TV Legend Torches Sitcom Star for Quitting His Hit Show
Mario Anzuoni / REUTERS Iconic TV creator Chuck Lorre has revealed he had major reservations about casting Anna Faris in his hit sitcom Mom —and believes his doubts were proven “correct.” “I initially said no; I wasn’t sure Anna would be appropriate for this kind of material,” Lorre, 73, wrote in his new memoir, Sitcom .
In addition to Mom , Lorre created Emmy-winning sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men .
Mom ran from 2013 to 2021, and despite his initial refusal, Lorre ultimately cast Faris as Christy Plunkett, a single mother and recovering alcoholic who struggles with sobriety.
She starred opposite Oscar-winner Allison Janney, 66, who played Christy’s no-longer-estranged mom, Bonnie, also a recovering alcoholic and substance abuser.
Though Lorre’s exact reason for doubting Faris, 49, is unclear, it may relate to Faris’ working relationship with actor Charlie Sheen, with whom Lorre has a turbulent past.
Faris and Sheen, 61, co-starred in Scary Movie 3 (2003) and Scary Movie 4 (2006), and Faris has said she “loved working with him.” Sheen’s Scary Movie stint overlapped with his starring in Two and a Half Men , which launched in 2003 .
As the show progressed, Sheen’s behavior grew erratic, and his struggles with addiction made the set a “nightmare,” Lorre wrote .
CBS and Warner Bros. terminated Sheen in 2011 following his poor behavior, but Sheen blamed Lorre.
The actor sued the writer in 2011 for $100 million; they settled privately.
Lorre said his “bungled” relationship with Sheen convinced him to give Faris a chance.
“Someone’s personal life is none of my business,” Lorre wrote , explaining his thought process.
“The mom in Mom would be, and should be, Anna Faris.” Still, Lorre wrote that he felt vindicated after the actress’ 2020 exit, ahead of Mom ’s eighth and final season.
He believes her departure proved his first instinct right.
“As the years went by, it became apparent that my initial reluctance to hire Anna was, in fact, correct,” he wrote.
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