentimes be trapped by it.
He once responded to a question from “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert about the inherent danger of intense fame.
“If the spotlight that’s shining on you is brighter than the light that comes from within you — it’ll kill you…,” he said.
He knows firsthand that being a Christian in Hollywood is going against the grain.
When faced with criticism, his approach is to pray for his critics.
“If people don’t understand me, I’m going to pray for them, and then I’m going to go back and hang out with my kids and play tag,” he said.
Pratt exhibits the beautiful virtue of self-sacrifice, which is encompassed in a relationship with God. He has counted the cost of standing up for his faith and is totally willing to pay the price.
“I care enough about Jesus to take a stand, even if it cost me. It could cost me everything, but I don’t care. It’s worth it to me because this is what I’m called to do, it’s where my heart is.”
Pratt is now starring in the original happily-ever-after love story.
When you experience the love of God, you want everyone else to feel it too.
James Hirsen 