Hollywood, October 26, 2025 — Chris Pratt has opened up about his powerful experience working closely with the Los Angeles Police Department while preparing for his upcoming sci-fi thriller Mercy. The Guardians of the Galaxy star called LAPD officers “heroes,” sharing that the time he spent shadowing homicide detectives left him with a new level of respect for law enforcement.
In a recent interview, Pratt revealed how deeply the officers’ real-life stories impacted him.
“These guys are heroes,” he said. “The trouble they encounter and the trauma they see on a day-to-day basis is really staggering. You can’t fully understand what they go through until you see it up close.”
The actor spent several weeks training with LAPD homicide detectives to prepare for his role in Mercy, where he plays a decorated detective accused of a shocking crime in a near-future world where justice is determined by artificial intelligence.
“My character has been a homicide detective for years,” Pratt explained. “He’s helped design a futuristic system to make policing more efficient, but now it’s coming back to haunt him. That duality — being both the hunter and the hunted — was fascinating to explore.”
A Grounded Look Behind the Badge
While Mercy is set in a high-tech dystopian Los Angeles, Pratt said his goal was to make his character feel human — a man haunted by the emotional cost of the job.
“I didn’t just want to play a tough cop with a gun,” Pratt said. “I wanted to show the cost — what it does to your heart, your mind, your family. Spending time with real homicide detectives changed the way I approached every scene.”
Sources close to the production say Pratt’s commitment to authenticity impressed everyone on set. “He didn’t just show up and act,” said one crew member. “He absorbed everything from how detectives talk to how they sit in silence after a crime scene. That’s what will make Mercy feel real.”
LAPD’s Reaction: “He Listened More Than He Talked”
According to an LAPD training coordinator who worked with the actor, Pratt’s humility stood out.
“He wasn’t there to play movie star,” the officer said. “He asked questions, listened to stories, and showed genuine respect for what these men and women do. When he called them heroes, it wasn’t just for the cameras — he meant it.”
The LAPD later released a short statement thanking Pratt and the film’s team for “portraying law enforcement with empathy and realism,” calling it “a refreshing approach in modern cinema.”
About Mercy
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Unfriended), Mercy is set in a futuristic Los Angeles where justice is driven by AI surveillance and predictive policing. Pratt’s character — once a respected officer — becomes the prime suspect in a murder he insists he didn’t commit, forcing him to navigate both the system he helped build and the people trying to take him down.
The film also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Woody Harrelson, and Pom Klementieff, with a screenplay by Marco van Belle. It’s scheduled for release on January 23, 2026.
A Role with Real Weight
Pratt, who has built a reputation for balancing humor and heart in his performances, said Mercy was one of the most emotionally draining roles of his career.
“There were nights I couldn’t sleep after hearing what some of these detectives have seen,” he admitted. “It’s heavy stuff — but it reminded me that real courage isn’t about explosions or chase scenes. It’s about showing up, day after day, in the face of things most people could never imagine.”
