Washington native Anna Faris got a surprise during a recent interview promoting Scary Movie 6 when she learned she nearly never played the role that launched her career.
While speaking with Entertainment Tonight alongside Marlon and Shawn Wayans, the cast was asked whether there was ever a celebrity who desperately wanted to appear in the Scary Movie franchise but didn’t make the cut.
Marlon Wayans immediately had an answer: “Melissa Joan Hart.”
The revelation appeared to catch Faris completely off guard.
According to Wayans, Hart — best known for starring in Sabrina the Teenage Witch — was originally being considered for the role of Cindy Campbell in the first Scary Movie, which debuted in 2000.
“Ohhhh,” Shawn Wayans responded as the memory came back to him.
“I didn’t know this,” Faris said, clearly stunned with her mouth agape. “She’s good!”
Wayans then explained that director Keenen Ivory Wayans ultimately had someone else in mind.
“He was like, ‘I saw this young lady, Anna Faris, and it really feels like that’s our Cindy,’” Wayans recalled.
As the story unfolded, Faris repeatedly shook her head in disbelief.
“So you took Melissa Joan Hart’s job. Good job!” Marlon Wayans joked.
“Good job, Anna! Taking food out of another white lady’s mouth,” he added with a grin.
Shawn Wayans piled on, “Nice job.”
The exchange quickly became one of the most memorable moments from the interview, with Faris appearing genuinely stunned to learn how close another actress came to landing the role that would make her a household name.
The Role That Changed Everything
The original Scary Movie premiered in 2000 and became a massive box office hit by spoofing popular horror films including Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and The Blair Witch Project.
Faris starred as Cindy Campbell, the sweet but accident-prone heroine who became the face of the franchise.
The film launched multiple sequels and helped establish Faris as one of Hollywood’s most recognizable comedy stars.
A Pacific Northwest Connection
Before finding success in Hollywood, Faris grew up in Edmonds, where she attended Edmonds-Woodway High School before enrolling at University of Washington. She earned a degree in English literature in 1999 and initially planned to pursue writing before her acting career took off.
Faris began acting at a young age, appearing in community theater productions around the Seattle area before landing small film roles as a teenager. After graduating from UW, she moved to Los Angeles and slowly built her résumé with supporting roles.
Faris was married to fellow Washington native Chris Pratt from 2009 to 2018. Pratt grew up in Lake Stevens and rose to fame as the goofy, lovable Andy Dwyer on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation before becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest stars through leading roles in the Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World franchises. The former couple share a son.
Scary Movie Returns
Scary Movie 6 arrives in theaters Friday, June 5, bringing back several fan favorites from the franchise’s early years. Faris returns as Cindy Campbell, joined by Regina Hall as Brenda Meeks, Marlon Wayans as Shorty Meeks, and Shawn Wayans as Ray Wilkins.
Other returning cast members include Cheri Oteri as reporter Gail Hailstorm, Chris Elliott as Hanson, Dave Sheridan as Doofy Gilmore, and Lochlyn Munro as Greg Phillippe.
The new film also features Damon Wayans Jr., Kim Wayans, Gregg Wayans, Heidi Gardner, Sydney Park, Olivia Rose Keegan, Cameron Scott Roberts, Savannah Lee Nassif, Ruby Snowber, Benny Zielke, and Kenan Thompson.
