Picture this – a room of 25 bloggers and in walks Chris Pratt to talk about his role as Star-Lord in the latest Guardians of the Galaxy film. Of course, the room erupts in cheers and applause – and Chris loves it. I have interviewed him before, while on the set of GotG Vol 2, so I knew this was going to be a lot of fun. He is so enthusiastic and such a great guy.

Reading the Script

We had all just seen the movie for the first time the night before, so we were still trying to wrap our heads around it. Chris was asked if that was his first time seeing it as well, and he let us know he first saw it a week and a half earlier, and that the premiere was his second time watching it.

“I was so relieved when I saw it because [it]is exactly how the script read. When I read the script, I knew it was good, but there’s so much stuff that can happen between reading the script, and then watching the movie. There’s so many moving parts – some of which I’m responsible for – so, I was like, please still be good. I was just relieved to see that the movie was as good as the script.“

I didn’t get to read the script obviously, but I can tell you that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is incredible and a must see. I am going to put it out there that it is the best film of the year. We then discussed some “spoiler” type things that I refuse to reveal to you as I don’t want to ruin the film. What I will say is that when Chris read certain things in the script, he said “the concept was mind blowing.” And that is basically how I felt about it too.

“It’s a very contemporary story, and there’s a lot of kids that are gonna relate to that, whose dads weren’t around. And who have another man in their life who’s been responsible for raising them. It was so great when James [Gunn] told me the whole script when we sat down a couple years ago.“

Yup, you read that right. James Gunn sat Chris down and told him the whole story of volume 2 before they started filming. Chris was the first person to hear it (and spoiler alert – he says he cried at the end because it was so Shakespearean!). Chris told us that James asked him what he thought about it – and if he was willing to go there with the character. Chris’ response? “Are you crazy? Yes! Please, it’s amazing.” Naturally we all wanted to know if James would be sitting Chris down to talk volume 3 with him – and Chris admitted he already knows some of it! And the look on his face said it all, it’s going to be good guys!

Getting in Character

There is a certain scene in the film where Peter Quill is mad – and I mean MAD! We asked Chris how he got to that point and if he channeled any real life experiences to find that anger.

“That’s something that for me as an actor is one of the hardest things for me to do – channel anger – because I do it so rarely in my real life. Not saying that that’s healthy. For me to look someone in the eye and yell at them, tell them what they did to me, that they wronged me, that I’m pissed off, that type of thing is not something I do that often. So, it was hard for me to get there. [That scene] was actually not as emotional for me as it was kinda practical. Creating a center, creating a loud voice – James really helps me with that stuff. It’s a lot about heightening your energy, and grounding it, and being direct. That’s something that doesn’t come that natural to me.“

Well he pulled it off guys because, trust me, he looks PISSED in that scene. I remember when I was on the set of Guardians of the Galaxy, I saw him jumping up and down and yelling to himself about what was going on in that scene to get himself pumped. That was a really cool thing to watch and I won’t ever forget it.

Working with Kurt Russell

As you know, Kurt Russell plays Ego, Peter’s father, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Kurt is a living legend and so we were all curious what Chris thought about working with him.

“Everyone on my team, everyone who’s been hanging out with him, they [all say]he’s such a great dude. And, he really is. I’ve heard a few people say ‘It really feels like you guys could be father and son.‘ We share a lot of the same passions. He’s a really cool guy. He’s a really open book – [you]definitely know where you stand with him. Obviously he’s this iconic dude, who I’ve known about for decades before he ever knew I existed. So, there’s always that strange moment when you meet someone and you’re a big fan, you feel like you have to tell him, because otherwise you try to build a friendship and it’s a little inauthentic. You just say, ‘Listen, I have to get this part out of the way, but I love you so much. You’re the best. You’re the best. You’ve always been the best.‘ And [Kurt] goes, ‘Yeah, I know. Thanks.‘“

Improv on the Set

We all know from the first film that Peter Quill is hilarious. He is quick witted and has some great one liners (much like I imagine Chris is in his every day life). We asked him if there is any improve he did on set that actually made it into the film. Chris explained to us that James really knows his voice now and writes in things that sound like improv he would come up with. There was one line that came to mind though – it doesn’t give anything away but I won’t tell you the exact line. It has to do with something between his legs though.

