Chris Pratt

**Christopher Michael Pratt** (born June 21, 1979) is an American actor. His rise to prominence began in the late 2000s when he portrayed Andy Dwyer in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation (2009–2015). Pratt established himself through two top-grossing film franchises, starring as Star-Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), and Owen Grady in the Jurassic World trilogy (2015–2022). He also took voice acting roles in The Lego Movie franchise (2014–2019), Onward (2020), and The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023). His additional starring roles include the films The Magnificent Seven (2016), Passengers (2016), The Tomorrow War (2021), and the TV series The Terminal List (2022). Being named one of the most influential people in the world in 2015, his films as a leading actor have grossed over $13 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. Pratt was born in Virginia, Minnesota and later relocated to Lake Stevens, Washington. He placed fifth in a high school state wrestling tournament and was a shot putter for his high school's track team. Before he became successful in acting, Pratt took several jobs including a discount ticket salesman, daytime stripper, and working for a Christian missionary organization called Jews for Jesus. His acting career started when he was discovered by actress and director Rae Dawn Chong while waiting tables at a restaurant in Maui. His breakthrough role came when he started playing Andy Dwyer on the NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation. From then, Pratt has played important roles in numerous successful films contributing significantly to his rise in the movie industry.