Before he was the guy fighting space aliens or training raptors, Chris Pratt was just a dude living in a van in Maui. Seriously. He was 19, working at a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and basically just trying to make enough money for gas and fishing supplies. Then fate walked in, wearing the face of actress Rae Dawn Chong.
Most people think his career started with Parks and Recreation or maybe that supporting role in Wanted. Nope. It actually started with a 23-minute short horror-comedy that is, quite frankly, a total fever dream.
What Was Chris Pratt’s First Movie? The Story of Cursed Part 3
If you’re hunting for the answer to what was Chris Pratt’s first movie, look no further than the year 2000 and a project called Cursed Part 3. Don’t let the title fool you; there isn't a Cursed Part 1 or 2. The title itself was a joke—a meta-commentary on the endless sequels saturating the horror genre at the time.
Pratt was waiting on Rae Dawn Chong—the star of Commando and The Color Purple—when she noticed his charisma. She was looking for someone to star in her directorial debut.
"You're cute," she reportedly told him. "Do you act?"
Pratt, with more confidence than actual experience, lied through his teeth. "Goddamn right I act! Put me in a movie!"
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A Plot as Wild as the Production
Cursed Part 3 is a "Blair Witch Project" parody. It follows a narcissistic film director (played by Chong herself) who takes a ragtag crew to a creepy cabin to film a horror movie based on a measly three-page script.
Chris Pratt plays Devon, a character described as a "bratty lead actor." It’s a far cry from the lovable Andy Dwyer or the heroic Star-Lord. In this movie, Pratt is essentially a "bro" archetype. He spends a good chunk of the runtime being obnoxious, spying on women, and delivering high-school-drama-level lines with absolute, unearned conviction.
It’s cringey. It’s low-budget. It’s arguably unwatchable if you aren’t a die-hard Pratt completionist. But it was his golden ticket.
From a Scooby-Doo Van to Los Angeles
At the time, Pratt was living in a white Chevy van adorned with a custom painting of Scooby-Doo and Shaggy. He’s since shared photos of himself at 19, standing next to that van, holding the script for Cursed Part 3.
Chong bought him a plane ticket to Los Angeles, and just like that, the "beach bum" lifestyle was over. He was paid $700 for the role. That doesn't sound like much now, but for a kid living on a beach, it was a fortune. He used that money to buy a car so he could actually get to auditions in Hollywood.
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Why the Movie is So Hard to Find
You won't find Cursed Part 3 on Netflix or Disney+. It never had a wide release. It’s a short film that mostly exists now on grainy YouTube uploads and in the "trivia" sections of film blogs.
The production value is... rough. It was shot on an early HD Canon DSLR, giving it a raw, experimental look. While the humor is "whip-smart" according to some niche fans, most critics (and Pratt himself) acknowledge it as a total "turkey."
Yet, it taught him the fundamentals. He learned how to hit a mark, how to deal with a crew, and how to stay "on" for hours. It was the bridge between waiting tables and landing his first major TV role as Bright Abbott in Everwood just two years later.
What Really Happened with Chris Pratt's Early Career
After Cursed Part 3, Pratt didn't immediately become a superstar. He went from waiting tables in Maui to waiting tables in Beverly Hills. The hustle was real.
Before the blockbusters, his filmography was a weird mix:
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- The Extreme Team (2003): An action movie so obscure it doesn't even have a Rotten Tomatoes score.
- Strangers with Candy (2005): A cult classic where he played a character named Brason.
- Wieners (2008): A raunchy comedy that most people—including Pratt—would probably prefer to forget.
He even lost out on some massive roles early on. He auditioned for Jake Sully in Avatar and Captain James Kirk in the Star Trek reboot. He was told he didn't have that "it" factor. Obviously, those casting directors were wrong, but it shows that even the "chosen one" from the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. had to face a mountain of rejection.
The Turning Point
Everything changed with Parks and Recreation. Originally, Andy Dwyer was only supposed to be in six episodes. But the producers loved Pratt’s improv skills and "golden retriever" energy so much that they made him a series regular.
That comedic timing—honed in the weird, improvisational mess of Cursed Part 3—is exactly what made him the perfect Peter Quill years later.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs
If you're a fan of cinema history or just curious about how A-listers get their start, here is how you can actually "experience" this era of Pratt's career:
- Watch the Short: If you have 20 minutes to kill, search for Cursed Part 3 on YouTube. It's a fascinating time capsule of 2000s indie filmmaking.
- Look for the "Devon" Energy: Watch Guardians of the Galaxy right after. You can actually see glimpses of that early, cocky "Devon" character in Peter Quill, just refined with ten years of professional polish.
- Appreciate the Hustle: Remember that Pratt's "overnight success" took nearly 15 years. From a $700 short film to $20 million paychecks, the trajectory is one of the most unlikely in Hollywood.
Honestly, the fact that a guy discovered at a shrimp shack is now the voice of Mario and Garfield is pretty wild. It all started with a "cursed" parody that almost nobody saw.
Check out Chris Pratt's official social media or recent interviews where he often talks about his "homeless in Maui" days. It provides a ton of context for why he approaches his massive roles today with so much gratitude.