Chris Pratt, known for his role in Guardians of the Galaxy, almost adopted a very different stage name when he started working in Hollywood. During an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, Pratt revealed that he seriously entertained the idea of going by “Christo,” a shortened form of his first name Christopher, inspired by a nickname from an earlier job.
Origin of the Nickname “Christo” at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company
The name “Christo” originated at Pratt’s former workplace, the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. A worn-down name tag that no longer displayed the last letters of “Christopher” left only “Christo” visible, which co-workers began using. Pratt explained,
“I had a name tag that said Christopher, at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, [but] the ‘PHER’ part got rubbed off, so it said ‘Christo,’ and everyone called me Christo for a long time.”
This led many new employees to believe his real name was Christo.
“While I was working at Bubba Gump, [there was a] high turnover rate — new employees thought my name was Christo,”
Pratt shared.
The Decision to Stick with His Full Name While Pursuing Acting
As Pratt transitioned from his waitstaff role to breaking into television and film, he briefly considered officially adopting the moniker.
“And as I navigated being discovered and brought to Los Angeles to follow my dreams, part of me thought, in earnest, ‘Maybe I’d go as just Christo.’”
Ultimately, he decided to maintain his given name professionally, which allowed him to establish a recognizable identity in Hollywood.
Early Breakthrough from a Chance Meeting at Bubba Gump
Pratt’s time at Bubba Gump was also pivotal for his acting debut. In the early 2000s, while serving as a waiter, he encountered actress Rae Dawn Chong, who cast him in her directorial debut, the short horror film Cursed Part 3. This opportunity marked the real beginning of his screen career and set Pratt on the path to stardom.
Chris Pratt’s Physical Commitment to His Role in “Mercy”
Pratt’s latest project is Mercy, a sci-fi thriller in which he endures a physically demanding bar fight scene. He told Entertainment Weekly about filming the sequence where his character, intoxicated and in a blackout, fights law enforcement.
“It’s essentially almost a comedic bit sequence that happens as my character’s apprehended when I’m drunk. I’m in a blackout, and I fight against a bunch of cops,”
he explained. The actor also shared the origin of a risky stunt.
“I kicked my feet up high enough to hit a neon sign…I wanted to try to break the sign because of my old Parks and Rec days, like break as much stuff as you can. It’s always better.”
Injury Sustained During Filming and Its Impact
While attempting the stunt, Pratt severely injured his ankle.
“I was like, ‘I wanna break that,’”
he recalled.
“And I hit it with my foot, and it’s a metal post sticking out of the wall, holding this thing up. It just hit right into that soft tissue and wrecked my ankle.”
Despite the seriousness of the injury, Pratt was mostly confined to a chair in the film, which helped limit disruptions to production.
“I’m really grateful that I was just sitting down, ’cause I could not walk for at least a couple of weeks,”
he noted, highlighting the additional challenges of acting while injured.
Exploring New Acting Dimensions in a Thriller Setting
Mercy represents Pratt’s first foray into the thriller genre, allowing him to focus on emotional performance over physical stunts. He remarked,
“I’ve never worked in a thriller genre before, but I have contributed to physicality,”
referencing his previous roles that involved action or comedic physicality.
“Whether it be flipping over tables on Parks and Rec, or falling on rollerblades, or dance-offs, or big physical running away from dinosaurs, there’s been a certain physicality with a lot of the roles that I played. So yeah, I was definitely intrigued by being just the emotional core.”
What Lies Ahead for Chris Pratt’s Career
After nearly adopting an unusual nickname at the start of his journey, Chris Pratt has firmly established himself using his full name, building a career marked by physical roles and emotional depth. His recent work in Mercy highlights his willingness to take on new challenges despite personal setbacks like injury. As the film currently plays in theaters, audiences can anticipate seeing a fresh side of the star who once seriously considered going by “Christo.”
