Chris Pratt has recalled how he was living in a van in Hawaii and had about $60 to his name before landing his first film role. He was working as a waiter at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company when director Rae Dawn Chong visited the restaurant, he shared in an Instagram post alongside a photo from Cursed Part 3.
Pratt said he approached Chong and asked whether she was a movie star. After she asked if he could act, he told her he wanted to be in her film. He did not have a phone number, so he gave her the number of his friend Mike instead.
Chong called a few days later and asked Pratt to collect the script. He said he read its 120 pages three times, memorized it before his audition and was offered the role of Devon. When Chong told him production would take him to Los Angeles, Pratt said he had only a bag of clothes and a pair of rollerblades to go with his $60.
Pratt described the low-budget horror comedy as the opportunity that opened the door to Hollywood. He said he remains grateful to Chong for taking a chance on him.
He later became known for roles including Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy and Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation.
Sources: Page Six.