Between Guardians of the Galaxy and 2015's Jurassic World, Chris Pratt is ready to break out as one of the biggest movie stars in the world. After years of putting in amazing work on the small screen, playing the hilarious Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation, Hollywood is finally realizing his true potential as a leading man. The reality, however, is that this could have happened a while ago - provided that J.J. Abrams and James Cameron actually paid attention to the talent that was right in front of them.
The most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly features a spotlight interview on Chris Pratt, and in the feature the actor reveals that he has been auditioning for blockbuster roles for a long time, and was among the candidates considered for Avatar (playing Jake Sully - a part that was eventually played by Sam Worthington) and Star Trek (playing the new Captain James Kirk - a part that was eventually played by Chris Pine). So what was it that prevented Pratt from landing the gigs? Said the actor,
"They said they want somebody that says ‘that thing,’ that ‘It factor’… I walked into that room knowing I did not have that thing, and i walked out thinking I would never have that thing, probably."
While not landing the Avatar and Star Trek roles didn't exactly help Pratt's career, he has still managed to pack some really great feature work into the last few years to pair with his television gig. Choosing to take more "sidekick" type parts, Pratt stole scenes in great movies like Moneyball, Her and even The Delivery Man.
Now, of course, all of that is changing in a big way. In addition to having both Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World on the horizon, earlier this year Pratt voiced the lead character in the hit The LEGO Movie. Basically, people are getting very used to the idea of Chris Pratt carrying movies - and in no way is that a bad thing. The guy has proven again and again to be incredibly funny and charismatic, and that factor will help boost many films in the future.
Beyond Guardians, Jurassic World and the final season of Parks and Rec, Pratt doesn't have anything firm on his upcoming schedule, but we can expect that bubble to burst very soon. If the latest Marvel Studios film is as successful as everyone expects it to be, Pratt will likely find himself given all kinds of offers for all kinds of different projects. Who knows - maybe he could end up with a part in Star Trek 3 or the Avatar sequels.
Guardians of the Galaxy will be hitting theaters on August 1st, while Jurassic World is penciled to arrive in theaters on June 12, 2015.
