He also appeared in The WB drama series Everwood (2002–2006) and had supporting roles in the films Wanted (2008), Jennifer's Body (2009), Moneyball (2011), Zero Dark Thirty (2012), and Her (2013).

He played Star-Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), and portrayed Owen Grady in the Jurassic World trilogy (2015–2022).

Pratt's other starring roles include the films The Magnificent Seven (2016), Passengers (2016), The Tomorrow War (2021), and the action thriller television series The Terminal List (2022).

[11] He later recalled that when his wrestling coach asked him what he wished to do with his life, he said, "'I don't know, but I know I'll be famous and I know I'll make a shit ton of money.'

[12] Pratt dropped out of community college halfway through the first semester and, after working as a discount ticket salesman and daytime stripper, he ended up homeless in Maui, Hawaii, sleeping in a van and a tent on the beach.

[15] When Pratt was age 19, he waited tables at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company restaurant in Maui when he was discovered by actress and director Rae Dawn Chong.

He was initially told that he was too fat to play Hatteberg, as he had gained 40 pounds (18 kg), which Pratt attributed to the cooking of his then-girlfriend, actress Anna Faris.

In Moneyball, he played a dramatic role as a father and dejected baseball player who once feared his career was over and who had the difficult task of learning a new defensive position.

[22] While Pratt had been known to this point for playing supporting characters[4] and he was best known for his character on Parks and Recreation, 2014 marked a turning point in his career when he headlined two major studio films: Emmet Brickowski in The Lego Movie,[4][13] which grossed $469.1 million;[23] and Peter Quill / Star-Lord in Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy, which grossed $773.3 million.

[24][25] Pratt had initially turned down the role of Peter Quill, explaining he did not "want another Captain Kirk or Avatar moment" (after humbling auditions for both).

Pratt also won over Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, despite having gained weight again for the comedy film Delivery Man.

[28] Bruce Diones of The New Yorker noted, "Pratt, overflowing with charisma, plays the leader of the pack of misfits, and his blissed-out space cowboy (with a love for seventies music) is so full of good will that he buoys the film and its requisite whizbang special effects.

[34] His performance was praised, with Peter Travers of Rolling Stone stating that Pratt "ace[d] it as an action hero and invests his sexual banter with a comic flair the movie could have used more of.

[36] Although a commercial success,[37] the sequel received mixed reviews, with Brian Lowry of CNN criticizing the film for "largely neutralizing [...] Pratt's charm and comedic skills.

"[38] His next film role was as Josh Faraday, a gambler, in The Magnificent Seven, a remake of the 1960 Western with the same name, in which he starred alongside Denzel Washington.

[48] Its first project, The Terminal List, which stars and is executive produced by Pratt, was released on Amazon Prime Video on July 1, 2022.

[49] In March 2020, Pratt had a lead voice role in the Disney/Pixar animated feature film Onward, alongside his Avengers co-star Tom Holland.

[56][57][58] In November 2021, it was announced that he would be voicing the titular cat of the upcoming animated film The Garfield Movie, being directed by Mark Dindal from a script by David Reynolds.

[4] Pratt poked fun at his fluctuating physique in a musical number he performed during his monolog when he hosted the September 27, 2014, episode of Saturday Night Live.

[66][67] In 2007, on the set of Take Me Home Tonight, Pratt met actress Anna Faris, who played his love interest in the film.

[75] Pratt stated that the birth of his preterm son "really defined" his faith in God after both he and his wife "prayed a lot" as they were initially afraid of the baby's prognosis.

[93] Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn also defended Pratt, stating that he "know[s] the church he currently goes to" and scolded those wishing to have him recast as Star-Lord.

[94][95] Pratt referenced the controversy in a 2022 Men's Health interview while discussing his acceptance for MTV's Generation Award, in which speech he emphasizes to youth that God loves them.

He added that he still had a strong belief in God but was never a member of Hillsong, having chosen not to denounce them at the time so as not to "throw a church under the bus".

[97] In 2017, Pratt stated that he does not represent either side of the political spectrum and has expressed a desire to find common ground.

The donation was part of a fundraiser by Pratt and an organization to raise $650,000 to fight food insecurity amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.