Let’s be honest,Anna Farisdeserves her flowers. After spending seven years filming the super popular Emmy award-winning seriesMomwithAllison Janey,she deserved a break. Working hard seems to be in Faris' nature, though, as she was the quintessential comedienne of the 2000s, stringing up one hit movie after another without fail. She’sthe face of theScary Moviefranchise and an actor people fondly remember in all her roles.
Some of the best movies Anna Faris was in didn’t even have her as the lead.She would often elevate the story with her knack for both slapstick and witty comedy, so it’s no wonder she’s often the most remembered character in the features she stars in. Potentially not the best or most memorable movies still have people saying, “Remember Anna Faris in that?” That’s a win for her, no matter what.
10’My Super-Ex Girlfriend' (2006)
Starring as Hannah Lewis
TheUma ThurmanandLuke WilsoncomedyMy Super-Ex Girlfriendis just another one of those goofyromantic 2000s comedieswith a surreal plot, but it was a box office hit and another feel-good movie to turn to when times get rough. Uma Thurman plays Jenny, also known asG-Girl, a superhero who was exposed to radioactive powers as a teenager. She meets Matt (Luke Wilson) on a train one day, and they start dating. But Jenny becomes increasingly controlling, and after revealing her powers to Matt, he breaks up with her. She then begins to exact revenge on him by ruining his life in various ways.
Anna Faris plays Hannah, Matt’s coworker who Matt starts a relationship with after Jenny, but Jenny’s jealous rampage causes trouble between her and Matt, often pitting herself against Hannah. Uma Thurman is great as the emotional superhero, butwhen she and Anna Faris join forces, the movie becomes just a bit betterthan its own premise. WhileMy Super Ex Girlfriendis filled with some tropes that wouldn’t fly today, the parts where the female cast takes over make it a watchable feature.Anna Faris also opened up about her experiences on set.
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Jenny Johnson (Uma Thurman) has a secret identity. She is actually the superhero G-Girl. But, Jenny has a dark side that drives her boyfriend Matt (Luke Wilson) away, causing her to jealously interfere with his life after the breakup.
9’The Hot Chick' (2002)
Starring as April
Another movie that doesn’t hold up well today is theRob Schneider-led comedyThe Hot Chick. In one part, due to Schneider and hisoverall controversial reputation, and in the other, because of its inherently misogynistic tropes. The movie follows a group of high school girls led by Jessica (Rachel McAdams); Jessica gets mugged by a criminal named Clive (Rob Schneider), and he ends up with one of her earrings.When he wears it at the same time as Jessica, the two switch bodies, and Jessica is now in the body of the middle-aged criminal.
Jessica learns to navigate the male body, all while spending time with her best friend April (Anna Faris) and learning more about herself. If anyone’s willing or has ever gone through watchingThe Hot Chick, it was mainly because of Faris and her role as April; she, as usual, plays the ditzy but lovable character, and though she ends up in a relationship with Jessica while she’s in Clive’s body (while being a high school girl),Faris did her best to embody the character and deliver some comedy gold.
The Hot Chick
8’Scary Movie 3' (2003)
Starring as Cindy Campbell
TheScary Moviefranchisewouldn’t be the same without Anna Faris. She appeared as Cindy Campbell in fourScary Moviesequels, and, though she’s not the most interesting part of the first and second installments, she’s the most memorable as the lead in the third one. All theScary Moviefilms areparodies of famous horror (and other) moviesof that time, so while the first directly parodiedScreamand the second was all aboutThe House on Haunted Hill, the third movie focused on the premises of movies likeThe Ring,The Matrix, andM. Night Shyamalan’sSigns.
Anna Faris returns as Cindy, the aunt and caretaker of a boy named Cody, who has precognition powers. Her best friend from the previous two movies, Brenda (Regina Hall), tells her about a videotape she watched,which was followed by a phone call that predicted her death seven days from then. Cindy also watches the tape and gets in trouble, with which her love interest George (Simon Rex) and his best friend Mahalik (Anthony Anderson) help her. Hilarious as ever,Scary Movie 3helped Anna Faris completely stand out among a talented crowd of comedians by playing a character audiences knew and loved already.
