Hollywood heart throb Christopher Michael Pratt was born on June 21, 1979. And despite his "soft" figure in his role as Andy Dwyer on the NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation" (2009 - 2015), this early headshot is proof that Chris Pratt was slim and sexy even before he became famous. Pratt's character was actually meant to be temporary, but producers of the show appreciated his contribution so much that they made him an offer to be a regular on the series.
While working on Parks and Rec, Pratt gained close to 40 pounds, which he blamed on the cooking of actress Anna Faris, whom he was dating at the time. He had put on so much weight, that when he auditioned to play the role of a professional baseball player in the 2011 film "Moneybag" alongside Brad Pitt, producers told him he was too fat. Not taking no for an answer, Pratt underwent a fitness transformation that caused much sensation on social media. When he reached out to the casting director again with a photo of his new figure, Pratt won the part!
Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.
Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.
Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.