When you think of Chris Pratt, odds are you immediately think of either his role as Peter Quill in the Marvel Universe or his quirky-humored character of Andy Dwyer in the TV show Parks and Recreation. While those are both great roles, Pratt has actually starred in a number of films outside these renowned properties. Indeed, Pratt mostly dabbles in humorous roles that showcase his personality, but in the films where we get to see his comedy combined with action sequences, we get award-winning performances. With roles in sci-fi/fantasy films to Disney Animation films and starring as a LEGO character, Pratt’s filmography is extensive and combines his silly demeanor with edge-of-your-seat performances.
2022 and 2023 have been big years for Pratt with a number of films releasing with him starring in a major role including Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder, Jurassic World: Dominion, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. After seeing the success from Pratt over the last few years, it is time for fans to re-visit some of Chris Pratt’s best roles outside his many appearances in the MCU.
Updated on August 11th, 2023 by Timothy Lindsey: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
12 Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Zero Dark Thirty was an intriguing film for plenty of reasons. For starters, it follows the storyline of arguably the most horrific event in American history: 9/11. After the events of September 11th, the search began for the most wanted man on the planet, terrorist group leader Osama bin Laden.
In the film, Pratt plays the supporting role of DEVGRU Operator Justin Lenihan, a member of SEAL Team Six (the U.S. Navy's special operations force). The cast in the film is loaded. It includes Jessica Chastain, Kyle Chandler, Joel Edgerton, James Gandolfini, and Mark Strong. This is one of the roles that led to Pratt becoming Owen Grady in Jurassic World and Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. The film currently holds a score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
11 The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)
In The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, five years have passed since the Lego world was invaded by alien invaders. Emmet is his usual cheery self despite their hometown now being the site of an apocalypse. When his friends are taken, Emmet sets off into space where he meets Rex, another character voiced by Pratt, who is a galaxy-defending cowboy and raptor trainer. This character is a play on Pratt's most famous movie roles: Peter Quill from Guardians of the Galaxy and Owen from the Jurassic World series.
After a successful first movie, The Lego Movie 2 was released in 2019 featuring Pratt as the voice actor for two comedic characters. At this time in his life, Pratt had already become a household name, so when it came to modeling the character of Rex after someone, it was a no-brainer to model it after Pratt himself.
10 The Tomorrow War (2021)
In The Tomorrow War, time travelers from 2051 come to the present time to recruit present-day soldiers and civilians to help the future of humankind in their global war against an alien species. Time travelers need to bring the present's help into the future to assist the future and put themselves back in the war. Teacher and family man, Dan Forester, played by Pratt, is among those recruited. Dan wants to make the world a better place for his daughter, so he teams up with a scientist and his estranged father to try and rewrite the fate of the planet.
In this Amazon Original movie, Pratt once again gets to show off his fighting skills. Between the fighting sequences and the creature design, this movie embodies a compelling sci-fi movie. While the movie has been criticized for its unrealistic storyline, what it lacks in the plot is made up by the visuals and acting.
9 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Universal Pictures
Just released this year, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is one of the best animated films of Chris Pratt's career. Brothers Mario (Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are plumbers in Brooklyn, NY. After going to fix a water leak, they are sucked down a pipe and end up being separated. Mario ends up in the magical land of Mushroom Kingdom which is ruled by Princess Peach.
Luigi ends up in the Dark Lands which are ruled by Bowser (Jack Black). Bowser plans to marry Peach but will destroy the Mushroom Kingdom if she says no. With the help of Peach (Anya Joy-Taylor), Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen), Toad (Keegan Michael-Key), and others, Mario saves Luigi, and the two stop Bowser from inflicting his will on the Mushroom Kingdom. It is one of the great family films of the last year, and Pratt's humor is one of the great aspects of the film.
8 Moneyball (2011)
Fans finally got a chance to see Chris Pratt in a sports film when he took on the role of Scott Hatteberg in Moneyball (2011). Brad Pitt plays the role of Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane. This is a true story that takes place in 2002.
Beane, along with the help of front office guru Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), discovers a way to field a fantastic baseball team a year after losing their best players to other MLB teams. He finds cheaper, lesser-known players who can help fill the void left by those great players. Scott Hatteberg (Pratt) was one of those lesser-known players who was eventually signed by Beane to play first base. He ends up hitting a walk-off home run to give Oakland their then record-setting 20th consecutive win.
7 The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Seven gunmen from different backgrounds are recruited by a vengeful widow to protect their town from an Industrialist, played by Peter Sarsgaard, in The Magnificent Seven. These outlaws are hired gunmen, bounty hunters, and gamblers that have to find a way to work together and save the town.