Scary Movie 3
Cindy (Anna Faris) watches over her nephew Cody, who has precognition powers. When her best friend Brenda (Regina Hall) watches a cursed videotape, Cindy follows in her footsteps, ending up cursed, too. Cindy enlists the help of her romantic interest George (Simon Rex) to lift the curse from her.
7’Just Friends' (2005)
Starring as Samantha James
In 2005, Anna Faris starred in two movies withRyan Reynolds. They were a great match and comedians who bounced off each other perfectly, and their collaboration marked the 2000s. One of those movies isJust Friends, a story about Chris (Reynolds), a music producer and love interest of pop superstar Samantha James (Faris). As Chris is supposed to get Samantha to sign a record deal with his label,Samantha insists on pursuing Chris romantically, which he declines.
When Samantha’s private jet ends up in New Jersey due to an emergency landing, Chris finds himself back home for Christmas. This is where he sees his high school crush, Jamie (Amy Smart), and decides to win her back while Samantha is staying with him. Ryan Reynolds' classic charms and comedic timing make him a great lead for this unlikely Christmas movie, butAnna Faris' iconic portrayalof a confident, pushy, and joyful singer, Samantha, is often the highlight of the movie.
Rent on Amazon Prime
6’What’s Your Number?' (2011)
Starring as Ally Darling
What’s Your Number?is an underrated 2010s comedy that solidifiedChris Evansas aromantic comedy leadjust before his superhero stardom. He and Anna Faris play next-door neighbors Colin and Ally, but the story revolves around Ally primarily. At her sister’s bachelorette party, she talks about a Cosmopolitan article about how the number of people a person has slept with can define whether they’ll get married or not.As Ally realizes she’s close to that number, she decides to retrace her steps and seek out all of her exes, just to double-check if one of them is actually ‘the one.’
As her quest for the right man ensues, Ally grows closer with her next-door neighbor Colin, for whom she, in return for helping her find her exes, makes up excuses to his current flings.The two first function well as friends, but their chemistry and bond are stronger over time. This is another movie where Anna Faris shines, with theRotten Tomatoes critics consensusstating simply, “The comic timing of Anna Faris is sharp as always, but it’s wasted away in this predictable, boilerplate comedy.” Though predictable,What’s Your Number?is an enjoyable romantic comedy for fans of both Faris and Evans.
What’s Your Number?
5’Waiting…' (2005)
Starring as Serena
Waiting…is an independent ensemble comedy about the waitstaff at a chain restaurant called ShenaniganZ. When a new arrival, Mitch (John Francis Daley), starts working at the restaurant, his older coworker Monty (Ryan Reynolds) shows him around, introducing him to the various aspects of the workday—from the silly pranks the staff pulls on each other to how the cooks treat rude customers. The story takes place during one workday, which is also Mitch’s first day.
Mitch soon realizes the staff is chaotic. Monty is flirting with the 17-year-old hostess; Serena (Anna Faris) is his ex-girlfriend, who basically hates him; the cooks spit in the food; and the men show each other their genitals at random times during the day.Mitch’s day escalates from bad to worse as the night ends with a party at Monty’s house. Anna Faris as Serena delivers a scene in which she roasts Monty with a badass attitude, marking one of the best parts of the movie.Waiting…wasn’t received with much praise from critics or viewers, but it has since becomean underrated comedy with a cult following.
Waiting…
Waiting… follows the employees at a casual dining restaurant as they navigate the monotony of their workday while contending with demanding customers and overzealous management. Amidst the tedium, the diverse staff finds camaraderie and employs humorous strategies to cope with the challenges of their routine.
Watch on Hulu
4’Observe and Report' (2009)
Starring as Brandi
If anyone’s diving intoSeth Rogen’s filmographyand seesObserve and Reporton the roster, prepare for a wild ride. This is a typical comedy of Seth Rogen’s most active era, though it’s not among the best features he’s made.It combines some dark and gritty moments with black comedy, but more than Rogen or his antics, Anna Faris as the love interest makes it worth the watch. Though her role isn’t big, she takes up space to do her thing every time she’s on the screen, making the comedic parts of the movie stand out.