Chris went on to tell us

“We’d done that scene a bunch of times and they had to do it again because they needed to get something else. So I knew they already had the line that was written, and that’s my room to play. [They’re] gonna throw this take away anyways, I’m just gonna say whatever I want. That’s what I said [and James]was like, ‘Yeah, yeah it wasn’t that funny.‘ And then he put it in the movie.“

I am really glad that he did put it in the movie, because it was perfect and the entire theater cracked up when Star-Lord said it.

What’s My Snack?

If you follow Chris on Instagram (@PrattPrattPratt) then you know he does this thing where he makes “What’s My Snack” videos about his snacks! Someone asked Chris what Peter Quill’s favorite snack is – and what his personal favorite snack is as well. We had no idea this would lead to a fun Easter Egg!

“Peter Quill’s shirt in the movie – that’s his favorite snack. That’s actually a label from the first movie – there was some candy on the table and I’m eating some of the candy. I don’t know if that ever made it in the movie, but James really loved the label. The art department had gone the lengths of creating this language, and creating a label for some candy. He put that label on the shirt.“

Ever since seeing the shirt for the first time, I was actually wondering what it said – so I was happy to get that question answered. As for Chris, his favorite snacks is one of my favorites too – sausage, cheese, and crackers – that sort of thing. Chris says he could just live on it, and I could too!

Advice on Weight Loss

Most people know that Chris has lost a lot of weight over the years. We asked him if he had any weight loss tips or tricks that he used and how he “flipped the switch”. Just as expected, Chris was really honest with us. He let us know that he is “pretty careful” about when he reveals himself to the public.

“I keep close to what I need to be, but I have to live my life as well. So, when I do a shirtless scene, or I do a magazine cover, or I do a photoshoot that I know is gonna get a lot of press, then I dial it in so that I can take a good picture. All my eating habits and diet fitness habits are – it’s very shallow of me, but hey – they’re very much based around how I’m gonna put myself out there. So, don’t be hard on yourself if you lose weight and can’t keep it off. “

He then went on to share something that works well for him. He said he does not set a goal weight, but rather a goal time.

“My goal is six months. It’s like six months of consistency. Go to the gym, or do something every day for six months. I just did it a couple weeks ago where I had a photoshoot for Men’s Fitness – I made that my goal. I worked hard for weeks and weeks and weeks – I got in great shape – I felt good – I did the photo. And like three days later I put on 20 pounds.“

Balancing Family & Work

Chris is a family man with a beautiful wife and adorable son. As a busy mom, I know that it can be hard to juggle my work and my time with the kids and my husband. Someone asked Chris how he does it. He was really happy to be asked that question as usually the woman is asked, but never the man. He had a great response too.

“I think you don’t have to be present to be a presence – [especially]with technology now, Facetime, little things like that. Checking in every day, and nurturing your relationship with your spouse – not making it just about the kids is important. We were just in London, and I hadn’t seen them in a while, but they got to come visit me, and stay with me for a few weeks. [Anna and I] took a weekend trip for ourselves to go to Paris, and left Jack behind. It was good for us to be out there by ourselves. So, I think, prioritize, and make lists, and probably you’re gonna fail some of the time. Do your best. “

As I am sure you can tell, Chris Pratt is very real. He is a class act and I loved my time chatting with him. After the interview, he even came over to me to check out my Guardians of the Galaxy tattoo that I am in the process of getting. He told me to save my other arm for Volume 3 – and I just might have to do that!

See Chris as Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 on 5/5!

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