CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Film and television star Chris Pratt has been named the Hasty Pudding's 2015 Man of the Year.
Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the oldest theatrical organization in the United States, previously announced Pratt's Parks & Recreation co-star Amy Poehler as the Hasty Pudding's 2015 Woman of the Year. The Man and Woman of the Year Awards are presented annually to performers who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment. The Man of the Year award was established in 1963. Its past recipients include, among others, Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Robert De Niro, Harrison Ford, Anthony Hopkins, Bruce Willis, Justin Timberlake, James Franco, and most recently, Neil Patrick Harris. The Man of the Year festivities, presented by The Related Companies, will take place Feb. 6. The Hasty Pudding Theatricals will host a celebratory roast for the actor and present him with his Pudding Pot at Farkas Hall, the Hasty Pudding's historic home in the heart of Harvard Square since 1888. A press conference will follow the roast. Afterward, the group will stage the opening night performance of its 167th production, ¡Oops!... Madrid It Again! "We vehemently deny that the members of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals are obsessed with Parks & Recreation," Jason Hellerstein, the 2015 president of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, said in a statement Wednesday. "There is absolutely no basis to the rumors of ritualistic weekly viewings of the show at the Hasty Pudding Clubhouse... Joking aside, Chris Pratt's recent achievements as an actor are outstanding and we could not be more thrilled to host him and celebrate his talent as only the Pudding can." Pratt will soon be seen in Jurassic World. His other blockbuster film credits include Guardians of the Galaxy and The Lego Movie.
