Chris Pratt is a fixture in blockbusters but he wants more Golden ‘Guardian’

By LINDSEY BAHR

AP Film Writer

LOS ANGELES

There’s not much time for daydreaming when your life is as mapped out as Chris Pratt’s. In less than three years, Pratt has gone from underdog to full-fledged movie star, with fortuitously timed leading roles in three of Hollywood’s most promising franchises, “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Jurassic World” and “The Lego Movie.” With global box office receipts for the three films approaching around $2.9 billion, all wildly surpassed expectations and birthed plans for sequels.

Pratt is currently busy promoting “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” out May 5, finishing up his scenes in “Avengers: Infinity War,” gearing up for the “Jurassic World” sequel and eyeing “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” on the horizon.

For the 37-year-old actor, it couldn’t have come at a better time. It wasn’t too long ago that Pratt and his wife, “Mom” actress Anna Faris, could be freer with their choices.

“For the first part of our relationship, we put our careers at the top,” Pratt said. “We were like, ‘Honey, if you get a job and you have to go to Istanbul for 6 months, you’re going. I’ll help you pack. I’ll Skype with you every day. You’re living your dream, I’m living my dream. That’s what we do.”’

Now, they’ve got their 4-year-old son Jack to consider and having a handle on the next few years is helpful. They can actually plan where they will be from month to month and strategize which jobs make sense – a luxury not often afforded in the capricious world of acting. It also means saying no to a lot.

“There is no big role that Chris doesn’t pass on because there’s no one that doesn’t want Chris in their movie because he truly is the biggest movie star in the world right now,” said “Guardians” franchise director James Gunn. “He’s not going to say that but that’s the truth. He gets to do what he wants.”

Pratt does have ambitions outside of the blockbuster genre. He’s written a script (but not necessarily for public consumption) and would like to eventually direct something he’s written. One of his goals, to tell the stories of blue collar America, got him into a bit of trouble recently after he told Men’s Fitness magazine that he thinks that segment is underrepresented in Hollywood movies. A barrage of snarky headlines and tweets followed quickly from many wondering why a white man might think that. Soon after, the social media savvy Pratt tweeted that it was a “pretty stupid thing to say.” Pratt is someone who just wants to make the people around him happy and comfortable, whether it’s on set, or through a tweet.

Before the controversy erupted, the always genial Pratt said that one of his strengths is being able to come into a situation with “a contagious attitude worth catching.”

Pratt has the easy coolness of someone who is proud of his latest work and is comfortable in the spotlight. The film about Marvel’s intergalactic misfits was also once an underdog that exceeded hopes when the first one was released in 2014. The franchise hit its stride in the sequel, which might surprise audiences with its touching emotional core.