Jurassic World star Chris Pratt has his eyes on a prize beyond fame & fortune
LOS ANGELES (Christian Examiner) -- Christian actor Chris Pratt, broke box office records over the weekend with the release of the highly anticipated "Jurassic World." Yet the $208.8 million in domestic box office sales and the $315.3 million in tickets overseas are just a means to an end for the film's leading actor known for his outspoken faith.
Hailed an "out-and-proud" conservative who's brazen about his belief in God and prioritizing family, the Minnesota-born actor told American Way magazine that regularly attending Sunday church with his family was part of his big picture goal.
"I have my eyes on the prize," Pratt said, noting his desire to raise his two-year-old in an environment more like where he grew up in Washington State.
Pratt said he anticipates "the big picture" as a time when he and his wife and their new son will live "somewhere other than L.A." where he could, among other things, be a Boy Scout leader, go to church on Sunday and coach his son in football.
"That's the goal," Pratt said.
Pratt, 36, credits his son's pre-mature birth with reinvigorating his Christian faith, according to the Conservative Tribune which also reported the rising star was Hollywood's highest-grossing actor of 2014.
Describing his wife, actress Anna Faris', nine-week premature delivery of their son, Pratt said it was prayer which got the couple through the trial of keeping their newborn in the NICU for day after day. It was also prayer that later restored the baby to full health despite doctors' claims that he would suffer life-long disabilities.
"We were scared for a long time. We prayed a lot," he told CT. "It restored my faith in God, not that it needed to be restored, but it really redefined it."
Whether on social media or interviews, Pratt often points to God's sovereignty as the reason for the current outpouring of favor on his life. According to Q Political, he has called his six-year marriage to Faris a work of "divine intervention."
"Anna and I are meant to be together," he reportedly said.
Despite his $1.2 billion in gross earnings last year from starring roles in "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "The Lego Movie," Pratt remains notably humble and a consistent help to others through his involvement with various non-profit organizations including the American Diabetes Association.
This March, Pratt joined Chris Evans (Captain America) in touring the Seattle Children's Hospital to lift the spirits of sick children being treated there. Still, beyond such up-lifting visits Pratt does not shy away from offering spiritual support through prayer and Scripture which he readily shares through his social media profiles.
He boldly calls fellow Christians to unite in prayer. In February he used social media to ask his Christian fans to stand in the gap for a sick young friend.
"Calling all heroes! My young friend and the inspiration for the #?FearIsntReal campaign Joe Hensen is ill and his sickness has taken a turn for the worst," he wrote in a Facebook post. "I'm just asking that you keep him and his family in your prayers today. At your tables, in church and at your bedsides mention Joe. Ask that God put his loving hands on Joe's family that has been through so much. -Psalm 34:18 #FearIsntReal"
Recognizing that his current success is fleeting, the action star said he plans to ride the wave for as long as he can.
"I need to work while the work is here," American Way reported he said. "I need to do as many big movies as I can while there's still time. Because you never know what's next."
According to the Inquisitr, what immediately follows is a sequel to Jurassic World. Still others report Pratt will soon play a role in Magnificent Seven alongside another outspoken Christian believer Denzel Washington.