Seth Rogen portrays Ronnie, a mall cop, or, as he’d say, “head of security.” But Ronnie has vigilante tendencies and an array of mental health issues, so he often indulges in delusions of grandeur.Anna Faris plays Brandi, a cosmetics counter employee who Ronnie continuously pursues. When the mall where they work starts having a flasher issue, Brandi becomes his first victim, and Ronnie is bent on catching him for her sake. This incident spawned one of Faris' best scenes in the movie,where she’s asked if she’s OK.
Watch on Max
3’Overboard' (2018)
Starring as Kate Sullivan
Overboardfrom 2018 is a remake of theGoldie Hawn/Kurt Russellcult classic of the same name. Though, in the original, Hawn’s character falls off a yacht and loses her memory, in the remake, it’s the male character played by Eugenio Derbez. Leonardo Montenegro (Derbez) is rich and spoiled and treats employees on his yacht badly. One of those employees is Kate Sullivan (Anna Faris).After Leonardo falls off his yacht one night, he’s left stranded, without any memory of who or where he is. Kate finds him and decides to tell him he’s her blue-collar husband and that her three daughters are his.
Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez have excellent chemistry together, butas the leading lady, Faris is great at bringing a more level-headed character to the story. Though nothing about Kate’s decision to lie to an amnesiac rich man is level-headed, Faris gives her depth and an excellent motive for it. As usual, she’s funny and leans into the slapstick comedy aspect of the movie well; though not as iconic as the original,Overboardis worth the watch for any fan of Anna Faris.
Watch on Tubi
2’Smiley Face' (2007)
Starring as Jane F.
Smiley Faceis an underrated, and somewhat unknown, quintessential 2000s stoner comedy. Among the likes of cult classics likeDude, Where’s My Car?andJay and Silent Bob Strike Back, there’s the Anna Faris-ledSmiley Faceabout a girl who accidentallygets high on her roommate’s marijuana cupcakes and goes on adventures around L.A.The premise is simple, but many fans of Smiley Face often claim this comedy is her best movie.
Anna Faris carriesSmiley Faceas the lead with fantastic acting, but the overall package, including the direction and script byGregg Araki, works well and is a formula for success. Some of her best moments, from the most regular,confused, and baffled runto thegreat speech she delivers(or, well, imagines she’s delivered),all show why Anna Faris was the perfect choice to lead this stoner comedy. Guest stars in the movie include stoner movie superstarJohn Cho(fromHarold and Kumar), dreadlock-wearingAdam Brody, andnerdy-lookingJohn Krasinski.
Smiley Face
A comedy centered on Jane, a struggling actress who unknowingly eats cannabis-laced cupcakes and finds herself in a series of outrageous and hilarious predicaments. Her day spirals out of control as she tries to accomplish simple tasks, like paying her rent and making it to an important audition, while dealing with the effects of her unexpected high. Along the way, she interacts with an eccentric cast of characters, leading to a sequence of comical and unpredictable events.
Watch free on Amazon Prime
1’The House Bunny' (2008)
Starring as Shelley Darlingson
The House Bunnyis exactly as one would expect it—a goofy self-discovery movie about aPlayboy starlet who’s not the brightest but has loads of confidence and self-love. Anna Faris shines in this movie, where she also plays the lead role of Shelley, aPlayboy bunnywho gets kicked out of the Playboy Mansion for being too old (27). Desperate, Shelley finds a job as a housemother of a sorority filled with underdog girls that need confidence lessons. The girls need new pledges for their sorority, or else they’ll be kicked out of campus, so the girls need Shelley as much as she needs them.
Anna Faris was also an executive producer inThe House Bunnyanddid her own stunts; besides being a comedy genius with a charming knack for slapstick comedy, Faris is a professional in every aspect.Her role as the dim but good-hearted Shelley defined female comedy for many actors later on. She’s fearless about showing a side of her that makes her superstar material, and thoughThe House Bunnyisn’t exactly an Oscar-worthy picture, it’s a fun, carefree story with a nice lesson and message at the end of it.
