Let’s be real for a second: 2016 was a weirdly pivotal year for Chris Pratt. He was riding this massive wave from Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World, basically becoming the industry’s go-to guy for "charming rogue with a heart of gold." Then came Chris Pratt in The Magnificent Seven, a remake of a remake that had a lot of people scratching their heads. Why redo a classic? And could the guy who played Andy Dwyer actually pull off a gritty Western anti-hero?
Honestly, looking back at it now, Pratt’s performance as Josh Faraday is way more interesting than the critics gave him credit for at the time. He wasn't just playing Star-Lord in a Stetson. He was trying to channel a specific kind of old-school cool that’s actually pretty hard to find in modern Hollywood.
The "Steve McQueen" Factor
Director Antoine Fuqua didn't just stumble into casting Pratt. He was looking for someone who could fill the boots of Steve McQueen from the 1960 original. That's a tall order. McQueen was the "King of Cool," the guy who could steal a scene just by shifting his weight or glancing at a hat.
Fuqua tells a great story about how the casting went down. Pratt was already flirting with a few other projects, but then he called Fuqua back and started singing "Oh Shenandoah" over the phone. That was it. Fuqua basically said, "He’s the guy. He’s Steve McQueen."
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But Pratt didn't just copy the past. His character, Josh Faraday, is a gambling, hard-drinking explosives expert who uses card tricks to distract guys before he shoots them. It’s a role that requires a weird mix of levity and genuine darkness. Faraday knows he’s a "bad" guy, or at least he’s convinced himself he is, right up until the moment he decides to die for a town that doesn't even know him.
What Actually Happened on That Set?
If you think filming a Western is all glamour, talk to the cast about the Louisiana heat. They filmed in Baton Rouge during the summer, and it was brutal. Pratt joked in interviews that it was about 148°C (which, yeah, he was exaggerating, but it was basically boiling).
There’s some funny behind-the-scenes stuff that most people don't know:
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- The Fishing Incident: The final battle was filmed on private land that had these incredible bass ponds. Pratt, being an avid outdoorsman, spent literally hundreds of hours fishing whenever the rain shut down production. He eventually got in "red alert" trouble because he posted a photo of a catch on Instagram, and the landowner realized he was raiding her private stock.
- The King of Hearts: There’s a subtle bit of visual storytelling with Faraday’s character. Early on, he uses the King of Hearts for a trick. In his final, fatal scene, you can see that same card tucked into his breast pocket as he tries to light a cigar. It’s a "showman’s" death—one last trick for the road.
- Bonding through Heatstroke: The chemistry between Pratt and Denzel Washington was legit. Denzel is obviously a titan of the industry, and Pratt has admitted he grew up watching him. Seeing them on horses together—Washington stoic and silent, Pratt chirping away—gave the movie a heartbeat it wouldn't have had otherwise.
Why People Still Debate This Performance
Not everyone loved it. Some critics felt Pratt was "miscast," arguing he was too much of a modern "cool guy" to fit into a 19th-century landscape. They saw a kid in a costume rather than a weathered gunfighter.
But that misses the point of what Fuqua was doing. The 2016 version of The Magnificent Seven wasn't trying to be a historical documentary. It was a "Benetton cast" (as some snarky reviews put it) meant to reflect the actual diversity of the Old West—a mix of ethnicities and backgrounds that Hollywood usually ignores. In that world, Faraday is the "Gringo" or "Güero," as his partner Vasquez (played by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) calls him.
Faraday represents the guy who has lost everything and hides behind humor and whiskey. It’s a classic Western trope, sure, but Pratt brings a vulnerability to it. When he looks at Denzel and says, "What a bunch of misfits we are," he isn't just delivering a line. He's acknowledging that these guys are the refuse of the frontier, looking for one last chance to be "magnificent."
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The Legacy of Josh Faraday
Is it the greatest Western ever made? Probably not. But Chris Pratt in The Magnificent Seven serves as a bridge between the classic era and the modern blockbuster. It proved Pratt could handle a darker, more cynical character while keeping his natural charisma.
If you're going to revisit the film, keep an eye on the rapport between Pratt and Garcia-Rulfo. Their banter was largely improvised and feels much more "human" than the scripted plot beats. It’s those small, unscripted moments that make the movie hold up better than your average remake.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Next Rewatch
If you're planning to dive back into this one, here are a few things to do to really appreciate the craft:
- Watch the original 1960 version first. It helps you see where Pratt is nodding to McQueen and where he’s carving his own path.
- Look for the "sleight of hand." Pratt actually spent time learning card tricks and gun-spinning to make Faraday’s skills look effortless. He’s not using a hand double for most of that.
- Check out the score. James Horner (of Titanic and Braveheart fame) actually started writing the music for this movie before he passed away, based only on the script. It was his final gift to the film world.
- Pay attention to the ending. Notice how Faraday’s final stand is the only time he isn't making a joke. The silence in that scene is where Pratt's best acting actually happens.
The movie is a reminder that even in a "manufactured" Hollywood system, actors like Pratt can still find ways to put a soul into the machine. It’s loud, it’s sweaty, and it’s arguably unnecessary—but man, is it fun to watch those seven guys ride out one last time.
Actionable Insight: If you're a fan of Pratt's work here, look into the 1939 film The Westerner starring Gary Cooper. Pratt famously cited it as the movie that made him fall in love with the genre and heavily influenced his performance as Josh Faraday.