On the Scene

For Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, Onward Is a Family Affair

Pixar’s latest animated adventure, which stars Holland and Pratt as brothers on a quest, really hits home for both actors.

By Paul Chi

February 19, 2020

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Just talking about Onward gets Chris Pratt choked up. Pixar’s latest animated fantasy stars Pratt and Tom Holland as a pair of brothers on a journey of self-discovery—and for the Guardians of the Galaxy star, it really hits home.

“This is definitely the most personal and emotional movie I have done,” said Pratt at the film’s world premiere in Hollywood on Tuesday night. “This movie celebrates the love between brothers, and my own relationship with my older brother is very much reflected in this film. My brother is the person who was always there for me. It was him who inspired me to become an actor. In many ways, he raised me.”

Pratt is the youngest of three. He has a sister, Angie, and a brother, Cully. Their father, Dan, was ill with multiple sclerosis for many years and died in 2014.

“During my whole life and with my career, my brother has been nothing but encouraging. When I was dealing with something personal or wasn’t sure if acting was going to happen for me early on, he championed me and supported me,” said Pratt. “He was the one that always wanted to be an actor. Watching him perform in plays as a kid, I wanted to be an actor because of him. I followed his footsteps and found my passion in life thanks to him.”

Cully ended up not pursuing a career in acting himself. He eventually enlisted in the army instead; today, he’s a police officer in Northern California’s Bay Area, while Pratt has become one of the top leading men in Hollywood.

“There was never any jealousy that I became an actor and he didn’t,” said Pratt. “And that’s what’s in the film. My character, Barley, loves his brother, Ian, so much. He’s just so proud that [Ian] has this gift of magic even though he doesn’t have any powers himself. When I saw that in the movie and how that was expressed, it made me really appreciate how my brother was with me. My brother has been so vocal about how excited he is for my life and the things I’ve accomplished. He still gives me crap like a brother does, but he’s always there to lift me up when I’m angry and supports me no matter what.”

Pratt idolized Cully—so much so that when he was in high school, the Jurassic World star would wear his brother’s clothes the day after Cully wore them.

“I would literally pick up his clothes off the floor and put them on because he had real good style and nice cologne. I wanted to be him,” Pratt said. “We started going to the same school when I was a freshman and he was a junior. His friends started to notice that I was wearing his clothes, and he kindly said, ‘You need to stop wearing my clothes the day after.’”

In Onward—out March 6—Holland plays Ian, who has no memories of his late father. Uncertain and introverted, Ian longs to be confident and strong—and he’s sure that if he’d grown up with his father, he would be both.

“This film has made me love my dad even more,” said the 23-year-old Spider-Man star on the red carpet. “My dad and I have a really special relationship, and he has massively been instrumental in my life and career. Basically everything I do, I run by my parents. I do with my three brothers as well. I run projects with my friends too, which I’m probably not allowed to do, but I’m always sending scripts out to my family and friends. I’m like, ‘Can you give this a read? Don’t tell anyone you read it.’”

“But my dad has been really informative in my career. It’s not just about decisions being made, but more about the way he’s brought us up as boys and young men and how to be respectful to everyone,” Holland added. “He’s always telling my brothers and I to learn to work hard and be kind and be thankful.”

Paul Chi

Writer