Hollywood star Chris Pratt took method acting to extreme lengths during the production of his new science fiction film Mercy, specifically demanding to be physically locked into an executioner's chair for extended periods to achieve a more authentic performance.
Immersive Approach to a Serious Role
The 46-year-old actor, best known for his comedic roles in franchises like Guardians of the Galaxy and The Super Mario Bros., explained his unconventional approach in a recent BBC interview. Pratt revealed that he requested director Timur Bekmambetov to confine him in the prop executioner's chair for sessions lasting up to fifty minutes at a time.
"I thought this would help lend itself to the performance, and feelings of claustrophobia and being trapped," Pratt stated. "I was sweating, so if my face itched, I couldn't scratch it, and I couldn't get up."
A Dramatic Career Pivot
Mercy, which premieres in cinemas this Friday, represents a significant departure for Pratt from his typically lighthearted characters. In the futuristic thriller, he portrays a detective who finds himself captive and forced to prove his innocence before an advanced artificial intelligence judge regarding his wife's murder.
Rebecca Ferguson co-stars as the sophisticated AI judge, with Kali Reis also featuring in prominent supporting roles. The film's premise required Pratt to deliver a more serious, intense performance than audiences have come to expect from his previous work.
"I couldn't rely on the thing I like to bring to roles — where I'm a little bit goofy and guileless," the actor admitted. "This is serious. I'm always eager to try new things, to be challenged in different ways, and maybe give audiences something they might not expect from me."
Changing Hollywood Expectations
Pratt's career transformation comes as fellow actor Glen Powell recently credited him with altering industry perceptions about leading men. In an interview with GQ magazine, Powell suggested that Pratt's success as the witty, charismatic Star-Lord in the Guardians of the Galaxy series demonstrated that Hollywood audiences would embrace heroes who weren't exclusively "brooding or dark."
"When Pratt kind of appeared on the scene where he was doing things that were a little more silly and buoyant, that's where I feel most at home," Powell explained. "And that's where I feel like I had a gear that is a necessary flavor in terms of Hollywood, and not a gear that a lot of guys can play."
This praise highlights how Pratt's earlier comedic performances, including his work on Parks and Recreation and in The Garfield Movie, helped expand the range of characters considered viable for leading men in major studio productions.
Physical Commitment to Authenticity
Pratt's decision to remain confined in the executioner's chair stemmed from his desire to genuinely experience the physical discomfort and psychological tension his character would endure. The actor emphasized that because he had "never played a character like this before, in a genre like this," he wanted to ensure his portrayal felt convincing and grounded.
This immersive technique reflects a growing trend among actors seeking to bridge the gap between performance and reality, particularly in genres like science fiction that demand substantial suspension of disbelief from audiences. By voluntarily submitting to physical constraints that mirrored his character's predicament, Pratt aimed to convey authentic emotions of confinement and desperation.
The film's production team accommodated his unusual request, creating a safe but restrictive environment that allowed the actor to explore his character's psychological state through direct physical experience rather than purely imaginative techniques.
