Chris Pratt adds comic charm to Delivery Man

MANILA, Philippines - Actor-on-the-rise Chris Pratt, best known for TV’s Parks and Recreation and the Oscar-nominated Moneyball, now stars opposite Vince Vaughn in DreamWorks Pictures’ new life-affirming comedy, Delivery Man.

The film tells the story of affable underachiever David Wozniak (Vaughn), whose anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 years earlier resulted in 533 children. David must now embark on a journey that leads him to discover not only his true self but also the father that he could become.

Pratt plays David’s best friend Brett, a fledgling lawyer raising four kids on his own. According to Pratt, “Brett is despondent, depressed, fat, at the end of his rope and buried in the responsibility of having four children. He’s in a bad spot, and he sees the opportunity to represent David in this class action lawsuit as his last chance to reignite his passion.”

“Brett is one of David’s childhood friends,” says Vaughn. “I wouldn’t say that he’s a successful attorney, but he’s an attorney. He’s overwhelmed with being a father himself. He’s doing it on his own. And so, he’s telling David that he shouldn’t be a father, and particularly that David’s not equipped to be a father.”

“Chris Pratt was our first choice for the part,” says producer Mark Sourian. “And, in fact, so much so, we more or less cast him without an audition or meeting. We felt he was the perfect confidant, for Vince.”

And sure enough, Vaughn and Pratt bonded on the set, quickly becoming each other’s biggest fan. “Chris is terrific,” says Vaughn. “He likes to have fun, he likes to joke around. He would make me laugh everyday on set, so it was easy jumping in and playing friends.”

Adds Sourian, “Brett mirrors the situation that David is in, in terms of finding themselves in an extraordinary situation that allows them both as underachievers to step it up and become the best versions of themselves. That’s what makes the two of them so endearing. You want to root for them because they’re underdogs, and that’s part of the reason why you love them so much.”

In February 2014, Pratt will be lending his voice to the Warner Bros. animated feature The Lego Movie, as the film’s lead character Emmett. Also lending their voices to the film are Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman and Elizabeth Banks.

Pratt is currently in production on the Marvel feature Guardians of the Galaxy, where he plays Star-Lord, the leader of a group of alien superheroes sent out to defend the galaxy. Disney will release Guardians on Aug. 1, 2014.

In addition to acting, Pratt includes among his other passions hunting, fishing and writing. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and son.

Opening across the Philippines soon, Delivery Man is a DreamWorks Picture distributed by Walt Disney Studios International.