Chris Pratt is now one of the most bankable names in the industry after back-to-back successful films in the last few years. The actor has starred in some of the biggest franchises including the MCU and the Jurassic World. His winning streak has continued since 2022 and with the recent box office success of Garfield The Movie, Pratt continues to flex his amazing star power.
The talented actor’s breakthrough role was undoubtedly Andy Dwyer in NBC’s Parks and Recreation. The fan-favorite character is this chubby and lovable guy who worked in the titular department under Nick Offerman’s Ron Swanson. The Star Lord actor once achieved a superhuman feat in an effort to make Offerman laugh during takes.
Chris Pratt Shockingly Ate 16 Pork Ribs For One Scene in Parks and Recreations
Chris Pratt and Nick Offerman starred in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. Pratt’s Andy Dwyer always tries to please Offerman’s Ron Swanson who is known for his deadpan personality and a strict person. The duo’s awkward and chaotic chemistry led to some of the biggest laughs on the show, with Pratt always being a standout.
Pratt had some input for his character and suggested to series creator Michael Schur that he wanted to gain around 30-40 pounds, to which he agreed. One way in which he tried to achieve that during shoots was consuming as much as possible, including eating 16 ribs in one day. Pratt recalled how he ate such a shocking number in an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
The Guardians of the Galaxy star revealed that he consumed 12 ribs for a scene shot in a restaurant. As he had no dialogue, he decided to attract the attention of the camera crew by eating a rib per take. They did 12 takes and Pratt ate 12 ribs for each take, which he did because Offerman would laugh in every take seeing Pratt eating them. Later on at lunch, Pratt sat next to Offerman and ate another 4 ribs (total of 16), which got another big laugh from him. The actor said,
I decided I would eat one rack of ribs per take. And if the camera happened to catch me, I would absolutely be inhaling ribs. I went through 12 takes, I went through 12 racks of ribs, which is the equivalent of six pigs. If I can make [Offerman] laugh, it tickles me to no end.
And so I knew it was making Nick laugh. I was making myself sick. And then at lunch, because our catering company was creating the ribs, they cooked ribs. I sat down with another four racks of ribs next to Nick. And ate the ribs, and I got a big laugh. I gave myself a food coma.
The Passengers star also does a hilarious yet surprisingly accurate impression of Offerman laughing at him eating the ribs. His funny anecdote left audiences in splits including Kimmel. The cast was indeed having a ball shooting the beloved sitcom and Pratt seems to be the ultimate prankster on set.
The Parks and Recreation Cast Greatly Bonded on Set And Had a Lively Atmosphere
Hollywood is an unpredictable place and making movies/shows with different people might bring varying results. The cast may not get along or creative differences may occur between them and the makers which leads to a nightmarish production. A sitcom like Parks and Recreation had a large group of actors playing pivotal roles.
For the cast of Parks and Recreation, it was a greatly enjoyable set where the actors truly bonded with each other. In an interview with Sirius XM, Chris Pratt revealed that the show had a happy set and it was far from any kind of feuds that are often heard in other Hollywood productions. He said (via Entertainment Weekly),
It was a really happy set. It’s so rare, I think. You hear horror stories of, you know, separate base camps and, like, these feuds going on that never bleed into the storytelling but made the process of making the show a nightmare. And it was the exact opposite for [us]… It couldn’t have been more different for us.
Pratt is still remembered for his iconic role in the show and audiences continue to discover and appreciate the show’s brilliance and comedic flair. He recently voiced Garfield in The Garfield Movie and will next star in Netflix’s The Electric State and Amazon’s Mercy.
Fans can watch Parks and Recreation on Peacock.
