Chuck Lorre said his initial doubts about hiring Anna Faris proved to be “correct” after the actress left the show following seven seasons.
In his new memoir, titled “Sitcom,” the famed showrunner addressed Faris’ time on the CBS comedy, admitting he had an “initial reluctance” to cast her as the show’s lead, recovering alcoholic and single mother Christy Plunkett.
“I initially said no. I wasn’t sure Anna would be appropriate for this kind of material,” Lorre wrote in his book, which was released on Tuesday. “Then I thought about how badly I’d bungled my working relationship with Charlie Sheen.”
Per Lorre, reflecting on his past dynamic with Sheen made him change his mind, noting, “Someone’s personal life is none of my business. The mom in ‘Mom’ would be, and should be, Anna Faris.”
Faris stepped into the leading role opposite Allison Janney, who played her own alcoholic mother Bonnie Plunkett. The pair led the show between 2013 and 2020, when Faris confirmed that she exiting the sitcom.
“The past seven years on ‘Mom’ have been some of the most fulfilling and rewarding of my career. I’m so thankful to Chuck, the writers, and my amazing castmates for creating a truly wonderful work experience,” Faris shared at the time of her departure. “While my journey as Christy has come to an end, allowing me to pursue new opportunities, I’ll be watching next season and rooting for my TV family.”
She later revealed on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that the longevity of the project led to her early departure, sharing, “I do think the intensity, towards the end, I think I started to lose my focus … I never had a job besides waitressing for over three months before.”
Lorre, however, felt vindicated after Faris’ exit in 2020. “As the years went by, it became apparent that my initial reluctance to hire Anna was, in fact, correct,” he said in the memoir. “After six years, she left the show for mysterious reasons that were not mysterious to anyone on the show.”
A representative for Faris did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
“Mom” continued for one season more without Faris, concluding with Season 8 in 2021. Nonetheless, Lorre defended that the show “found its true voice” in its last seasons, adding, “There is hope and there is laughter in overcoming the seemingly fatal disease of alcoholism.”
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