‘Mom’: Chuck Lorre Reveals He Was Reluctant to Hire Anna Faris for Sitcom

TV creative and producer extraordinaire Chuck Lorre is getting candid about his various projects in his new book Sitcom, which is officially on shelves now.

One particular reveal made in the book is his reluctance to hire Anna Faris for the former CBS comedy Mom, in which she ended up playing Christy Plunkett, a single mom who attempts to restart her life in Napa following struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction. Ultimately, Faris starred in the show for seven seasons between 2013 and 2020.

“I initially said no; I wasn’t sure Anna would be appropriate for this kind of material,” Lorre wrote in his book regarding Faris’s casting, as he cited that the pilot “came together relatively quickly.”

It was Lorre’s “bungled” working relationship with Charlie Sheen that convinced him to give Faris the benefit of his doubt. “Someone’s personal life is none of my business,” Lorre wrote. “The mom in Mom would be, and should be, Anna Faris.”

Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images

Mom ran for eight seasons in full on CBS, with Faris departing the show a season prior to the series finale. Faris starred alongside Allison Janney, who played Christy’s mom Bonnie, in the sitcom.

At the time of her exit, Faris wrote on social media, “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 said in a statement announcing her exit in 2020. “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.”

Related

Anna Faris Opens Up About Stepping Away From 'Mom'

Earlier this year, Faris spoke more candidly about the reasoning behind her exit, as she told Josh Horowitz for his Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, “I do think the intensity, towards the end, I think I started to lose my focus.” She added, “I never had a job besides waitressing for over three months before.” Faris has also cited mental health struggles as another reason.

Mom, Streaming Now, Netflix