From unknown comedies to massive Hollywood blockbusters, Chris Pratt has amassed a large body of work on the big screen. His rise to prominence is the stuff of Hollywood legend, blossoming from a lovable slacker to one of the industry’s highest-grossing actors. Chris Pratt's resume includes more than 30 films over the last two decades alone, in addition to his equally impressive tenure on the small screen.
Christopher Michael Pratt was born on June 21st, 1979 in Virginia, Minnesota. He dropped out of community college after his first semester, taking jobs as a discount ticket salesman and daytime stripper before winding up living out of a van on a beach in Maui, Hawaii. He landed his first role in the short horror film Cursed Part 3 at the age of 19 after being discovered by actress/director Rae Dawn Chong while working at the Forrest Gump-themed Bubba Gump’s Shrimp restaurant.
Though he had already appeared in several popular films and TV shows, Pratt was catapulted to mainstream success with his role as Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation. Pratt's success on the show led to him signing a multi-picture deal with Marvel Studios, and within a year a triple threat of leading roles including The Lego Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Jurassic World skyrocketed his career to a whole new level. Pratt has since become one of Hollywood’s elite leading men, appearing in some of the most commercially and critically successful franchises in film history.
33. The Extreme Team (2003)
The Extreme Team is an extreme sports action film from TV veteran Leslie Libman. A secret Black Ops group of extreme athletes travel to New Zealand to rescue a kidnapped former member. Pratt makes his feature-film debut as Keenan, starring alongside Resident Evil actor Eric Mabius in this over-the-top story packed with corny 2000s-era action tropes.
32. Wieners (2008)
Wieners is a straight-to-DVD road trip comedy movie in the vein of the then-abundant Road Trip-style movies. Three friends travel across the country in a hot dog-shaped van to exact revenge on a daytime TV host for giving advice that ended one of their relationships. Wieners boasts a surprisingly recognizable comedic cast, including Chris Pratt, Zachary Levi, and Saturday Night Live’s Keenan Thompson, but their talents are wasted on a script filled with crass jokes and story beats that were already cliched at the time of release.
31. Jem And The Holograms (2015)
Jem and the Holograms is a musical drama based on Christy Marx’s 1985 animated television series Jem. Small-town songwriter Jerrica takes on the secret persona of Jem, rocketing her and her sisters to global stardom. Pratt is one of several Hollywood A-listers to appear as themself in the film, with Dwayne Johnson, Alicia Keys, and Band of Brothers’ Jimmy Fallon giving cameo appearances as well. Jem and the Holograms was a critical and financial failure, earning only $2 million during its run and earning it a spot as one of the lowest-grossing major release films of all time.
30. Movie 43 (2013)
Movie 43 is a collection of short comedic stories written and directed by a host of different filmmakers, including Elizabeth Banks, Brett Ratner, and James Gunn. The stories are loosely connected by a washed-up filmmaker who pitches them as potential script ideas to various Hollywood elite. Pratt is among the ensemble of Hollywood A-listers to appear in the film, with Hugh Jackman, Dennis Quaid, and Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane also making appearances. The decision to present a series of intentionally ridiculous and underdeveloped stories makes the film feel like little more than a fever dream of bad sketches, relying solely on its star power to carry its lackluster and disorganized plot.
29. Deep In The Valley (2009)
Deep in the Valley (released as American Hot Babes in the UK) is a romantic comedy written and directed by Christian Forte, son of popular 1960s teen icon Fabian. Two best friends, each at odds with their day-to-day lives, receive a mysterious delivery of a vintage porn viewer machine that transports them to a world where people behave as they would in an adult film. The film boasts a surprisingly star-studded cast, including Chris Pratt, Denise Richards, and Kim Kardashian in her first film role since Disaster Movie (which is widely considered to be one of the worst movies of all time) but its juvenile and over-sexualized plot was already outdated upon its release, propelling it to obscurity despite its recognizable cast and making it feel like a relic by today’s standards.
28. Bride Wars (2009)
Bride Wars is a romantic comedy directed by 13 Going On 30’s Gary Winick. Lifelong best friends Emma and Liv have been planning their weddings together since childhood, but when a clerical error results in their weddings being scheduled on the same day, their plans begin to fall apart as their friendship is pushed to its breaking point. Chris Pratt plays Fletcher Flemson, the controlling and temperamental fiancé of Emma (played by The Witches actress Anne Hathaway). Despite being panned by critics, Bride Wars was a commercial success, earning over $114 million against its somewhat modest $30 million budget.
