Chris Pratt says in a new interview that the Bible has shaped his understanding of the world – but that he works in a business where “idols” are elevated and then torn down, often with devastating consequences.
Pratt made the remarks during an appearance on Ben Sasse’s new podcast Not Dead Yet, saying his Christian faith serves as the foundation for how he views life and success. Sasse is the former U.S. senator from Nebraska and former University of Florida president who was diagnosed with terminal stage-four pancreatic cancer.
Pratt is best known for blockbuster films such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and The Lego Movie.
“My entire worldview is shaped on my understanding of God and on what I’ve learned from reading the Bible,” Pratt said.
But Hollywood – and, he argued, much of America and the broader Western world – have built a culture around elevating celebrities to idol status only to later dismantle them.
“I love America, I love the West, and I believe in God’s providence that we have something really extraordinary here,” he said. “And I love Hollywood as well. I love movies, I love entertainment. I think it’s okay. God tells us to rejoice. I think it’s okay to not be a monk. You don’t have to just sit in prayer at all times.
“And I do know that, as human beings, our hearts are designed in such a way that we have a spot reserved in them to be in awe of God. And I work in a business where we create idols, and we worship them – and no one is worthy of worship. And so not only do we create idols to worship, we create idols to burn.”
Pratt did not elaborate on specific examples, but he previously has criticized cancel culture and the entertainment industry’s tendency to constantly chase the next rising star. The pressures of fame, he suggested, can be emotionally and spiritually exhausting. Celebrity culture itself, he implied, can become deeply toxic.
“Everyone in my position is going to be burnt, and in a way, that’s the survival. That’s the challenge of surviving in my business – is how long can you go, how long can you milk this system without it burning you down, and how many people have burned down in front of us? … How people have killed themselves or drank themselves to death, or have been estranged from their children, or met tragic ends, or have lost their minds?”
Pratt said he approaches the issue with grace because, he said, “they’re doing the physical and mental gymnastics to avoid the slings and arrows that are coming their way, because they’ve been thrown on this stage – and the flaming arrows that come their way to burn them down.”
It’s easy, he said, for outsiders to dismiss the struggles of celebrities because of the wealth and fame they enjoy.
“How can you possibly complain if you’ve made that much money?” he said, describing the way many people react. “Well, the truth is, you know, there’s a certain brand of hopelessness that exists in people who have it all, but still lack joy.”
He paraphrased a quote from Christine Caine: “If the light that shines upon you is brighter than the light within you, then the light that shines upon you will kill you.”
“That’s why I need God, because having a nice house and a cool car, and the ability to go on whatever fishing trip I want,” doesn’t satisfy, he said.
Pratt joked that he likely has enough money to buy everything in the Bass Pro Shop catalog.
“But it doesn’t fill the hole inside of my heart that is in a very specific shape – God is the only thing that can fill it.”
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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael’s Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published May 15, 2026.
Michael Foust
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