Mom fans were gutted when Anna Faris left the sitcom.
In September 2020, the star announced that she would not be returning for the eighth
season of the show.
The witty actor is well known for the funny characters that she has played in films such
as Scary Movie and The House Bunny.
And as Mom fans know, Faris shined as Christy.
The single mother was a recovering alcoholic who had a complicated relationship with her
mother, Bonnie, played by Allison Janney, who was also an addict.
The role fit Faris like a glove, which was why her sudden departure left such a gaping
wound.
After she quit Mom, Chuck Lorre Productions and Warner Brothers confirmed in a joint statement
via The Hollywood Reporter,
"From the inception of Mom, Anna was the first and only choice for the role of Christy."
When Faris decided to quit Mom, the TV show was reportedly averaging 5.1 million viewers
per episode.
The last time fans saw Faris on the show was on April 16, 2020.
The episode, entitled "Big Sad Eyes and an Antique Hot Dog," was the last show taped
before production stopped due to the COVID-19 shutdown.
Since Faris had signed a two-year contract with the series in 2019, her decision to leave
Mom was unexpected.
Her contract would have bound her until the end of season 8, and Faris was reportedly
well-compensated for her role as Christy.
Faris revealed the reason that she left Mom in a telling statement, per Variety, and explained,
"The past seven years on Mom have been some of the most fulfilling and rewarding of my
career.
I'm so thankful to Chuck [Lorre], the writers, and my amazing castmates for creating a truly
wonderful work experience.
While my journey as Christy has come to an end, allowing me to pursue new opportunities,
I'll be watching next season and rooting for my TV family."
People reported that the cast and crew of Mom were surprised by Faris' sudden departure.
A source told the outlet,
"It was a surprise to hear that Anna was leaving.
None of us are happy about that [...] It was sudden and unwelcome, and it left the entire
network scrambling."
"You can't leave!"
"Watch me!"
Allison Janney appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and confessed that it was, quote, "very
odd" to be on set without Faris, and also shared,
"Anna is missed and her character on the show is missed."
After learning that Faris was leaving, fans speculated about how the writers would explain
the character's absence.
Gemma Baker, one of the show's executive producers, assured Entertainment Weekly,
"Although our show has killed characters off in the past, we never considered this as an
option for Christy.
Our audience has been rooting for her for seven seasons and that loss felt like it would
be too devastating for them and for our other characters."
When the Season 8 premiere episode of Mom aired, fans learned that Christy left for
Georgetown University to further her education goals.
However, there were plenty of loose ends after the character's abrupt departure.
For instance, fans don't understand how Christy suddenly got a scholarship at a prestigious
university after struggling to get accepted into a community college.
"Every mom dreams of the day when they drop their 42-year-old daughter off at the airport
to go to school."
Although the sitcom is still attracting a large audience, the network recently shocked
Mom viewers again, when CBS decided to cancel the hit TV show.
The executive producers released a statement about Mom coming to an end and explained,
"For the past eight years, we've had the great honor to bring these wonderful characters
to life, sharing their struggles and triumphs with millions of viewers every week [...] We
are forever grateful to our brilliant cast and guest stars, wonderful writers, and amazing
crew for going on this journey with us."
Faris' exit may have sparked the cancelation of the show, but it's uncertain why CBS decided
to can Mom.
Other shows that did not survive the departure of their leads include That '70s Show, after
Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher both left, and Scrubs, after Zach Braff left.
As for Faris, her podcast Unqualified is keeping her busy, although her Mom fans most definitely
miss her.
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