Facing change. Allison Janney is speaking out about the impact of Anna Faris’ sudden departure from Mom.
“It’s a huge loss for the show to not have Anna because she was part of creating a character, Christy, that everyone fell in love with, who was so lovable and warm and gullible and funny and we will miss her so much,” the Oscar winner, 60, told Entertainment Tonight in an interview posted on Monday, November 2. “I think I’ll miss the most, for me, the relationship between Bonnie and Christy, even though that will still continue. But she won’t be present. That’s what I’ll miss.”
Janney and Faris, 43, had costarred on Mom together as Bonnie and Christy, respectively, since the sitcom premiered in September 2013. The Emmy-nominated series follows single mom and recovering addict Christy (Faris) trying to turn her life around as her mother, Bonnie (Janney), who is also in recovery, re-enters her life.
On September 4, Warner Bros. Television, CBS and Chuck Lorre Productions confirmed the news of Faris’ exit to Us Weekly by praising “her beautiful portrayal” of Christy. They also wished her “the best” moving forward.
The House Bunny star also bid farewell to her former part, which she appeared in for seven seasons. “The past seven years on Mom have been some of the most fulfilling and rewarding of my career,” Faris said in a statement to Us. “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.”
Faris’ exit came days before the Mom cast returned to the show’s set on September 14. At the time, Janney shared a video to Instagram that revealed how the stars and crew were keeping safe at the shoot amid the coronavirus pandemic. The I, Tonya actress had on a face mask as she previewed the new “COVID protocol,” and added: “Everyone’s here and it’s a whole new territory, but we’re excited for season 8 to begin.”
Jaime Pressly, who has starred on the show since season 2, shared with Us exclusively last month how the show will change amid the Scary Movie star’s absence.
“It’s become a show about a group of women in recovery and the relationships between these beautifully flawed women, and so we’re all very tight,” the My Name Is Earl alum, 43, said on the “Watch With Us” podcast on October 27. “While we’re missing one of our main links, we’ve all been together for so long and have significant roles.”
Pressly continued, “We still talk about the character Christy. Bonnie, Allison Janney’s character, still speaks with her on the phone and will relay the things that Christy’s doing or saying to us so we kind of feel like she’s still there.”
Season 8 of Mom is set to premiere on CBS on Thursday, November 5, at 9 p.m. ET.
