Being an actor is a funny thing. Because while the job is to essentially transform yourself into someone new, you can end up relating a role to your personal life, and therefore connecting very deeply with it. And in the wake of tragedy, actors can even be given closure thanks to their acting projects. This is apparently what happened with Chris Pratt while reprising his role of Peter Quill/Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The upcoming blockbuster will have a ton of focus on Star-Lord's father- the Planet Ego played by Kurt Russell. And while this is a bit of an out of this world concept, working on the movie apparently helped Pratt process the death of his father.
Chris Pratt recently sat down with the food folks at British GQ to discuss his various film projects. Of course, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was a subject of conversation, where the actor revealed how working on the sequel helped him process his father's passing,
The truth is I ripped open some wounds that had been healing for some time. And I didn't want to. But I knew it was right for the moment... There are wounds that are never going to be totally healed. It would probably make for a better story if it was some emotional thing that I hadn't dealt with... When we face the death of a parent, you sometimes feel regret that you didn't fully embrace what you had.
As if we needed another reason to love Chris Pratt. It appears that the plot Star-Lord will have in Guardians 2 became a case of art imitating life, and helped the star work through his feelings.
It should actually come to no surprise that this type of association should happen, given Star-Lord's background in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Shortly after his mother's death a young Peter Quill was abducted by Yondu and The Ravagers. Because of how young he was, he continues to fantasize about his long lost father. We know that said father, played by Kurt Russell, will make his MCU debut in Guardians 2. Peter will likely have to balance his blood family with his new one, and decide who he truly is. For Chris Pratt to have a movie all about his father is serendipitous timing, given his father's passing in 2014.
Chris Pratt's emotional response to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is just another reason to be excited about the sequel. When actors can really connect to their work, it usually ends with a much more realistic and nuanced performance. So while filming the movie may have been difficult for Pratt, there's little doubt that his performance will be positively affected by it.
With the universal acclaim over the first Guardians of the Galaxy, it should be interesting to see how the sequel does. It's clear the the stories will be rooted on personal issues, despite the fantastical subject matter. But if the trailer is to be believed, it's going to be just as fun as the original.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will fly into theaters May 5, 2017.
