Ahead of holding the household title of Star Lord, following his appearance in MCU, Chris Pratt had seen his fair share of struggling days. Looking for his big break after dropping out of community college, Pratt starred in his earliest, lesser-known roles in Rae Dawn Chong’s satirical horror short, Cursed: Part III.
Well, the story of Chris Pratt’s days as a struggling actor goes somewhat this way, wherein, he had a brief encounter with Rae Dawn Chong, who offered him the role in her movie, only to stuck the completed film in a drawer. Although the film neither helped Pratt in achieving fame nor otherwise, the actor was quite blunt about his first desperate gig, as an actor.
Chris Pratt’s First Acting Gig in Rae Dawn Chong’s Satirical Horror Short
Although Chris Pratt is currently known for his roles in MCU and Jurassic World movies, there was a time when Pratt had seen his struggling days. According to his 2017 interview with Vanity Fair, the actor had opened up on his initial days with odd jobs, after dropping out of community college. Pratt even admitted to working as a stripper, occasionally, and landing a job as a waiter in Hawai’i.
It was during Chris Pratt’s days as a waiter when he came across Canadian-American actress Rae Dawn Chong, and had a brief but exciting conversation with her, about a role. During his interview, Pratt re-enacted his encounter with the actress and recalled how he was later called for an audition in LA, and eventually landed a role in Chong’s directorial debut Cursed: Part III.
I’m your server Pratt enacted.
I’m Rae Dawn Chong
You’re a movie star, Pratt stated.
You’re cute. Do you act? Chong had asked.
F***, yeah, I act. Put me in a movie. Pratt revealed.
Following the conversation, Chris Pratt was asked to come to Los Angeles to audition. However, considering that he would have to pay for the flight tickets that he couldn’t afford back then, Pratt had almost declined the offer. Luckily, Rae Dawn Chong bought the tickets for him, and after the reading went well, Pratt landed the lead in the actress’ satirical horror short Cursed: Part III, which she had written and was directing.
Cursed: Part III was Indeed Cursed Since the Completed Film was Shelved
Made in 2000, Cursed: Part III was a unique project in the horror genre. In a clever twist, the film narrated the tale of a young aspiring filmmaker (Donna Mills), who aspired to create her own “Blair Witch Project”-style mockumentary. Although the concept probably had potential, Rae Dawn Chong’s movie eventually got cursed by the success of the 1999 film The Blair Witch Project.
Since the timing of Cursed: Part III was significant, coming in the wake of the massive success of The Blair Witch Project, which had captivated audiences with its innovative found-footage style, Rae Dawn Chong and Chris Pratt’s movie was thus shelved after completion. Despite its ambition and satirical edge, Chong had shoved the movie in the drawer, and the film became a victim of never securing a home video release.
Eventually, although Cursed: Part III found a new audience base, thanks to Eastern Video Productions, who made the 25-minute film, available online, Rae Dawn Chong’s attempt didn’t quite help Chris Pratt in the industry. The actor still had to struggle to find his big break, after Chong’s movie simply played the role of an acting gig for Pratt. Therefore, reflecting on his experience, the actor had bluntly dissed it as “the worst movie I’d ever seen”.
Although Cursed: Part III failed to offer Chris Pratt his desired break, it indeed offered fans a glimpse into the early days of the actor’s career. Thereafter, appearing in several minor roles, Pratt made his way into Hollywood and now continues to shine in blockbuster franchises.
Cursed: Part III is available on Vimeo.
