The term "starving artist" might be a cliché, but that doesn't mean it's not a reality for a lot of creative people who are just starting out. Chris Pratt, who we now know from hit shows and movies like Parks and Recreation and Guardians of the Galaxy, recently told a story that proved just how real that whole starving artist thing is.

During a recent press trip to London to promote the new film Passengers, Pratt and his co-star Jennifer Lawrence appeared on The Graham Norton Show. While there, the 37-year-old actor was asked about the jobs he worked before becoming famous, and that prompted him to make a hilarious admission.

Chris told the host that he had spent several years working nights and weekend at a restaurant in Los Angeles. During his tenure as a waiter, Pratt says he basically lived off the scraps that the restaurant's patrons would leave behind on their plates. He joked about one specific time when he suggested that a tiny old lady order a 32-ounce porterhouse steak with mashed potatoes on the side in hopes that he would get a bunch of leftovers out of it. Pratt did end up getting his wish, but a misunderstanding leads to a much longer and much funnier story than you'd first expect. Take a look: