When Marvel came knocking in 2013, sitcom star Chris Pratt committed to undergoing a major physical transformation to join the superhero film franchise.
Chris entertained audiences for years in the 2010s on the comedy series Parks and Recreation, for which he gained weight to play the lovable Andy Dwyer.
"I slowly realised the more I morphed into slightly more clownish, fatter, sweatier, I was getting more laughs and that’s when – as I was still trying to navigate my career and pay the bills – I thought, ‘Maybe this is the niche, maybe this is how I get paid, to play this guy," Chris previously said, as per The Independent.
But when he appeared on screens a year after the sitcom wrapped in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, the actor looked completely different with a shredded physique. He's since reinvented himself from the comedic relief role to a star of the action genre, becoming a leading man in the Jurassic Park revival films, Jurassic World.
"A huge part of how my career has shifted is based simply on the way that I look, on the way that I’ve shaped my body to look," he previously told Radio Four’s Front Row.
See his transformation over the years in pictures.
© NBC/ YouTubeChris starred on Parks and Recreation from 2009 to 2015.
The actor told Men's Health in 2022 that he was "pretty unhealthy" during his time on the show.
"I can’t believe I would eat five cheeseburgers for lunch. I lived in a constant state of ‘Oh, god. I’m freaking sick. I’ve eaten so much.’ And that was happiness at that time."
© WireImageWhile still on the sitcom, Chris, who is pictured here in 2009, got into shape to play a baseball star in the 2011 film Moneyball and a U.S. Navy SEAL operator a year later in Zero Dark Thirty.
"I'd gone back and forth, lost weight for Moneyball, got fat again, then trimmed down for Zero Dark Thirty, then gained it all back again for Andy," he told Men's Health.
"That's when I saw Zero Dark Thirty and right after walking out I was like, "I'm going to get in shape and I'm never going to be fat again."'
The actor admitted he was "impotent, fatigued, emotionally depressed".
"I had real health issues that were affecting me in a major way. It's bad for your heart, your skin, your system, your spirit."
© Instagram/ @prattprattprattChris was cast as sassy superhero Star Lord in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy in 2013. The actor shared this photo of himself at the gym in July 2013 on Instagram, revealing he had gone "six months no beer".
According to the star in a video interview for Men's Health, getting into shape for the Marvel film was the "hardest" transformation he had to undergo "because I had the furthest to go."
He was around 300 pounds prior to the film and lost approximately 60 pounds in six months to get into shape for the action flick.
© WireImageThe star is pictured here in 2014 on the red carpet at the Guardians of the Galaxy premiere.
According to Men's Health, Chris was paired with a personal trainer and nutritionist for his health journey. He revamped his diet, drank lots of water, and worked out regularly, doing swimming, boxing and kickboxing.
"I actually lost weight by eating more food, but eating the right food, eating healthy foods and so when I was done with the movie, my body hadn't been in starvation mode," he told People Magazine.
© Universal Pictures/ YouTubeChris signed on for another action role in 2015 for the Jurassic Park sequel, Jurassic World. He went on to play former U.S. Navy veteran and Velociraptor handler Owen Grady for two more films after that, wrapping up his role in the franchise in 2022.
British trainer Simon Waterson helped the actor build and maintain muscle mass for his physical appearance in the films.
According to Inside Hook, the trainer worked with Chris on regular weight training sessions. "There was a track that we would work at where I would set up a number of agility drills based on the sequences in the movie," he told the publication.
© Instagram/ @prattprattprattFollowing the success of the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, Chris has been a regular fixture in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He returned for a sequel in 2017 and joined an all-star cast in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. He then returned in 2023 for the third Guardians of the Galaxy film to complete the trilogy.
Chris maintained his fit figure for the most recent superhero instalment, as you can see in this behind-the-scenes photo of him on set alongside his co-star, Dave Bautista.
© Justin Lubin/PrimeChris has taken up various different action roles over the years, including last year's thriller The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, in which he reprised his 2022 TV role as Navy SEAL Lieutenant James Reece.
The actor shared a behind-the-scenes look at the cast all busy in the gym in August 2025, which included boxing and weights in the workout rotation.
The Terminal List is returning for a second season in October 2026, so expect more action from the star.
