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Chris Pratt Says He Was Impotent, Depressed, Fatigued at 300 Pounds: “I Had Real Health Issues”

Chris Pratt on Men's Health UK
Chris Pratt opened up about his weight struggles in Men's Health UK's July 2015 issue

Andy Dwyer needs a new wardrobe! Chris Pratt has come a long way since eating “three or four cheeseburgers” during every Parks and Recreation table read. The Magnificent Seven actor opened up about his weight struggles — and how he got into tip-top shape — in Men’s Health UK’s July 2015 issue.

Related: PHOTOS: Chris and Anna's romance

The Everwood alum first began by explaining that he voluntarily gained weight to play Dwyer in the NBC comedy. “I said to the creators that I wanted to get fatter for the role. They loved it,” the 35-year-old recalled, via Daily Mail. “I announced it to the whole cast, and then it became a bit of a game: how fat can I get and how fast can I get that fat.”

Pratt had fun with his costars, but stopped laughing once he saw himself in an episode. “‘I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m getting fat,'” he said. “And then almost immediately I did something else and I thought, ‘Holy crap, I’ve never seen myself funnier.’ And I put the two together.”

Related: PHOTOS: Celebs' best shapes for movie roles

Pratt said he weighed 300 pounds at his heaviest, and the excessive eating continued once he left the show’s set each day. His wife, Anna Faris, would eat a little bit of her meals, while he ate his entire plate — and her leftovers.

“We were drinking a lot of wine and having fun,” he told the mag. “I was her little Hansel out in the woods and she was fattening me up to put me in the fire. It was like Momma Bear and Papa Bear.” (The couple are parents to 2-year-old son Jack.) He added: “I was impotent, fatigued, emotionally depressed. I had real health issues that were affecting me in a major way. It’s bad for your heart, your skin, your system, your spirit.”

Chris Pratt and Anna Faris
Chris Pratt and Anna Faris

Related: PHOTOS: Shirtless hunks

Pratt yo-yo dieted between jobs (he slimmed down for 2011’s Moneyball, just to pack on the pounds again for Parks and Recreation and 2013’s Delivery Man), but he finally made the decision to get serious about his health after watching a Zero Dark Thirty screening. The star got extra-ripped (remember that shirtless Instagram shot, anyone!?) to play a Navy SEAL in the 2012 drama.

He recalled: “…Right after walking out I was like: ‘I’m going to get in shape and I’m never going to be fat again.'”

Related: PHOTOS: Stars' weight fluctuations

And, so far, Pratt has stuck to his promise — despite his “sometimes lame” mealtimes. He headed back to the gym once more for his leading role in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and can next be seen looking fit in the upcoming adventure Jurassic World.

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