Chris Pratt Urges Voters to 'See Things From Both Sides' After His Father-in-Law, 'Avengers' Co-Stars Endorse Kamala Harris
Chris Pratt speaks out in a new op-ed he wrote about seeing things "from both sides" on the eve of the 2024 U.S. presidential election Tuesday (Nov. 5), emphasizing that whoever loses in the general election should admit defeat gracefully.
Pratt's essay covering unity, civility and sportmanship arrives after a group of his fellow Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame co-stars banded together to endorse Kamala Harris.
Harris will face Donald Trump in the election that many Hollywood stars have spoken their piece about. But last week, a huge arrangement of Avengers stars — including Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Danai Gurira, Don Cheadle and Paul Bettany — publicly endorsed Kamala Harris in a star-studded collab.
Pratt's op-ed doesn't explicitly mention that or his fellow actors, but it does go to lengths to highlight the importance of coming together as a nation, regardless of political differences, and emphasizes helping each other in the spirit of unity and community.
"I understand that people's lives and rights are on the line," Pratt writes for Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper (Nov. 2). He continues, "I also see that there are millions of people who feel overlooked and invisible to our government and are desperate for something to change."
Pratt shares how playing sports early in his life taught him about resilience, sportsmanship and the value of being part of something greater than oneself. He relates these lessons to how Americans should handle the election, suggesting that both winning and losing should be approached with grace.
"I feel as though we live in a time now when so many people have yet to learn that lesson," Pratt says. "Sometimes your team doesn't win. The 2024 presidential election is three days away as I write this. The biggest game of all time approaches."
Before going forward, however, the actor says that he recognizes that the gravity of the imminent election and the outcomes of various sporting contests don't quite measure up to each other.
"Of course, I realize the outcome of a sporting event isn't the same as the consequences of an election where real lives and livelihoods are at stake," he says. "I get that many will read this and think, easy for him to say."
Pratt's Avengers co-stars aren't the only ones who have come out in support of Harris. His father-in-law, Hollywood heavyweight Arnold Schwarzenegger, also endorsed the current Vice President in what was a rare political statement for the Terminator figurehead.
Still, Pratt encourages Americans to all come together. "America's greatness is in the strength of our unified communities," he writes. "Our strength lies in our people who step across the political aisle not just with the handshake of a good sportsman but a helping hand to anyone in need."
Pratt concludes, "Your civic duty can be uniquely exercised on November 5th, but there is an even bigger civic duty required the next day, which is to accept the results and focus instead on showing up for each other."
