Before getting into that, Pratt shared how he prepares for his role as Mario—a process that is, predictably, a little unconventional.
Pratt on his voice acting prep:
“I actually intentionally clog my own toilets at home, uh, in the morning. I plumb those… It’s kind of nerdy stuff, but I do some vocal warmups on the way driving into the session.”
The actor reprises his role as Mario with his now-infamous Brooklyn-leaning accent. The original film follows Mario and Luigi, two Italian American plumbers who are transported to another world and swept into a battle between Princess Peach, voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy, and Bowser, voiced by Jack Black.
He teased what fans can expect from the sequel:
“If you're a big fan of Super Mario Brothers and played a lot of games, there will be extra surprises for you—but it's truly spectacular. It's visually stunning, and the story is like dynamite.”
The sequel expands the universe, sending Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi into space alongside Peach and Toad, where they encounter Princess Rosalina, voiced by Brie Larson, and face Bowser once again—this time with Bowser Jr. in tow.
But the most surprising reveal came when Today host Craig Melvin asked whether Pratt’s kids think it’s “cool” that he voices one of pop culture's most recognizable characters.
The answer? Not exactly.
Pratt on his oldest son Jack’s reaction:
“My 13-year-old has seen— I took him to an early screening of the first movie. I don't think he was able to come with me to the screening of this movie, but yeah, he thinks it's pretty cool…”
Pratt shares Jack with his ex-wife, acclaimed comedy actor Anna Faris, who is set to appear in the highly anticipated return of Scary Movie 6. But when it comes to his younger children with Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt, the situation is very different.
He revealed his younger kids haven’t seen movies at all:
“My 5-year-old, my 3-year-old, and my 1-year-old have never seen movies. Katherine is very old-school when it comes to screens and technology and all of that stuff.”
Schwarzenegger Pratt—an author, podcast host, and daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver—has taken a firm stance on limiting screen time. The couple shares daughters Lyla and Eloise and son Ford, and for now, movies are completely off the table.
That means no Mario. No Garfield. No, The Lego Movie. Not even a quick cameo of dad saving the day.
Pratt seems to think that will change eventually:
“We're waiting. There's going to be a season, they're going to realize their dad is really cool. They haven't realized it yet, but one day. Jack likes me, though.”
You can watch the interview below:
- YouTubeTODAY
For what it’s worth, this “no screens” approach isn’t exactly coming out of nowhere. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has long recommended limiting screen time for very young children, emphasizing real-world interaction and unstructured play as key to development.
The internet, unsurprisingly, had plenty to say about the couple’s no-movies parenting rule:
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Still, the irony isn’t lost here: Pratt has built a sizable chunk of his career voicing characters in massive animated franchises his own kids haven’t watched.
He even hinted at that disconnect while discussing The Garfield Movie.
Chris Pratt on when his kids might finally watch one of his films:
“I'd love to have a personal screening, it'll be great. As soon as they're ready for that, which, by the way, I think is pretty soon. It might be like the first movie my youngest has ever seen.”
Until then, Pratt remains one of the most recognizable animated voices his own household doesn’t hear on screen.
The actor’s voice résumé includes Emmet in The Lego Movie and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Barley Lightfoot in Onward, Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Garfield in The Garfield Movie. He’s also set to return for a Garfield sequel and continue his role in The Terminal List franchise.
So for now, that divide between Pratt’s on-screen dominance and his off-screen household rules remains firmly in place. His voice may be everywhere, but at home, it’s still waiting for an official debut.
But the same can be true for the other people in their lives. If their relationship isn't meant to last, their loved ones might be able to pick up on that too.
Wedding photographer and TikToker @onavicenta shared in a TikTok that there are clear indicators to her that a couple is not meant to last, and that these signs appear as early as their engagement shoot or "Save the Date" shoot.
Most of the signs that the TikToker indicates relate either to communication or empathy.
For example, when couples arrive for the photoshoot but clearly have not discussed their goals for the photoshoot at all, like any poses they'd particularly like to do, a theme or dress code, or what they personally hope to get out of the shoot, that's a red flag.
People who are also very critical and mean of their partners in front of the photographer, who's essentially a stranger, either because they don't want to be at the shoot, or because they are frustrated about how the photos are turning out, or because they want to make fun of their partner for their facial expressions and postures, are also terrible contenders for a long-term marriage.
It's, of course, understandable if the couple has never done a photoshoot before, if they're short on money or time, or if there are other stresses that they've brought to the photoshoot with them. In those cases, what makes the difference is if the couple tries to be there for each other, calm each other down, and lighten the moment. Those are positive indicators that can turn a negative experience around.
You can watch the video here:
Fellow TikTokers were fascinated by TikToker @onavicenta's observations.
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The TikToker also indicates in another video that her ability to see these patterns feels like a blessing and a curse, but that she's never been wrong about reading these signs. Curious about the couples she works with, she'll check their Instagram and other social media accounts later to see if the couple has reached their happily-ever-after ending.
For those whom she had a good feeling about, she'll see that they're still excited to get married or have already married. Those who she thought would divorce either wound up divorcing shortly after their wedding vows were exchanged, or they called off their weddings before even walking down the aisle.
And for some dads, they aren't always quite show to talk to their daughters, and may be looking for a way to connect to them in a more personal and meaningful way.
For this reason, two dads who call themselves "The Secret Life of Dads" on social media, decided to start a program called "Pints and Ponytails," through which dads can come together, socialize, have some drinks, and learn how to style their daughters' hair with the use of mannequins.
They reflected:
"Less than three weeks ago, we sat in this very space at the Lucky Saint Beer pub with 10 other dads, and last night, 35 dads walked through the door!!"
"Most of them came alone but were all there for the same reason… to learn how to do their daughters’ hair. What followed was one of the most special evenings we've ever been part of!"
What followed was a touching video, featuring three dozen dads of all different races and backgrounds, enjoying drinks and each other's company, and cheering each other on as they learned about different hair types and hairstyles.
You can watch the video here:
In a companion video, one dad opened up about how this totally changed his perspective about styling his daughter's hair.
"Learning to braid my daughter's hair changed what is often seen as just a task, like 'get the hair done before school,' into a moment of connection."
"That's when she gets to tell me about her day. That's when she shares with me things that are happening in her life."
"And it's a time that happens at the beginning of each day that I just get to be with her and listen and ask questions and connect."
"That has been the aperture for opening a connection between me and my daughter."
You can watch the companion video here:
Fellow TikTokers were touched by the program.
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This was so incredibly wholesome, and we're excited to see "Pints and Ponytails" continue to meet and continue to grow.
When we say that actions speak louder than words, and that healthy masculinity lives quietly while "nice guys" speak through a megaphone, this is exactly what we mean.
