Chris Pratt went from playing a funny sidekick on TV to becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars. His journey to the top is filled with exciting roles, huge blockbusters, and a few surprises along the way.
Whether he’s saving the galaxy or running from dinosaurs, Pratt always brings energy and charm to every character he plays. Get ready to look back at the movies that made him a household name.
1. Moneyball (2011)
Before the superhero suits and dinosaur wrangling, Chris Pratt showed real acting chops in Moneyball. He played Scott Hatteberg, a real-life baseball player trying to prove himself after a career-threatening injury.
Sharing the screen with Brad Pitt was no small thing, and Pratt handled it with quiet confidence.
Critics and fans noticed his natural, grounded performance. It was a clear sign that this guy had much more to offer than just laughs.
2. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Zero Dark Thirty is one of the most intense war films ever made, and Chris Pratt earned his spot in it. He played a Navy SEAL in director Kathryn Bigelow’s gripping account of the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
It was a serious, no-nonsense role that proved he could hold his own in heavyweight company.
The film won an Academy Award, and being part of that project gave Pratt’s resume a major boost at just the right time.
3. Her (2013)
Not many people remember that Chris Pratt showed up in Spike Jonze’s Oscar-winning film Her, but his supporting role was charming. He played Paul, a coworker of Joaquin Phoenix’s lonely character, bringing some lightness to an otherwise melancholy story.
It was a small part, but Pratt made it count.
Her proved he could blend into serious, artistic projects without stealing the spotlight unnecessarily. Sometimes knowing when to hold back is just as impressive as a big performance.
4. The Lego Movie (2014)
Everything is awesome, especially this career moment for Chris Pratt. He voiced Emmet Brickowski, an ordinary Lego construction worker who discovers he might be the most extraordinary person in the universe.
The film was a massive hit, earning over 469 million dollars worldwide and winning over critics who expected very little from a movie about toy bricks.
Pratt’s warm, goofy voice work gave Emmet real heart. It opened the door to a whole new world of animated blockbusters for him.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Few movie moments hit as hard as Chris Pratt strutting through an alien temple to “Come and Get Your Love” at the start of Guardians of the Galaxy. That scene alone told audiences everything they needed to know about Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord.
This was the role that turned Pratt from a beloved TV actor into a genuine movie star overnight.
The film earned over 770 million dollars globally. It remains one of Marvel’s most beloved origin stories, and Pratt is the beating heart of it all.
6. Jurassic World (2015)
Following up Guardians of the Galaxy was always going to be a challenge, but Jurassic World showed Chris Pratt was more than a one-franchise wonder. Playing raptor trainer Owen Grady, he brought a rugged, old-school action hero energy to the beloved dinosaur franchise.
The movie smashed box office records, pulling in over 1.6 billion dollars worldwide.
Owen Grady became one of Pratt’s most iconic characters. His chemistry with the raptors, especially Blue, gave the film a surprisingly emotional core.
7. The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Chris Pratt traded his space helmet for a cowboy hat in this star-studded Western remake. Alongside Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke, he played Josh Farraday, a card-playing gunslinger with a quick trigger and a quicker sense of humor.
The role showed off his natural charisma in a classic genre setting.
Westerns are notoriously hard to pull off in modern cinema. Pratt made his character feel fresh and fun, proving his range goes far beyond science fiction and superhero films.
8. Passengers (2016)
Passengers put Chris Pratt in a completely different kind of spotlight. He starred alongside Jennifer Lawrence in this science fiction drama about two people who wake up 90 years too early on a spaceship headed to a distant colony.
The film stirred up real debate because of its morally complicated storyline.
Whatever audiences thought of the plot, Pratt’s performance was genuinely compelling. He carried the emotional weight of the story with honesty, showing he could handle complex, flawed characters with skill.
9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Returning as Peter Quill in the sequel gave Chris Pratt the chance to go deeper into his most beloved character. Vol. 2 explored Peter’s complicated relationship with his biological father, Ego, played by Kurt Russell.
It was more emotionally rich than the first film, and Pratt rose to every dramatic challenge the story threw at him.
The ending hit audiences right in the feelings. Pratt delivered some of his finest acting in the MCU during those final scenes, earning widespread praise from fans and critics.
10. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War brought together almost every Marvel hero ever put on screen, and Star-Lord played a pivotal, unforgettable role. Pratt’s Peter Quill had one of the most emotionally devastating moments in the entire film, a scene that fans still argue about years later.
Love him or blame him, his character’s actions drove the story forward in a major way.
Being part of the biggest superhero crossover in cinema history was a milestone. Infinity War became one of the highest-grossing films ever made.
11. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Owen Grady was back, and this time the stakes were even higher. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom took the action off the island and into creepy mansion territory, giving the franchise a surprisingly dark horror-movie feel.
Pratt anchored the chaos with his reliable screen presence and genuine affection for his raptor companion Blue.
The film earned over 1.3 billion dollars worldwide, confirming that audiences would follow Pratt and his dinosaurs just about anywhere. His commitment to the role never wavered, even when the plot went wild.
12. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame is the biggest superhero movie ever made, earning over 2.7 billion dollars at the global box office. Star-Lord’s appearance in the final battle gave fans the closure they desperately needed after Infinity War’s gut-punch ending.
Pratt showed up fully committed, even in a film absolutely packed with star power.
Being part of Endgame is something very few actors in Hollywood can claim. For Pratt, it cemented his place in movie history as one of Marvel’s most essential characters.
13. Onward (2020)
Pixar’s Onward gave Chris Pratt another chance to shine in animation, this time voicing Barley Lightfoot, an enthusiastic older brother obsessed with magic and fantasy role-playing games. The film is a surprisingly moving story about brotherhood, loss, and growing up.
Pratt brought genuine warmth and lovable goofiness to Barley that made the character instantly endearing.
Even though Onward released during the early days of the pandemic, it found a devoted fanbase. Many viewers called it one of Pixar’s most underrated emotional journeys.
14. The Tomorrow War (2021)
Chris Pratt didn’t just star in The Tomorrow War, he also served as an executive producer, showing a new side of his ambitions in Hollywood. The film follows a teacher drafted into a future war against terrifying alien creatures, blending family drama with explosive action sequences.
Amazon Prime Video released it and it became one of the platform’s most-watched originals.
Pratt’s everyman quality worked perfectly for the lead role. Watching an ordinary guy step up to save humanity felt believable because of how grounded he kept the performance.
15. Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
Jurassic World Dominion closed the book on Chris Pratt’s time as Owen Grady, bringing together both the original Jurassic Park cast and the newer generation of characters for one final adventure. Seeing Pratt share the screen with Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, and Sam Neill was a genuine treat for longtime fans of the franchise.
Owen’s arc across three films gave Pratt one of his most complete character journeys in Hollywood. It was a satisfying goodbye to a role that helped define his career.
16. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Voicing the world’s most famous video game character is no small responsibility, and Chris Pratt took it on with gusto. The Super Mario Bros.
Movie became a massive global hit, earning over 1.3 billion dollars at the box office and delighting both kids and adults who grew up playing Nintendo games. Some fans debated the casting, but the film’s wild success spoke for itself.
Pratt gave Mario an upbeat, determined spirit that fit the character well. It stands as one of the most commercially successful animated films of all time.