27. Walk The Talk (2007)
Walk the Talk is a dramatic comedy written and directed by Matthew Allen in his feature film debut. Successful life coach Erik Naybor hides a dark and secret past that begins to come to light when his troubled nephew shoots his brother. Pratt and The Princess Bride’s Cary Elwes lead the film as Cam and Erik respectively, lending their comedic talents to an otherwise unusual and underwhelming story.
26. The Kid (2019)
The Kid is a historical Western film directed by and featuring Daredevil’s Kingpin actor Vincent D’Onofrio. A pair of siblings from the American Southwest find themselves embroiled in the feud of legendary outlaw Billy “The Kid” and lawman Pat Garrett as they flee persecution from their violent uncle. Ethan Hawke and The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s Dane DeHaan star as Pat Garrett and Billy “The Kid”, with Pratt appearing as the vengeful Grant Cutler. The Kid flopped at the box office, earning only $1.6 million against its $7 million budget and making it one of Chris Pratt’s lowest-grossing theatrical releases to date.
25. Strangers With Candy (2005)
Strangers With Candy is a comedy film that serves as a prequel to the 1999 Comedy Central series by the same name, created by The Late Show host Stephen Colbert. After her release from prison, 46-year-old high school dropout Jerri Blank returns to her childhood home to pick up where she left off, reenrolling herself as a freshman at the school she had abandoned decades prior. The cast of the original series returns for the film, with support from a bevy of Hollywood A-listers including Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, and the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The film found its audience with fans of the original series but was largely ignored by the general public, grossing only $2.3 million despite its formidable star power.
24. Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)
Jurassic World: Dominion is the third installment in the revitalization of the Jurassic Park series. Four years after the ending of the Chris Pratt-led Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, dinosaurs and humans must now learn to coexist as the food chain is turned on its head. The film serves little purpose to the franchise beyond capitalizing on past successes, throwing original cast members like Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neil into the mix to distract from the film’s surface-level, plot hole-ridden story.
23. What’s Your Number? (2011)
What’s Your Number? is a romantic comedy based on Karyn Bosnak’s 2006 novel 20 Times A Lady. Lost in life and looking for love, Ally Darling endeavors to disprove a popular magazine article by searching for her soulmate in her numerous ex-boyfriends. Pratt appears alongside his then-wife Anna Farris and future superhero co-star Chris Evans in one of the more mediocre comedies of their respective careers, pairing their considerable comedic talents with a relatively bland and predictable script.
22.10 Years (2011)
10 Years is a romantic comedy written and directed by We Are Marshall screenwriter Jamie Linden in his directorial debut. A group of high school friends reconnect a decade after graduating and explore how their years apart have affected their relationships. Despite an impressive cast, including eventual MCU actors Chris Pratt, Anthony Mackie, and Oscar Isaac, the film was a financial failure, earning just over $200,000 during its run.
21. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a sequel to 2015’s Jurassic World, with the bulk of the cast returning. Three years after the destruction of the Jurassic World theme park, Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) return to the island of Isla Nublar to save the remaining dinosaurs from an erupting volcano. Despite being a commercial success, the film was largely panned by critics due to its failure to adequately execute its newly introduced story elements.
20. The Five-Year Engagement (2012)
The Five-Year Engagement is a romantic comedy written and directed by Forgetting Sarah Marshall’s Nicholas Stoller. After a botched proposal, a pair of newlywed hopefuls traverse years of failed attempts at nuptials as they contemplate whether they are truly meant to be. Pratt plays Alex Eilhauer, best friend to main characters Violet and Tom (played by Emily Blunt and Jason Segel). The script is admittedly somewhat lengthy and overblown, but the film is uplifted by the charming and believable chemistry between the characters as well as excellent performances from the majority of the cast.
19. Delivery Man (2013)
Delivery Man is a remake of the 2011 Canadian comedy film Starbuck, both of which were written and directed by Ken Scott. Habitual slacker and delivery truck driver David Wozniak learns that he has fathered more than 500 children as a result of his numerous donations to a sperm bank during his college days, sending him on a journey of self-discovery as he meets his offspring. Pratt plays Brett, lawyer and friend to David, played by movie veteran Vince Vaughn. The film is charming and well-acted, but it lacks an element of originality to set it apart from the original film, which was released only two years prior.
