Anna Faris is finally sharing new details about one of the biggest TV exits in recent memory. Six years after leaving CBS sitcom ‘Mom‘, the actress has reflected on why she walked away from the hit series after seven seasons and why she never returned for its final chapter.
Faris described the period as a difficult and complicated time, and opened up about the decision that surprised viewers.
Why Anna Faris Decided To Leave ‘Mom’ Before Its Final Season
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Faris explained that the demands of the long-running sitcom began to affect her toward the end of her time on the show. The actress admitted that she struggled to maintain the same focus she had when the series first began.
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“I do think the intensity, towards the end, I think I started to lose my focus,” Faris told host Josh Horowitz. She added that staying with one project for so many years was something she had never experienced before. “I never had a job besides waitressing for over three months before.”
Looking back on that chapter of her life, Faris described it as a challenging period. “It was a complicated time,” she said, before joking that she should probably “work it out more” on future podcasts to better understand everything she was feeling at the time.
The actress announced her departure from Mom in 2020 after seven seasons. Fans were particularly surprised because the show still had one more season left before its eventual conclusion in 2021.
How Faris Feels About ‘Mom’ Years Later
Although Faris does not often discuss her time on the sitcom, she made it clear that the series remains an important part of her career. The star said she is “always hesitant” to talk at length about Mom because “seven years is a huge chunk of time.”
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Even so, she described the experience as being part of “an intense, amazing project.”
Faris also shared how meaningful it is to hear from viewers who connected with the show over the years. “I feel really moved that… I’ve touched lives,” she said.
Mom debuted in 2013 and followed Christy Plunkett, a single mother and recovering addict trying to rebuild her life in Napa, California. Throughout the show’s run, viewers watched Christy work toward a brighter future, eventually pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer.
After Faris left the series, the writers explained Christy’s absence by sending her to Washington, D.C., to attend Georgetown University and continue pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer.
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