Chris Pratt Uses ASL To Apologize Ahead Of ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2’ Premiere
Chris Pratt used American Sign Language to apologize for a social media faux pas that had many of his fans calling him out for being insensitive. The normally down to earth Pratt once again showed a humble side as he shared a special message on his Instagram.
Pratt’s social media generally isn’t so serious. Chris has been sharing a special series he calls “What’s my snack” in more recent weeks in which he shares a video of what odd concoction he is eating on his special diet to keep action film fit. And last year while promoting Passengers with Jennifer Lawrence, Pratt humorously kept cutting her out of his selfies. But when it came to his sense of humor this time, Pratt took a tumble.
According to The Mighty, the now deleted Facebook message that got everyone’s ire up had Pratt promoting his Guardians of the Galaxy sequel but Chris jokingly chastised the use of subtitles and asked viewers to “turn up their volume” before removing the subtitles altogether. Pratt’s fans pointed out that while subtitles can be annoying, for the hearing impaired they are a necessity especially when it comes to watching films.
The mistake was obviously an oversight by Pratt who is generally sensitive to the needs of others. Chris Pratt is known for frequently visiting various children’s hospitals, often donning his Star Lord Guardians of the Galaxy costume and has been commended for his charitable work with the March of Dimes and The Boys and Girls Club.
In 2014, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Pratt even helped a 12-year-old with brain cancer raise $92,000 for his medical care by tweeting out to fans and asking them to donate and buy t-shirts.
Pratt is especially sensitive after his son Jack was born prematurely and he and his wife Anna Faris were warned by doctors that their son might have special needs. Defying the odds, Jack Pratt has actually shown normal cognitive development and has only required glasses and eye surgery.
While Chris Pratt’s joke may have been in poor taste, his apology was pure class. Academy Award winning actress Marlee Matlin, who is deaf, commended Pratt for acknowledging his mistake and calling on followers to challenge Instagram to add closed captioning to their video service.
Dear @prattprattpratt. Your sensitivity towards 38 million Deaf and HOH ppl has touched us deeply. I would love the opportunity to chat. https://t.co/OmjWGFrsn3
— Marlee Matlin (@MarleeMatlin) May 4, 2017
Pratt also received a shout out from model, actor, and Dancing with the Stars Season 22 winner Nyle DiMarco, who is also deaf.
Pratt!! As Deaf person, love your recent post on IG
Thank you from me & 70m deaf people worldwidehttps://t.co/s04lGCsqgg@prattprattpratt
— Nyle DiMarco (@NyleDiMarco) May 4, 2017
It seems like most people were understanding that despite being a huge star, Pratt is indeed only human and therefore makes mistakes. Just a few weeks ago, Chris made a remark in an interview with a men’s health magazine in which he stated that he was frustrated that “blue collar” America often wasn’t represented by Hollywood. Pratt took to Twitter immediately following the publishing of that article stating, “That was actually a pretty stupid thing to say. I’ll own that. There’s a ton of movies about blue collar America.”
Chris Pratt’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 opens in the United States this weekend and is expected to be another blockbuster at the box office. According to Variety, it is expected to pull in at least $150 million in its U.S. box office debut. Chris is currently filming the sequel to another hugely success film franchise, Jurassic World.
[Featured Image by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Disney.]
