The 'Garfield' star spoke with ET about his latest high-profile voice role, family life and more!
As a father of three, Chris Pratt knows the importance of a fun family film -- and he can't wait for his kids to see him as the beloved orange feline in The Garfield Movie.
"They're ready to see it," the actor told ET's Kevin Frazier of showing the upcoming movie to his children. "This is the kind of movie that they can definitely watch. You know, some animated movies they get a little scary, it's a little too much for the kids. This is something really fun for all ages."
Pratt shares 11-year-old son Jack with ex-wife Anna Faris, and two daughters -- Lyla, 3, and Eloise, almost 2 -- with his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger. He said that taking on voice roles in recent years -- also voicing Mario in 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie -- has been extra important to him as it allows him more time with his family.
"A lot of times, work as an actor, it's a such a blessing, but one of the downsides is it can take you out of the country or out of the state for an extended period of time," he reflected. "So being able to do voice work was really nice because you get to come home at night and sleep in [your] own bed."
"And, of course, I just feel so blessed, man -- Garfield, Mario, these are massive characters with reach all around the globe," he added. "Growing up, I knew them and I loved them. To think that I get to bring my spirit and my voice to these characters, it's just such a blessing."
So, how did Pratt get in character to play Garfield?
"I just ate a lot of lasagna and I tried a few different things and I realized that he sounds a lot like Andy from Parks and Rec," Pratt joked.
Kidding aside, the actor recalled it was actually director Mark Dindal who noted the similarities between the rotund, lasagna-loving feline, and Pratt's lovable goofball from Parks and Recreation.
"He said, 'I think I know exactly what this guy sounds like. That character you play on Parks and Rec,'" Pratt said of finding the voice. 'I was like, 'Great, that's good. I think that's perfect.' Andy and Garfield are very similar."
Pratt is joined by a host of talented actors in the film, including Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang, Janelle James and Snoop Dogg, who plays a cat.
"I can say that Snoop and I did hard time together," Pratt joked, as the trailer shows Garfield getting locked up next to Snoop's feline persona.
As for one of his favorite voice talents in the film, Pratt called out Jackson, of course, as well as a Ted Lasso star.
"Hannah Waddingham is awesome," he raved. "She can really sing, sing. She's got an amazing voice and what she does is -- Jinx is the sort of the bad cat in this, and she does a fantastic job."
A nature lover himself, Pratt said he and his kids are well acquainted with all kinds of animals -- thanks in part to his father-in-law, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and his at-home menagerie!
"He's got a zoo in his house," Pratt shared, noting how his kids love to go an visit. "He's got a pig, Shelly. He's got a donkey. He's got a mini horse, couple of dogs. The kids go there and they just hand out cookies and feed the animals. It's pretty fun."
Arnold recently opened up about his relationship with his son-in-law on Travis and Jason Kelce's New Heights podcast, sharing how happy he is that the Guardians of the Galaxy star and his daughter "found each other."
"They really fit really well together," the action star mused. "They just look wonderful together, they're so in love with each other."
For Pratt, the admiration is mutual.
"We talk about everything," he said of his father-in-law, noting that the Terminator star has been teaching him to play chess. "He's got an incredibly rare insight into being a well-known person and trying to raise a well-adjusted family, so we talk family. He has the wisdom of experience that so few people in the world have that can relate to what I'm going through in my life. And so it's just a godsend that he's my father-in-law."
The actor might have to try a little harder to hold on to that relationship, however. During this year's Super Bowl, he posted a video of his wife dancing and singing along to Usher's epic halftime show, writing, "When Usher sang 'Don’t leave your girl around me,' was he talking to me?"
"She knows every word," Pratt joked with ET of his spouse's love for the R&B hitmaker. "I didn't even know that until we were doing a little road trip and she started putting on Usher. And man, she knows every single word, so I guess Usher's her hall pass. I can't blame her."
The Garfield Movie is in theaters May 24.
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