Inside Chris Pratt’s leap to stardom with Guardians of the Galaxy

James Gunn, the visionary behind the interstellar odyssey, initially balked at the notion of Pratt playing the part. “This chubby guy from ‘Parks and Rec’?” he pondered, skeptical of the fit. But “I knew within 20 seconds of his audition this is absolutely the guy,” Gunn recalled, an insight that would foretell Pratt’s ascension to one of Hollywood’s most luminous constellations.