Los Angeles [US], October 30 (ANI): Actor Chris Pratt has recalled how a chance encounter with actor Rae Dawn Chong while working at a restaurant in Maui opened the doors to Hollywood for him, revealing that he nearly missed his first acting opportunity because he did not own a telephone, according to E! News.
In an Instagram post shared, the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ star recounted his early days working at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. in Maui, Hawaii, where he met Chong, who offered him an opportunity to audition for a film.
“One day, the incredible Rae Dawn Chong walked into the restaurant, and naturally, I went up to her table and said, ‘Hey, you’re a movie star! What are you doing here?'” Pratt recalled, according to E! News.
He said Chong, daughter of comedian and actor Tommy Chong, asked whether he could act, to which he enthusiastically responded, “yeah, put me in your movie!”
However, when Chong asked for his phone number, Pratt found himself in an unusual situation as he was living out of a van and did not have a telephone.
“The only problem was I didn’t have one,” Pratt revealed. “So I gave her my buddy Mike’s number instead. A couple days later, Mike casually mentions, ‘Oh, by the way, someone called you.’ ARE YOU KIDDING ME, MIKE?!”
Pratt said he immediately contacted Chong, who assured him that the acting opportunity was genuine.
“I drove over to pick up the script, went back to Mike’s house, and read all 120 pages three times in a row,” the 47-year-old actor said.
Recalling his excitement at reading his first-ever film script, Pratt said his character was named Devon and he believed he could portray the role.
“My character’s name was Devon, and I remember thinking, ‘Sweet! I could totally play a Devon!'” he said.
Despite being offered the role, Pratt faced another challenge as he had very little money and was unsure how he would travel from Hawaii to Los Angeles.
“I had about USD 60 to my name, a bag of clothes, and some rollerblades,” he recalled, according to E! News.
However, Chong informed him that the production team would arrange his flight to Los Angeles, a moment Pratt described as life-changing.
“Then Rae told me they’d fly me out. And I remember thinking right then and there, my life just changed forever. I’m going to be an actor,” he said.
The film that marked Pratt’s first acting opportunity was ‘Cursed Part 3’, a low-budget horror comedy that he credited with opening the doors to Hollywood.
Pratt expressed gratitude towards Chong for recognising his potential when he was working at the restaurant.
“I’ll forever be grateful to Rae for taking a chance on a kid working at a shrimp restaurant,” he said, adding, “Everybody starts somewhere, and this is where it all began for me.”
The actor has previously spoken about his modest beginnings, including the time he spent living in a van painted with a ‘Scooby-Doo’ design.
In a Facebook post in 2014, Pratt shared a photograph of the vehicle, writing, “Can’t believe I found this picture!!! That is the van I lived in!!! In my hand is the script for the movie that got me out of Maui. Crazy,” according to E! News.
Pratt, who has established himself in Hollywood through films such as the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ franchise, shares three children, Lyla, Eloise and Ford, with his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger. He also has a son, Jack, from his previous marriage to actor Anna Faris. (ANI)
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