18. Take Me Home Tonight (2011)
Take Me Home Tonight is a romantic comedy written by That 70s Show writers Jackie and Jeff Filgo. Recent MIT graduate Matt Franklin rebels against his success by taking a job at a local video store, but his life sets down a new path when his high school crush invites him to an end-of-summer party. Despite its undeniable charm, Take Me Home Tonight fails to comedically or creatively live up to the films that it imitates, propelling it to relative obscurity quickly following its release. The film stars That 70s Show’s Topher Grace, with Pratt again appearing alongside his then-wife Anna Farris.
17. The Tomorrow War (2021)
The Tomorrow War is a science fiction film from Robot Chicken director Chris McKay. A group of soldiers travels back from the year 2051 to recruit people in the present to fight in a future war against a destructive alien race. Pratt stars alongside J.K. Simmons and The Handmaid’s Tale’s Yvonne Strahovski. Given its reported budget of $200 million, The Tomorrow War looks and sounds incredible, but its plot quickly begins to fall apart upon second glance.
16. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is a sequel to 2014’s The Lego Movie, which helped launch Chris Pratt's career as a leading man. Picking up shortly after the end of the first film, the citizens of Bricksburg face a new threat as they are invaded by an alien race of DUPLO beings. Pratt reprises his role as Emmet Brickowski, with most of The Lego Movie’s principal characters returning as well. The production of The Lego Movie 2 is impressive and well-executed, though a bit of the magic from the original is lost in the sequel as it fails to substantially up the ante from what was already such a monumental achievement in animation and production design.
15. Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Jennifer’s Body is a dark horror-comedy film written by Oscar-winning Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody. After falling victim to a Satanic ritual gone wrong, Jennifer Check takes on demonic traits and must consume human flesh to maintain her appearance. Foreshadowing his Parks and Recreation role as FBI Agent Burt Macklin, Pratt appears somewhat briefly as Officer Roman Duda, adding his comedic talents to an impressive ensemble cast including Amy Sedaris, Adam Brody, and J.K. Simmons. Although Jennifer’s Body was poorly received upon release, the film and its accompanying graphic novel have gained a cult following in the years since due to their dark and potentially unintentional comedic beats.
14. Wanted (2008)
Wanted is an action thriller based on the 2003 comic book limited series by the same name. Wesley Gibson, a disgruntled office worker, has his life turned upside down when he is recruited into a collective of elite assassins following the death of his estranged father. Pratt plays Barry, best friend and coworker of Wesley (James McAvoy). Wanted is narratively somewhat underwhelming, but it contains within it some of the most iconic action sequences of an era, which is more than enough to justify its existence.
13. The Magnificent Seven (2016)
The Magnificent Seven is a remake of the classic 1960 Western film by the same name, which itself was an adaptation of the 1954 Japanese film Seven Samurai. After a greedy industrialist seizes the town of Rose Creek to mine for gold, the townsfolk turn to bounty hunter Sam Chisolm and his eclectic group of gunslingers to set things right. Pratt appears as Josh Faraday alongside an impressive ensemble cast including Denzel Washington, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Moon Knight’s Ethan Hawke. Much of the production received positive reviews, from the cast to the score and beyond, but the film’s approach to the story failed to innovate or differentiate itself from the original beyond being made using modern technology.
12. Jurassic World (2015)
Jurassic World is a revitalization of the Jurassic Park franchise based on Michael Crichton’s 1990 novel of the same name. When a new hybrid dinosaur threatens the safety of the Jurassic World theme park and its guests, Navy veteran and velociraptor trainer Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) must use his acquired skills to prevent the deaths of thousands and thwart the plans of a villainous corporation. Jurassic World is an impressive modernization of the original franchise, but the film falls victim to the same problems of most mid-2010s disaster movies, offering little of narrative substance beyond death and destruction.
11. Passengers (2016)
Passengers is a romantic science-fiction film from Oscar-winning The Imitation Game director Morten Tyldum. On a voyage across space to a new home planet, two passengers are awoken from their suspended animation 90 years too early, forcing them to face the terrifying reality of spending the rest of their lives in transit with only one another. Though there are appearances from other characters interspersed throughout the film, the bulk of the story centers solely around Jim Preston (played by Pratt) and Aurora Lane (played by Jennifer Lawrence), deepening the sense of existential dread that permeates the film which resonates particularly potently in the present.
