Chris Pratt can add a new accolade to his impressive resume.
The actor is the latest to land an MTV Generation Award, which “is dedicated to showcasing outstanding talent and their noteworthy contributions to film and TV.”
Pratt, of course, is one of Hollywood’s pre-eminent action stars, with blockbuster roles in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World.” He will be presented with the award on June 18 during the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards, hosted by Tiffany Haddish. Previous winners include Robert Downey Jr., Reese Witherspoon, Mark Wahlberg and other top stars.
With an award celebrating Pratt’s TV and movie work, we decided to look at the star’s on-screen evolution:
2002-06: Bright Abbott, ‘Everwood’
Pratt’s Bright Abbott (rocking loose blond curls) initially was a portrayal of your average TV high school jock, but things quickly got dark and twisty for the character who’s involved in a drunken-driving accident that leaves his friend in a life-altering coma. His one-dimensional bully-like tendencies were downplayed in later seasons in which he dated a bookworm (played by “Grey’s Anatomy” actress Sarah Drew) and eventually evolved into a lovable bachelor.
2006-07: Che, ‘The O.C.’
Leaving behind the comfort of small-town Everwood, Colorado, Pratt slipped into the role of an overzealous activist who broke into a Brown University science lab to free all the bunnies with his partner in crime, Summer (Rachel Bilson). His unshaven, reggae hat-wearing character, Che, first appeared in the 2006 episode “The Avengers,” which may or may not have been the universe alluding to the Star-Lord role he’d nab more than a decade later.
2009-15: Andy Dwyer/Bert Macklin/Johnny Karate, ‘Parks and Recreation’
In a career-changing role, Pratt ditched the teen soaps for this Amy Poehler-led ensemble comedy and never looked back. Andy Dwyer was a lovable oaf, working as a shoeshiner, rock star — who could forget his band MouseRat’s “5000 Candles in the Wind” — and eventually a TV star with his “The Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show” show. But perhaps the biggest hint of things to come was his recurring persona, the action hero Burt Macklin, FBI.
2014, 2017, 2018: Peter Quill, Star-Lord, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’
A buff Pratt rose to superhero status with his entry into the Marvel Universe. Playing Peter Quill, who was taken from Earth as a child and raised in space by pirates, he led the Guardians of the Galaxy, a ragtag group of reluctant heroes, through three movies (so far). His comedy — and dance skills — came in handy here.
2014: Emmet Brickowski, ‘The Lego Movie’
Pratt provided the voice of this everyman — or everyminifig, really — in this animated comedy that excelled at great comedy timing and delivery.
2015, 2018: Owen Grady, ‘Jurassic World’
Playing the Navy vet turned raptor trainer turned vest model, Pratt took the lead in this relaunch of the dinosaur franchise, which has a sequel, “Fallen Kingdom,” coming out in June.
2016: Josh Faraday, ‘The Magnificent Seven’
The classic 1960 Western was remade for a new generation with Denzel Washington and Pratt in the lead. Pratt’s Faraday, a boozer with a predilection for card tricks, was a great mixture of the star’s comedy and action abilities.
