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In a “Sitcom” chapter devoted to “Mom,” Lorre recalls initially resisting casting Faris as Christy Plunkett, a single mother working to get sober.
“I wasn’t sure Anna would be appropriate for this kind of material,” he writes. “Then I thought about how badly I’d bungled my working relationship with Charlie Sheen,” referring to his falling out with the ousted “Two and a Half Men” star. (Lorre and Sheen would eventually reconcile, 12 years later, when Lorre approached Sheen about a recurring role on the HBO Max comedy “Bookie.”)
In the book, Lorre says he ultimately reconsidered and told casting director Nikki Valko that he had changed his mind: “Someone’s personal life is none of my business. The mom in ‘Mom’ would be, and should be, Anna Faris.”
Later in the chapter, however, Lorre revisits that decision: “As the years went by, it became apparent that my initial reluctance to hire Anna was, in fact, correct. After six years, she left the show for mysterious reasons that were not mysterious to anyone on the show.”
Lorre does not elaborate on those reasons in the chapter. Faris’ Instagram statement, meanwhile, does not explicitly connect her departure to her sobriety disclosure. (Although Lorre writes “after six years,” Faris starred in the show’s first seven seasons.)
Following Faris’ exit, “Mom” sent Christy to Georgetown Law School on a full scholarship. She did not return for the May 2021 series finale. Asked at the time whether Faris had been invited back, co-creator Gemma Baker told TVLine, “We felt that it was important to honor [Faris’] decision to leave the show.” Baker added that Christy’s pursuit of a legal career had given her story a satisfying conclusion.
In his memoir, Lorre also reflects on how “Mom” evolved into a comedy about women supporting one another in recovery, writing that its final seasons represented the series finding “its true voice.”
“There is hope and there is laughter in overcoming the seemingly fatal disease of alcoholism,” he writes.
He closes the chapter by criticizing CBS’ decision to end the series: “They cancelled a show starring Allison Janney.”