In the 2016 film, Chris Pratt takes on the Wild West in an action-packed and humor-ridden movie. The film is a remake of the 1960s classic with Pratt's character based on the original character, Harry Luck. His gambling habits and explosive-obsessed personality gives viewers a new kind of Pratt.
6 Passengers (2016)
In Passengers, a group of people has elected to board a spaceship called Starship Avalon that is taking them to a new human colony on another planet. To get there, the guests are put in hibernation pods that freeze their bodies at the current stage and hold it for the entire 120-year journey. A ship malfunction wakes up Jim Preston 90 years too soon, leaving him alone with only a robot as his company. Jim falls for another passenger who is still in the pod and ultimately decides to wake her up, dooming her to die before they reach their destination just like him.
With a malfunctioning ship threatening to end their journey, can the two save the rest of the people and get them to safety? In this film, Pratt is one of three people, and one robot, that has a speaking role in the film. In fact, his character has the most lines followed closely by Jennifer Lawrence's character, Aurora. Though Passengers was met with controversy, to be able to hold your own in a film whose cast list can be counted on one hand is a true testament to his ability to hold one's attention.
5 Jurassic World (2015)
Pratt stars as Owen Grady in Jurassic World (2015), the first film of the Jurassic World trilogy and the fourth film of the Jurassic Park series. Grady is a Navy veteran and current ethologist (animal behavior) who trains Velociraptors. He also learns about their intelligence. He trains them on an island (Isla Nubar) that has a dinosaur theme park called Jurassic World.
Security expert Vic Hoskins (Vincent D'Onofrio) has a plan to weaponize dinosaurs on the island, something that Grady and Co. definitely are against. As is the case with every Jurassic Park film, the dinosaurs that are attractions at the park end up escaping and wreaking havoc on the island. With the help of Operations Manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) and her two nephews, Grady helps put a stop to the slaughter on the island and helps get survivors evacuated.
4 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
In the sequel to Jurassic World, Owen and Claire team up again, this time to save the remaining dinosaurs from another extinction-level event at the hands of a volcano. Owen also wants to return to the island to find Blue, his beloved raptor. While there, the team finds a group of soldiers capturing some of the dinosaurs and loading them on a boat. They sneak on the boat and find themselves in a manor where the dinosaurs are being auctioned off. Can the team pull together again to save the dinosaurs?
Pratt's character in both Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom showcases his humorous one-liners with his action-based acting. To prepare for the role, Pratt set to Instagram where we would film the meals he was allowed to eat to help him get in top shape. In a true testament to his personality, Pratt was able to pull off the muscles and provide some laughs along the way.
3 Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)
Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) was the movie Jurassic Park fans were waiting for if they wanted a movie with every great character from the entire franchise. After the events of Fallen Kingdom, dinosaurs and humans now co-exist together. Owen Grady (Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Howard) live together in the Sierra Nevada Mountains as they quietly raise 14-year-old Maisie Lockwood (biogenetic granddaughter of Benjamin Lockwood, former partner of John Hammond).
Biosyn Genetics has a plan to use her DNA to stop an outbreak of locusts that are killing crops. CEO Lewis Dodgson has a plan to use the locusts to help Biosyn corner the world's food supply. It is up to Owen, Claire, Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and others to stop Biosyn. Throughout all three of these films, fans get Indiana Jones vibes from Chris Pratt. He plays a character who is smart, adventurous, and has very underrated comedic timing.
2 The Lego Movie (2014)
Pratt plays Emmet Brickowski, a construction worker LEGO who is identified as an "extraordinary person." After being recruited to help save the universe from an evil tyrant, it seems that his "special" was mistaken as he is more normal.
The Lego Movie was one of Pratt's first forays into the world of animation and voice work. Starring alongside other comedic stars such as Will Ferrell, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Charlie Day, and Jonah Hill, Pratt's fun humor fits along perfectly.
1 Onward (2020)
In a fantasy world where magic once ruled, the suburban way has transformed magical creatures into humanlike creatures. Elven brothers, Barley, played by Pratt, and Ian, played by Tom Holland, get a letter and a wizard staff from their late father on Ian's birthday. The brothers go on a quest to retrieve another Phoenix Gem to try and bring their father back to life for a day.
Full of quests, adventure, and magic, the two brothers lean on each other to be reunited with their dad for the day. Disney movies are known to pull on your heartstrings. Onward is no exception to that. Aside from joining together two hilarious actors in Holland and Pratt, the story of brotherly love is touching and fun to watch.