Chris Pratt

 (born June 21, 1979 in Virginia, Minnesota) is an American actor prominently starring in both television and Hollywood films. His most well-known roles include in the, Owen Grady in the ' trilogy, and  in ', and he has provided voice work for  in ' and its 2019  (alongside Charlie Day) and Barley Lightfoot in ’s 2020 film '. 2014 is often cited as the turning point when Pratt became a leading actor in the American film industry.

Early years
Pratt was born in Virginia, Minnesota on June 21, 1979. At age seven, Pratt and his family relocated to Lake Stevens, Washington. During his high school days, Pratt excelled in wrestling and as a shot put for a track team. He graduated high school in 1997. After dropping out of community college, Pratt worked as a door-to-door ticket salesman and a daytime stripper. He ended up homeless in Maui, Hawaii. At age 19, Pratt worked as a waiter for a Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.

Acting
At the time of his last odd job at Bubba Gump, Pratt was approached by Rae Dawn Chong, who offered Pratt a spot for her film Cursed Part 3. In 2011, Pratt portrayed Scott Hatteberg in Moneyball, which was based on a true story of the 2002 Oakland Athletics baseball team.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie
In 2021, Pratt was revealed as the voice actor of Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie co-produced by Illumination and scheduled for release in 2023, with Mario's regular actor Charles Martinet appearing in unknown cameo appearances. After the announcement was made public, Pratt states that voicing Mario had been his childhood wish; in an Instagram video, he relates that he once stole a quarter from a wishing well in order to play a Mario arcade game at a nearby coin-operated laundromat, which he believes had an influence on his wish coming true.