Anna Faris is opening up about her decision to stop drinking and the changes she has noticed since becoming sober.
During a recent appearance on Chelsea Handler’s “Dear Chelsea” podcast, the 49-year-old actress reflected on how giving up alcohol has affected her mental health and helped shift the way she views her career.
Faris said she recognized that drinking was having a negative effect on her personally.
“It turns out there’s a correlation between drinking and depression for me, for sure,” Faris said. “I had to take a step back and not self-sabotage.”
When Handler asked whether sobriety had played a role in Faris’ changing outlook, the “Scary Movie” star agreed, describing her experience as one of the “many gifts” that have come from no longer drinking.
Faris also credited another change with helping her feel better. She said using a hormone patch “made a huge difference” for her.
Anna Faris Says She Has a New Appreciation for Her Comedy Career
Along with her sobriety, Faris has been reconsidering a career she admitted she did not always fully appreciate.
Faris became widely known after starring as Cindy Campbell in 2000’s “Scary Movie.” She went on to build a career largely centered around comedy, with roles in movies including “The House Bunny,” “What’s Your Number?” and “My Super Ex-Girlfriend.”
Despite that success, Faris told Handler that being known as a comedic actress once felt like an “ill-fitting shoe.” She said she struggled to get auditions for dramatic roles and, in her 20s, sometimes felt envious of actors whose careers took different paths.
“I think that is a really ungracious idea,” she said.
Her perspective has changed over the past year. Faris said she began noticing that when people recognized her in public, they would often smile. She realized they were remembering the comedic performances they had watched over the years, something she has since learned to appreciate.
Faris also admitted she had been dealing with what she called the “death of a career that I felt confused about.”
That feeling began to shift as she returned to the franchise that helped launch her career.
Returning to ‘Scary Movie’ Helped Anna Faris Look Back Differently
Faris reprised her role as Cindy in the 2026 installment of “Scary Movie,” giving her another opportunity to reflect on where her career began.
While working on the movie, Faris recalled seeing Marlon Wayans on set and immediately wanting to express her gratitude. She told Handler she had never gotten the chance to properly thank his brother, Keenen Ivory Wayans, who directed the original “Scary Movie.”
Per the podcast interview, Faris approached Marlon and told him how grateful she was for the opportunity that his family helped give her.
The experience also allowed Faris to recognize how much comedy has shaped her life, even after years of wishing she had been given more opportunities outside the genre.
“The comedy world has given me so much that I did not realize,” she said.
Now, Faris’ sobriety, personal changes and return to “Scary Movie” have coincided with a different perspective on both her well-being and the career she once struggled to understand.
