Chris Pratt almost went by a very different name!
The “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World” star revealed he considered going by the name Christo.
During a recent appearance on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Pratt opened up about a nickname he considered adopting as his professional moniker when he first set his sights on Tinseltown fame.
Pratt Recalls the Humorous Story
Back in the pre-Hollywood days, Pratt was working as a waiter at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, where a name tag mishap left just part of his first name visible: “Christo.”
That truncated version stuck with him so much that co-workers and new hires assumed it was his real name. “Everyone called me Christo for a long time,” Pratt recalled.
As fate would have it, that period of waiting tables also led to the moment that changed his life.
While still at Bubba Gump, Pratt served actress and director Rae Dawn Chong, who cast him in her short film “Cursed Part 3” — his first acting gig and the catalyst for a career that would go on to include sitcom fame, cosmic adventures, and blockbuster dinosaur sequels.
Pratt Often Gets Mixed Up With Other Famous Chrises
Reflecting on his early Hollywood hustle, Pratt admitted that part of him seriously considered embracing “Christo” as a stage name when he moved to Los Angeles to chase his dreams.
“As I navigated being discovered and brought to Los Angeles … part of me thought in earnest, ‘Maybe I’d go as just Christo,’” he shared.
He jokingly added “it’s never too late” to go back to the name Christo.
Ultimately, Pratt stuck with Chris, joining the ranks of other A-list “Chrises” like Chris Pine, Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth — a fact he poked fun at by noting how often he hears his name mixed up with his fellow Chrises on press tours.
“I think someone on this press tour called me Chris Pine,” he added. “Yeah, don’t think they mistake me, think it’s just the alliteration.”
These days, Pratt is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors, balancing massive film projects with a grounded personal life.
As his children get older, Pratt added how he is wanting to be around his family as much as possible.
“I’m trying more and more to prioritize my wife and kids as much as I can,” the 46-year-old noted.
He and wife Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt are parents to three young children — Lyla, 5, Eloise, 3, Ford, 1. He also shares a son named Jack with his actress ex-wife Anna Faris.
