Despite being in the industry for some time, Chris Pratt truly found fame when he starred as Andy Dwyer in NBC’s Parks and Recreation, one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time. From there, he went on to do films like Jennifer’s Body, The Moneyball, The Lego Movie, and finally his biggest role yet – Star-Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Now, Chris Pratt is one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood and has fans all around the globe. However, his road to success was not one without obstacles. For starters, he used to live out of a van while he waited tables in Hawaii. Apparently, this was not a pleasant time for the actor as he stated that he would rather sell dog food than go back to working as a waiter.
No More Waiting Tables for Chris Pratt
In an interview with The Talks, Chris Pratt opened up about the time in his life when he used to wait tables at Maui, Hawaii’s Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Before he reached Hawaii, he worked as a salesman but absolutely despised the job and “retired” from it when he was nineteen.
His best friend did him the favor of buying a one-way ticket to Maui when Pratt was homeless. The actor says that it was a charming time given the circumstances. He worked minimal hours, which were enough to buy him food, gas, and fishing supplies.
He stated,
I was a salesman for a couple of years, but I was busted and broke and hated it, so I retired when I was 19 and one of my best friends, still my best friend to this day, bought me a one-way ticket to Maui where he had been living since high school. It is a pretty awesome and epic place to be homeless. It would be different if I lived on the streets of Chicago and ate garbage from the dumpster…
We just camped, smoked a bunch of weed, and drank and worked minimal hours, like 15 -20 hours a week, just enough to cover gas and food and fishing supplies. I don’t think it would be so cool if I was 35 and still living there, but it was charming at the time. We were truly living the dream; it was awesome.
There, he picked up a job as a waiter. This time, from his past, does not bring back happy memories for the actor as he stated that he would sell dog food and do commercials for herpes medication but wouldn’t go back to working as a waiter.
I would sell dog food, I don’t care. I would do a commercial for fucking herpes medication if you wanted me to – gladly! Just as long as I didn’t have to wait tables again.
However, if it wasn’t for this little job in Maui, Pratt may never have gotten to where he is now.
Everything Happens for a Reason
While waiting tables at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Pratt came across Canadian actress Rae Dawn Chong who he instantly recognized. Chong has been in plenty of iconic projects including The Color Purple, Commando, That’s So Raven, and more.
Luckily for Pratt, she was hiring for her directorial debut, Cursed Part III at the time. The actor quickly charmed her and secured a part in the film for himself.
He told Entertainment Weekly,
I was like, ‘You’re in the movies, right? I always wanted to be in the movies. She said, ‘You’re cute. Do you act?’ I was like, f— it, ‘Goddamn right I act! Put me in a movie!’
Talking about Pratt, Chong told the publication that “he was a joy on set” and her film “sucked,” the Guardians of the Galaxy actor “was awesome.”
Despite the film’s failure, Pratt knew that this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, and thus began his journey to stardom. A journey that has paid off very well, if we may say so. Clearly, Pratt owes all of this to his best friend who helped him reach Maui.
