Chris Pratt Opens Up About Playing Star-Lord
Our Guardians of the Galaxy interviews were amazing. The day was a little hectic but we managed to get some scoop to share with our readers from the stars of the movie. I’m excited to share about our interview with Chris Pratt because he was simply amazing. This is my second time sitting down with Pratt, I had the opportunity to interview him during the Guardians of the Galaxy Secret Set Visit trip last year prior to seeing the film.
Photo Credit: Louise Bishop / MomStart.com
We’re sitting waiting for Pratt to arrive and all we heard from the hallway was someone shouting “Mommy Bloggers!”. Then he enters the room and we clap, he responds “what a nice welcome, I need this from everyone. I love it!” We started talking about the film and how much we loved it. He shared how he felt seeing the film for the first time.
I saw it about a week and a half ago for the first time, and last night was the second time. I was so relieved when I saw it because I knew like the script, the script, that movie is exactly what the script, how the script read. And so, I, when I read the script, I knew it was good. But there’s so much stuff that can happen between reading the script, and then watching the movie, you know? There’s so many moving parts, some of which I’m responsible for. So, I was like, [LAUGHS] please still be good. I was just relieved to see that the movie was as good as the script.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
L to R: Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Groot (Voiced by Vin Diesel), Drax (Dave Bautista), and Rocket (Voiced by Bradley Cooper) Ph: Film Frame ©Marvel Studios 2017
The film was definitely good, I shared my review/red carpet experience on the blog. I’m hoping to leave this spoiler free so you can experience the film in your own way. Next we talked about the role of Star-Lord and his father, who is played by Kurt Russell.
That idea, that concept was mind blowing. It was next level to me. And, understanding like the nuances I was gonna be allowed to play as this character, way different from the first movie. I mean, there were certain emotional tones in the first movie with Peter Quill with his mother, with that side of his origin. But this new story, feeling the reality of like his biological father, and this guy that he’s built up in his mind.
It’s a very contemporary story, and there’s a lot of kids that are gonna relate to that, whose dads weren’t around. And who have another man in their life who’s been responsible for raising them, and possibly how we’ve taken or how we can take relationships for granted that aren’t those relationships we have built up in our mind.
Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 L to R: Chris Pratt (Star-Lord) and Director James Gunn on set.
Ph: Chuck Zlotnick © 2016 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2016 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.
According to Pratt, he’s already gotten the scoop on Vol 3 from director James Gunn. Of course, if he does know anything he didn’t tell us, but Gunn already confirmed another installment in the film franchise. Pratt had a very emotional fight scene with his father in the movie. We asked him did his personal experiences help him deliver for that scene being that it was so emotional and raw.
That was something that for me as an actor is one of the hardest things for me to do, is channel anger, because I do it so rarely in my real life. Not saying that it’s healthy. Don’t really do it that often. And so, I think often times how we behave in the real world is that type of behavior’s really easy to do as an actor, for me at least, real natural stuff.
But for me to like look someone in the eye and yell at ‘em, and tell them what they did to me, that they wronged me, that I’m pissed off, that type of thing is not something I do that often. So, it’s hard for me to get there. And when you can’t like use just the natural empathy for your character that you’re playing, this character that you’re playing that you love and you have to have empathy for them, and then you feel their emotions. Because, you know, if that doesn’t work to get you there, you have to rely on some sort of tricks to work rather from the inside out, but from the outside in.
And I think that’s what I had to do in that scene. So, it was actually not as emotional for me as it was kinda practical. Like creating a center, creating a loud voice. James really helps me with that stuff it’s just a lot about energy, and heightening your energy, grounding it, and being direct. That’s something that doesn’t come that natural to me. So, I’m glad that, if you think that, if you think it worked, that’s good. That makes me feel happy.
Photo Credit: Louise Bishop / MomStart.com
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2..L to R: Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and Ego (Kurt Russell)..Ph: Chuck Zlotnick..©Marvel Studios 2017
We had to ask him about working with a living legend like Kurt Russell, how it was with him on the set, and how he was with the entire cast.
Ah man, everyone on my team, everyone who’s been hanging out with him, they’re either just like, “He’s such a great dude.” And, he really is, man. I’ve heard a few people say like, “It really feels like you guys could be father and son.” And we share a lot of the same passions. He’s a really cool guy. He’s a really open book. Definitely know where you stand with him. He tells it like it is. And, I really like that.
And, you know, obviously he’s like this iconic dude, who I’ve known about him for decades before he ever knew I existed. And so, there’s always that strange moment when you meet someone and you’re a big fan, you won’t, you feel like you have to tell him, because otherwise you try to build a friendship and it’s a little inauthentic, you know? I just said, “Listen, I have to get this part out of the way, but I love you so much. Oh, you’re the best. You’re the best. You’ve always been the best.” And he goes, “Yeah, I know. Thanks.” And, all right, let’s get to it, you know?
