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Chris Pratt Reveals How He Got Into ‘Guardian’ Shape

By Rachel Kolman
Published on: 07:23 PST, Aug 3, 2014

Chris Pratt’s career has been skyrocketing, and rightly so. The comedy star is the new face of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, which has been seeing rave reviews and doing exceptionally well in its opening weekend. Pratt plays Peter Quill, aka “Star-Lord,” an unlikely thief-turned-leader who has as many comebacks as he does quick-shots.

“We’re seeing this new leading man that reminds me of someone like a Harrison Ford,” said Benicio Del Toro, Pratt’s co-star in Guardians. Which is a fair comparison, given the similarity of their character personalities set amongst a vast universe ripe for multiple films. Pratt knows he’s lucky to land the role he did, and isn’t taking any of it for granted, as he tells CNN:

“I came to Hollywood expecting to do everything but not really knowing what that looked like, so I was just as excited when I got my first commercial as I am now. I have enjoyed this entire journey, the whole time I have been at this. My enthusiasm has been turned up to 10 since about 2001 when I didn’t have to be a waiter anymore.”

One aspect that proves Chris’ dedication is his physical transformation, as the actor had to tone up and drop 70 pounds for the role. Chris, whose weight while he’s been on Parks and Recreation has varied from 220 to 290, was worried about even auditioning for the role, based on his size. “I was probably scared and thought I was too fat to play a superhero,” Chris admits.

Initially, Guardians director James Gunn agreed. “The chubby guy from ‘Parks and Rec’? Are you kidding me? There was no way,” Gunn says. But seeing Chris’s charisma and hidden ability turned him around. “He came in and within 20 seconds, I knew this was our guy. I just knew it in my gut.”

Chris knew the comedy part of the role would be no problem for him (“I have always prided myself in being a comedic person, it comes kind of easily to me,” he says), but it was the action-adventure stuff that worried him. “I had a hard time wrapping my head around that. That was a challenge for me.”

But Chris was able to pull it off wonderfully, as anyone with two working eyes can see: Chris is ripped in Guardians. “This time I did it right,” Chris says about his transformation.

“I worked with a nutritionist who was like, ‘Listen, you’re eating 2,000 calories a day. You need to be eating 4,000 calories a day. You need to keep your metabolism going.’ Now I can have a beer if I want to, or I can eat something bad if I want to, and I’m not going to immediately gain fat because I’m not starving myself. I’m just burning the fires really hot.”

Chris is certainly burning something hot indeed! Guardians of the Galaxy is open in theaters nationwide now.

[Image via GQ]

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