Why Anna Faris Left Mom After Seven Seasons

CBS

Anna Faris has had a long, productive career. She anchored the "Scary Movie" franchise from the very beginning, and it recently made a comeback after a 13-year hiatus. She's also been part of some truly fantastic comedies such as "Just Friends," which perfectly captures the weirdness of going home for the holidays. One of her biggest roles ever came on the CBS sitcom "Mom," which ran for 8 seasons. However, Faris was only there for the first seven.

Created by TV mastermind Chuck Lorre ("The Big Bang Theory"), the show centers on a newly sober single mom, Christy Plunkett (Faris), who tries to pull her life together in Napa Valley while dealing with and reconnecting to her estranged mother. After premiering in 2013 and becoming a ratings hit, CBS renewed "Mom" for Season 7 and Season 8 in December 2019. But Faris announced her departure ahead of the show's eighth and final season, leaving her co-star Allison Janney to become the sole lead.

On a recent episode of the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, Faris addressed her departure from the show, calling it "a complicated time." Elaborating on the situation, the actress offered at least some insight into her decision to walk away from what was, at the time, a very successful network TV series. Here's what she had to say about it:

"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."

"I'm always hesitant to really chew into my experience on 'Mom' because seven years is a huge chunk of time. And being a part of an intense, amazing project," Faris added.

CBS

Most actors would kill to be a part of a show that was this big of a hit. "The Big Bang Theory" Season 13 didn't happen, but the show ran for 12 seasons and was a ratings monster. This came after Chuck Lorre already had a huge run with "Two and a Half Men." Anchoring oneself to the Lorre wagon was a recipe for success.

It's also worth remembering that Allison Janney won Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars in 2018, the same year "The Shape of Water" won Best Picture. That only helped to boost the profile of "Mom" even further. Even so, Faris felt it was best to walk away after a seven-season run as Christy Plunkett. In a statement released in September 2020 (via TV Insider), Faris had this to say about her decision:

"The past seven years on Mom have been some of the most fulfilling and rewarding of my career. I'm so thankful to Chuck [Lorre], the writers, and my amazing castmates for creating a truly wonderful work experience. 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."

Speaking further on the podcast about why she signed on to "Mom" in the first place, Faris said, "It was a really funny pilot, a really interesting pilot," while also explaining that she felt the need to "settle down." The actress also noted that she "didn't think that the movie landscape looked wide open at all."

Since then, Faris has starred in movies like "My Spy: The Eternal City" and hosted her podcast, "Anna Faris is Unqualified."

"Mom" is streaming now on Netflix.