Photo Credit: Louise Bishop / MomStart.com
Chris Pratt is a pretty funny guy, he’s known for his comedic roles, even in the first film, he’s not your average superhero. We asked about how much does he got to improv while filming, and how much gets left in the finished film.
Yeah. Yeah. For sure. I mean, James is, really knows my voice. And especially in the second movie has written the script in a way that it sounds like stuff I would improv. You know what I mean?
But there are a few jokes that I improv that made it. I think the thing about the thing between my legs had a hand on it. That was improv!
Yeah, and the, I remember in the day we were, I was talking to James about that today, on the day it wasn’t that funny. It was just like we’d done that scene a bunch of times, and they had to do it again because they needed to get something else. And so, I knew they already had whatever the line that was written. They already had it. And so, I knew when they already have it, then I have, that’s my room to play, you know?
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2..Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt)..Ph: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2017
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2..Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt)..Ph: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2017
We switched things up a bit when one of the bloggers asked Pratt a question her kids wanted to know. They follow the actor on Instagram and wanted to know what’s his favorite snack and what’s Peter Quill’s favorite snack as well.
That’s a good question because, tell them that’s a good question. I’m glad that they asked that, and thanks for following me on what’s my snack? Peter Quill’s shirt in the movie, if you see that’s his favorite snack, because that’s actually a label from, this is a little Easter egg, but from the first movie, there was some candy on the table and I think I’m eating some of the candy. I don’t know if it ever made it in the movie, but he, but James really loved the label, the art department had gone the lengths of creating this language, and created a label for some candy.
And so, he put that label on the shirt. So, that’s like a snack that Peter Quill likes to eat. And I don’t know, I think it had, there’s a real language and it says something. But, that’s probably his favorite snack.
Photo Credit: Louise Bishop / MomStart.com
We asked Pratt about how he was able to keep the weight off from the first movie all the way through to this movie since most people have such a hard time with weight.
Well, I gotta be, to be, if I’m gonna be fully authentic, I’m pretty careful about when I reveal myself to the public. So I do it in a way to make you think that I’ve kept it off the entire time, but I haven’t. You know? Seriously, like I kinda keep tight, close to what I need to be, but I have to live my life as well. So, when I do a shirtless scene, or I do a magazine cover, or I do a photoshoot that I know is gonna get a lot of press, I’m, I then dial it in so that I can take a good picture. And so, I really, my, all my eating habits and diet fitness habits are, it’s very shallow of me, but hey, they’re very much based around how I’m gonna be and put myself out there. So, don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t, if people can’t like, if they lose weight and they can’t keep it off.
That’s just really natural. And I think, you know, the best thing, the best way to think about it is not to have a goal of like a weight goal, do you know what I mean? It’s not to say like my goal is 225 pounds. That’s not my goal. My goal is six months. It’s like six months of consistency. Go to the gym, or do something every day for six months. See if I can do that. Like make the goal, a consistency. Like build up a bunch of consistency and make it more of a lifestyle.
Photo Credit: Louise Bishop / MomStart.com
We got personal with Chris asking about his work with charity and giving back to the community. He was happy to share with us who inspires him the most in regards to charity.
I actually credit Russell Wilson. I think I saw how he did it, and I was like, this guy’s awesome. Like, he’s open with his faith. He is a superstar quarterback, and I have a pretty healthy and not that secret man crush on him. But like, I saw how he did it, and what he did up at Seattle Children’s Hospital. And, I remember around the time that I got Guardians of the Galaxy.
I remember thinking to myself like, if this thing does what it could potentially do, and there’s a world where it would mean something for me to go do that, I’ll definitely do it. And I think if I credit Russell Wilson, he wouldn’t take the credit. He’d give the glory to God, he would say that… it was his faith. So, I think it’s the same kind of thing. I really love how he does it, and I have to credit some of that with him.
About Guardians of the Galaxy:
Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is written and directed by James Gunn and stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Baby Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Laura Haddock, with Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell. Kevin Feige is producing, and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Schwartz, Nikolas Korda and Stan Lee are the executive producers. Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” blasts into theaters on May 5, 2017.
CHECK OUT MY GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY SET VISIT POSTS
Nickida
Nickida is a first-generation Trinidadian American wife and mother of four. She enjoys sharing recipes from her childhood growing up in Trinidad with her readers. Nickida has a son with Autism and shares posts around traveling with a child with special needs to help other families like her own. She loves television, movies and is a true 80's baby.
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