‘Passengers’ share a natural chemistry
Superstars genuinely like each other
By all accounts, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt found working together on Passengers everything you’d hope and expect when two of the world’s biggest, most beloved and most relatable box office stars join forces.
The duo bonded over a shared love of Dumb and Dumber (“That was our touchstone,” Pratt says), and he laughed hard for a good 10 minutes when Lawrence made her iPhone Siri repeat the lyrics “Booty, booty, booty, booty, rockin’ everywhere” when they had to wear foot booties on the set.
There’s just this minor issue of Lawrence never having seen Pratt’s Marvel hit Guardians of the Galaxy (also featuring her frequent co-star Bradley Cooper) all the way through.
“I have a problem,” Lawrence explains, sitting next to a smiling Pratt. “I put a movie on and I fall asleep. And I try again. But then it got to the point where I felt like I had seen it. But I did enjoy it.”
She saw enough to know what’s apparent to all: StarLord Pratt, 37, has the screen power to help a fellow superstar like Lawrence, 26, carry a movie like Passengers (in theaters Wednesday). The sci-fi adventure rests on their space travelers, Aurora and Jim, who awake from malfunctioning sleep pods 90 years out from their destination.
And, let’s face it, Pratt also seemed as if he’d be amusing for a grueling, primarily two-actor shoot.
“I assumed we’d have fun because he seemed funny,” Law- rence says. “But I didn’t know. Sometimes comedians are real wackos. They are really dark.” “That’s true,” Pratt says sagely. Adds Lawrence: “They’re like, ‘I’m not a monkey,’ and I’m like, ‘I kind of want you to be a monkey.’ ”
“I had no problem being a monkey,” Pratt retorts as the two crack up.
“The moral of the story,” says Lawrence, trying to move on as she reaches for her drink. “... Wait, is this water mine or yours?”
“Let’s share,” Pratt says. “Just fountain that into my mouth.”
“Not during flu season. That’s just irresponsible,” Lawrence says. “Otherwise I’d baby-bird him. Constantly.”
These random interludes dominate Pratt and Lawrence’s discussions, which are filled with standing jokes and an abiding respect for moronic humor. This natural chemistry comes through onscreen, Pratt says.
“There is passion. We see that. But also there’s a genuine friendship and a bond between these two people,” says Pratt, who insists the connection is real.
“You hear stories about people creating amazing onscreen chemistry, but they disliked each other and the moviemaking was a nightmare. We didn’t have that. This was really easy,” he says. “To create that chemistry, but more importantly enjoy ourselves, makes the journey to this great destination really fun.”
This journey lasts, even with Lawrence still behind on her Guardians.
“You know what, months after (finishing) Passengers, I put it on in my set trailer. It was on HBO,” Lawrence says. “And I fell asleep.”
Pratt can only laugh and add, “You should probably know that we end up guarding the galaxy.”