10. Onward (2020)
Onward is an animated fantasy film written and directed by Monsters University’s Dan Scanlon. In a world populated by magic and mythical creatures, two elf brothers embark on a quest to complete a spell that would temporarily resurrect their late father. Fellow MCU actors Chris Pratt and Tom Holland star as brothers Barley and Ian, their chemistry and comedy dynamic bolstering an already well-written and emotional script.
9. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a sequel to 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy directed by James Gunn. While fleeing persecution after a deal gone wrong, The Guardians encounter a mysterious and powerful figure claiming to be Star-Lord’s estranged father. Pratt reprises his role alongside the rest of The Guardians, eventually adding Pom Klementieff’s Mantis to the team. What Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 lacks narratively is more than compensated for visually, with settings and color schemes far more vibrant and engaging than those of its predecessor.
8. The Lego Movie (2014)
The Lego Movie is a computer-animated adventure comedy written and directed by filmmaking duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Ordinary LEGO figurine Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt) is thrust into the adventure of his life after being mistakenly identified as a prophesied savior called “The Special”. The voice cast of The Lego Movie is packed with celebrities, including Will Ferrell, Morgan Freeman, and Channing Tatum. The film’s animation is intricate and expansive, building an impressive and engaging world to be navigated by its talented cast.
7. Thor: Love And Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder is the fourth film in the Thor franchise, written and directed by Thor: Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi. As Thor embarks on a journey of self-exploration, he is beset by Gorr the God Butcher, a galactic killer determined to exterminate the gods as punishment for their selfishness. Thor: Love and Thunder utilizes characters from various stages in Thor’s history, from Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord to Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster. The film capitalizes on the successes of its predecessor, blending Marvel-style action with Waititi’s characteristic brand of comedy which gave new life to the franchise.
6. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Zero Dark Thirty is a historical thriller from Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow. The film dramatizes the decade-long manhunt for Osama bin Laden following the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. Pratt portrays fictional Seal Team 6 member Justin Lenihan, serving alongside eventual Marvel actors Mike Colter and Frank Grillo. Although the film has received a degree of criticism regarding its historical accuracy, Zero Dark Thirty’s expertly-crafted and suspenseful tone makes it one of the more memorable war-adjacent films in recent memory.
5. Moneyball (2011)
Moneyball is an American sports drama written by Oscar-winning The Social Network screenwriter and movie legend Aaron Sorkin based on the 2003 nonfiction book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis. Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland A’s baseball team, endeavors to outsmart his contemporaries by signing players deemed “flawed’ by scouts. Pratt portrays Scott Hatteberg, first baseman and catcher for several MLB teams from 1995 to 2008. Moneyball was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
4. Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy is the tenth overall film in the MCU, written and directed by The Suicide Squad’s James Gunn. After they are incarcerated in an intergalactic prison, Chris Pratt's Earth-born adventurer Peter Quill (aka Star-Lord) is forced into a reluctant alliance with four misfit aliens to evade persecution from the ravenous conquerer Ronan. A bold departure from the more widely-known heroes of the MCU at that time, Guardians of the Galaxy helped to broaden the franchise by demonstrating the potential for lesser-known stories.
3. Her (2013)
Her is a science-fiction romantic drama written and directed by Being John Malkovich’s Spike Jonze. Heartbroken by a failed marriage, sensitive author Theodore becomes infatuated with a new intuitive operating system called “Samantha”. Though the bulk of the story centers around Joaquin Phoenix and the voice of Scarlett Johansson, Her’s supporting cast is packed with celebrities, including Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, and SNL alum Kristen Wiig. Her was nominated for five Academy Awards, with Jonze earning the award for Best Original Screenplay.
2. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War is the culmination of 10 years and 18 films in the complete MCU timeline. With the battle against Thanos finally at hand, the Avengers team up once again in an attempt to thwart his plans to destroy half of all life in the universe. Chris Pratt reprises his role as Star-Lord, ultimately dooming half of all life in the universe with an emotional outburst. Avengers: Infinity War is one of the most ambitious and meticulously planned films in history, paying off years' worth of rising action and leading to one of the most excruciating waits for a sequel in recent memory.
1. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame marks the end of an era in the MCU, bringing an end to a story more than a decade in the making. Five years after the ending of Infinity War, the remaining Avengers must travel through time to gather the Infinity Stones and bring back all the lives lost to Thanos. Chris Pratt appears as Star-Lord for the fourth time, adding to the wealth of MCU characters who appear in the film. Avengers: Endgame is one of the most remarkable and significant films in history, both in regard to its narrative and its production, operating on a scale heretofore unseen which is unlikely to be seen again in the foreseeable future.