Mom star Anna Faris is leaving the sitcom a week before production was set to begin. In a statement, the actress said, “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.”
The news comes as a shock to fans of the show, which revolves around Faris’ relationship with her mother, played by Emmy winner Allison Janney. Mom is expected to start filming on September 14 after production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, Warner Bros. Television, CBS, and Chuck Lorre Productions said that “From the inception of ‘Mom,’ Anna was the first and only choice for the role of Christy. We are so proud of the stories we have been able to tell during Anna’s seven years with us. We wish Anna all the best, and we thank her for her beautiful portrayal.”
In the show, Faris plays Christy Plunkett, a single mother who moves to Napa, California, after battling alcoholism and drug abuse. There, she reconnects with her mother, Bonnie Plunkett, played by Janney, who is also a recovering addict. Sadie Calvano, who plays Christy’s daughter Violet, left the show after season 5 but has returned in guest appearances.
Mom has been praised for tackling issues such as addiction, teen pregnancy, homelessness, cancer, death, domestic violence, rape, obesity, and miscarriage. The series, created by Chuck Lorre, Eddie Gorodetsky and Gemma Baker, also stars Mimi Kennedy, Jaime Pressly, Beth Hall, William Fichtner and Kristen Johnston.
Mom has been a ratings and critical success for CBS during its run. Nominated for 10 Emmy awards in total, Janney won two for best supporting actress in a comedy in 2014 and 2015. It remains to be seen how the show will fare without Faris in season 8 and whether or not it will be renewed for season 9.
Faris last appeared on the big screen in 2018’s Overboard, a remake of the 1987 film with Goldie Hawn. Although she has no film projects pending, she is getting married in the near future. In 2017, she began dating cinematographer Michael Barrett in 2017 after finalizing her divorce from Chris Pratt in 2018. In a February 2020 appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Faris confirmed that she and Barrett were engaged.
Source: Variety