Anna Faris is looking back on her seven-season run as Christy Plunkett on the hit sitcom Mom and revealing the surprising reason she ultimately walked away.
During a recent podcast appearance, the actress praised the Chuck Lorre-created comedy and its “brilliant” cast, but admitted the demanding production schedule eventually became too much to sustain.
Her comments offer fresh insight into one of television’s most talked-about cast departures and why she chose to leave a role that helped define her career.
Anna Faris finally addresses her exit from Mom years after the finale
Image credits: CBS/Getty Images
In Mom, Anna Faris played Christy Plunkett, a single mother recovering from substance dependence who reunites with her estranged mother, Bonnie Plunkett (Allison Janney).
The sitcom follows the mother-daughter duo as they try to rebuild their lives. It received critical acclaim and proved a massive ratings success for CBS.
However, CBS announced in September 2020 that Faris would not return for the show’s eighth and final season. While Faris thanked the cast and creative team, she did not reveal an exact reason for her departure at the time.
Image credits: CBS/Getty Images
Nearly six years later, Faris finally explained her decision to leave the series during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.
The 49-year-old revealed that after seven seasons, she had begun to lose focus due to the intense production schedule.
“I never had a job besides waitressing for over three months before,” she admitted.
While she did not elaborate, Faris described her final days on the show as “a complicated time” and suggested the intensity of the filming schedule played a role in her departure.
Anna Faris explains why she joined the hit sitcom despite her movie career
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The House Bunny star said she would discuss her departure in greater detail at another time and instead reflected on the show’s impact on her life.
“I feel really moved that I’ve touched lives,” she said.
Faris was cast as Christy in January 2013, marking her first full-time television role as the lead character after guest stints on several shows. At the time, Faris had established herself as a movie star with comedic roles.
Image credits: CBS/Getty Images
Despite this, the actress chose to star in the sitcom, citing her need to “settle down” as she grew older.
Faris also said the movie landscape no longer seemed “wide open” to her, which helped motivate her decision to join Chuck Lorre’s “funny” and “interesting” pilot.
“An avenue to longevity in Hollywood could be comedy,” she added.
Anna Faris also talked about her return to the Scary Movie franchise
Image credits: Paramount Pictures
Before her long-running sitcom stint, Faris’ breakout role came in the 2000 comedy Scary Movie. Written by and starring Marlon and Shawn Wayans, the film was a commercial success, grossing $278 million globally.
Faris recently reprised her role as Cindy Campbell in the franchise’s sixth installment, a reboot also titled Scary Movie. The film also marked the Wayans brothers’ first return to the franchise since the 2001 sequel.
During the same podcast, Faris revealed that she was delighted to reunite with the Wayans and described her return to the franchise as an “emotional” experience.
Image credits: Brianna Bryson/Getty Images
Faris also admitted that she felt financially undervalued in the franchise, especially after she wasn’t invited to reprise her role in the fifth installment.
Despite receiving mostly negative reviews, the 2026 reboot has grossed $177 million against a reported budget of $30 million. Faris also drew attention at the film’s premiere because of her drastic transformation.
Mom is currently streaming on Netflix.
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