Allison Janney and Anna Faris starred in the mother-daughter comedy, “Mom,” which aired from 2013 to 2021. Faris, 49, took voice acting roles right after leaving the Emmy-winning Chuck Lorre. She explained why her mental health declined after that decision.
Anna Faris Had Premenopausal Depression After ‘Mom’
GettyShe said she struggled after leaving her longest-running role. Now the actress is back for starring roles like “Scary Movie 6” again after considering retirement.
Faris was a guest on the “Dear Chelsea” podcast with Chelsea Handler. The funny actress turns 50 years old in November and questioned if she could continue her career.
“I didn’t know what my ambition [was],” she explained. “I didn’t know where I stood, what opportunity there was.” Historically, aging hurt actors’ careers, but it’s getting slightly better. Her co-star Janney was 54 when the first season of “Mom” was released.
Faris said she was “disturbed by my lack of ambition” and believes it was due to her mental health. “I was, in hindsight, I think pretty depressed, like, premenopausal depression without recognizing it,” she said. “I was just having a distant relationship with this city and my career and wondering if I had enough money to retire.”
Perimenopause can increase a person’s risk for depression, according to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America. A person’s hormones are changing, with estrogen decreasing as they transition to menopause. The depression can be treated with an oral contraceptive.
Faris said using a hormone patch helped her. She also made another change to address her depression.
Anna Faris Stopped Drinking Alcohol
Faris made a big life change by cutting out alcohol. She believes that it improved her mental health and helped her battle her depression.
“It was only in the last, like, year, I think, that I really started to notice and appreciate if and when people recognize me, they would usually smile,” she told Handler. The “House Bunny” star believes this is one of the “gifts” of the lifestyle change.
American Addiction Centers’ website claims using illicit substances or alcohol can increase the risk of depression. Other possible causes of increased risk include biological factors, major life changes, and genetics.
Faris returned with three movies in 2026. Cindy (Faris), Brenda (Regina Hall), Ray (Shawn Wayans), and Shorty (Marlon Wayans) returned to parody new horror movies in “Scary Movie.”
She stars in the comedy, “Spa Weekend,” with Michelle Buteau, Isla Fisher, and Leslie Mann. Three friends have a spa weekend together, and it gets interrupted by the wild Mel played by Fisher.
The third movie is “I, Object,” which involves animation. A child named Tom (Bentley Storteboom) talks to objects as he grieves his dad. Faris plays his mother, who is worried about him.
It’s safe to say she bounced back to work. Faris left “Mom” after seven seasons and didn’t return for the eighth. She claimed on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that she lost her focus on the sitcom and decided to exit.
