Anna Faris is getting candid about where she thought her career was headed before an unexpected phone call changed everything.
Ahead of the release of “Scary Movie 6,” the actress revealed that she had started to accept the possibility that Hollywood was moving on from her before she was invited to reprise her fan-favorite role as Cindy Campbell.
In Entertainment Weekly’s “Scary Movie” reunion cover story, Faris admitted she had been “coming around to the idea of Hollywood sort of putting me out to pasture” and had made peace with the idea that her acting career was entering a different phase.
The 49-year-old actress has largely stayed away from major theatrical films in recent years. After starring in 2022’s “The Estate,” much of her work shifted to television and voice acting. Faris also exited the CBS sitcom “Mom” in 2020 after seven seasons.
That made the call from Shawn and Marlon Wayans all the more surprising.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Faris was still dealing with the aftermath of losing her home in the Palisades Fire in early 2025 when the Wayans brothers reached out about returning for “Scary Movie 6.”
What followed became much more meaningful than simply revisiting a role she first played more than two decades ago.
Anna Faris Once Thought She’d Never Return to the Franchise
Perhaps the biggest surprise from Faris’ recent interviews is that she once believed she would never return to “Scary Movie” at all.
The actress previously viewed the idea of another sequel as a potential “concession of my soul,” worrying that revisiting the franchise might feel more like a cash grab than a genuine creative opportunity.
Faris also reflected on the complicated relationship she had with the franchise over the years. While the original 2000 film transformed her into a star almost overnight, she admitted she sometimes questioned how Hollywood viewed her afterward.
The actress said she spent years wondering whether she was being taken seriously beyond comedy despite the massive success of the franchise.
Still, Faris acknowledged that Cindy Campbell changed her life. Before “Scary Movie,” she was a relatively unknown actress trying to establish herself in Hollywood. After the film became a box office hit, she suddenly found herself recognized everywhere.
More than 20 years later, she is back playing the character that launched her career.
Reuniting With the Wayans Brothers Became a Healing Experience
While promoting the film, Faris became emotional discussing her reunion with the Wayans brothers.
Speaking with Extra, she admitted she never expected to associate “Scary Movie” with emotional feelings, but returning to the franchise gave her an opportunity she had wanted for years.
Faris explained that it always bothered her that she never properly thanked Keenen Ivory Wayans for helping launch her career. She also felt Hollywood never fully appreciated what the Wayans family accomplished with the franchise.
Returning for “Scary Movie 6” allowed her to reconnect with the people who helped change her life.
“I got to be a part of this and thank them,” she said.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Faris described the reunion as healing, a victory and a personal celebration. She admitted she spent much of filming thanking Shawn and Marlon Wayans for bringing her back.
The admiration appears to go both ways. During the reunion press tour, Marlon Wayans praised both Faris and Regina Hall, saying he and his brother remain “proud papas” watching the actresses thrive after helping launch their careers through the franchise.
As for the future of “Scary Movie,” Faris isn’t convinced this will be the last chapter.
“I don’t think it dies. I don’t know, at least not for me.”
