Lake’s Chris Pratt found success in Hollywood,
and now he plans on bringing it home

What if I told you I had a banner pitch for a blockbuster motion picture? What if I told you I have the story of a young, charismatic Lake Stevens graduate who beat feet out of town and found himself waiting tables at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Factory in Hawaii? What if I told you that the 19-year-old waiter served a Hollywood director vacationing in Hawaii, and so charmed her with his humor and winning personality, that she offered him a role on the spot? What if I told you that four days later, our hero was in L.A. after trading in his wine key, order pad and apron and embarking on his path to becoming a professional actor? What if I told you that our boy snagged a role on a hit drama, carved out a niche for himself in the shark-infested Hollywood world, and has parlayed his hard work and talent into lead roles in several major films? Is this something you’d be interested in? Is this a story you’d like to hear?

I know it’s my favorite story right now. It’s the story of Lake Stevens’ own Chris Pratt – whom I ran into last weekend at our ten year class reunion. My first impressions upon seeing Pratt again were: 1. Chris is funny as hell (check out his Apple commercial on youtube and see for yourself) and, 2. Chris isn’t one of those ‘I thought he would be bigger’ type actors - he could eat a bowl of soup off Tom Cruise’s head while military-pressing Tobey Maguire.

Back in the school days, Chris was a well-liked guy for all the right reasons. Humble and outgoing, he was just as popular with the jocks as he was with the preps, stoners and drama kids. He was a bruising fullback on the football team, an imposing wrestler and a talented track athlete. He did well in school, and his classmates chose him to speak at graduation. His moving speech didn’t leave a dry eye in building. But then high school ended, and Chris left Lake Stevens to begin his own life.

Chris has already forged a successful and critically-acclaimed career in Hollywood, but I’m guessing that the big things are just starting to happen for Mr. Pratt. After meeting actor/director Rae Dawn Chong in Hawaii and performing in her film “Cursed 3”, Chris landed a role on the WB’s hit drama “Everwood”- on which he played the confident and charming Bright Abbott. “Everwood” was eventually cancelled after a successful run, and Pratt grabbed a nice character arc on Fox’s “The O.C.” during its final season.

Because of his talent and solid resume, new doors are opening for Chris. He’s earned a life that many would dream of. He’s dating the beautiful star of a blockbuster Hollywood franchise. He’s filmed in Prague with Angelina Jolie. He met JJ Abrams and read for the role of Captain James T. Kirk in the it-boy producer/director’s mammoth remaking of the Star Trek franchise.

Despite the success, or maybe because of it, Pratt’s heart is still in Lake Stevens. He’s penned a script that tells the story of two Lake Stevens teens. He wants to film in Lake Stevens, and he wants to use his Lake Stevens friends in the movie. He’s kept in touch with many of his high school buddies, and if you didn’t know he was a successful actor, you might think he was a construction worker or a longshoreman – he’s rooted in real life, loyal to his friends and proud of his home town.

When the reunion weekend came to a close, Chris headed back to L.A. He’s got three movies in the pipeline right now, and he’s polishing his script and thinking about several others. He wants to direct and star in his Lake Stevens vehicle, and he was energetic and earnest in his desire to start the process.

This time back, Chris left Hollywood and came home to reconnect with life in Lake Stevens. Next time back, Chris might be a newly-minted superstar, and he just might bring a little Hollywood back to Lake Stevens.

Now is that something you’d be interested in?

For more info on Chris Pratt and links to his website and youtube clips, visit the Off the Record blog at lakestevensjournal.com. Send feedback to kevin.hulten@gmail.com.

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