Chris Pratt Reveals Financial Struggles When First Starting Out in Hollywood

‘I was under the impression I’d never run out of money,’ the actor said.

Chris Pratt attends the Los Angeles premiere of Universal Pictures' "Jurassic World Dominion" in Hollywood, Calif., on June 6, 2022. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

What it means to make it in Hollywood differs from one celebrity to another, but actor Chris Pratt says discovering financial stability was a pivotal “made it” moment in his life.

Appearing on SiriusXM’s “Sway in the Morning” show on May 25, the “Guardians of the Galaxy” star admitted he blew through the first big paycheck he made from acting.

Due to his humble upbringing and waiting tables, the 44-year-old struggled with managing his money. When asked if he was frugal about his finances, Mr. Pratt admitted that was not the case.

“I was under the impression that I would never run out of money … the first paycheck I got, I was like, ‘Are you serious?’ I had lived on very little money for a long time, so the first big job I got was a TV movie. I got paid $75,000,” he said.

Mr. Pratt revealed he spent his money taking trips back to Maui, Hawaii, where he initially got his big break, Australia, and other parts of the world.

“I was like, ‘Well, I’m gonna probably invest, I’m probably gonna get a yacht … that was just a crazy amount of money to me. I never could have possibly imagined making that amount of money, and it went very quickly.”

He explained that his lack of knowledge of financial literacy as a young adolescent was what led to his decision-making. “I didn’t know what to do with money. It was like, it would come in, I would spend it,” he admits.

“It took a good amount of time for me to kind of stop and say, ‘All right, I gotta get wise about this.’ I have to think about, ‘What am I gonna do? How am I gonna get to the point where if I stop working one day, I’ll still be OK? My family will be OK.’”

As an adult, the actor realized that with growing expenses, he needed to develop a financial literacy plan and noted that this was “one of the steps of growing up.”

He also noted there were many moments throughout his career where he felt he “made it,” including getting his SAG card and a Carl’s Jr. television commercial. However, his greatest accomplishment was buying a house for his mother, Kathy, after his first breakout role.

Modest Beginnings

Born in Minnesota but raised in Washington, Mr. Pratt’s passion for drama began when taking acting classes at a community college in 1997.

He only made it one semester before dropping out and attempting to find other ways to make ends meet. He worked as a discount ticket salesman and even as an amateur stripper.

At 19, a friend offered to buy him a one-way ticket to Hawaii. He found himself homeless, living in a van, and working as a waiter at a Maui restaurant.

At the ​​Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Mr. Pratt was discovered by director and actress Rae Dawn Chong, who gave him his first part in “Cursed Part 3.”

Although the film was never released, Mr. Pratt says it changed his life. He ended up moving to Los Angeles, California, to begin his career and landed his first breakout acting role on the show “Everwood” in 2002.

Since then, he has made his fortune from starring in blockbuster hits like “Jurassic World” (2015) and the “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014) franchise. He is also best known for his role in the popular television series “Parks and Recreation” (2009), which ran for seven seasons.