When you spend seven seasons on a TV sitcom, only to then have your show creator release a memoir that includes some harsh comments about you, I'd hope it would be heartening to then have your co-stars step up to voice their defense of you. In his new book Sitcom, prolific TV producer Chuck Lorre wrote about his initial reluctance to hire Anna Faris as the lead in Mom, even saying those feelings proved to be correct. No one wants to have their boss feel that way, let alone share those sentiments so publicly. Now, a former co-star has had something to say about it.
Actor French Stewart, who played Chef Rudy across 30 episodes of the CBS comedy series, got behind the Scary Movie star, calling her “one of my all-time favorite co-stars” and pointing out how kind and prepared she was. He also pointed out that she always delivered on show night, when they got in front of their live studio audience. You can read his full statement on his Instagram:
For those unfamiliar, the CBS sitcom that debuted in 2013 followed a dysfunctional mother-daughter duo who reunite after years of estrangement to support each other through their sobriety. Anna Faris played recovering addict and single mother Christy Punkett opposite Allison Janney as her mom Bonnie. It was their relationship that kept audiences coming back, season after season.
Faris’ Mom character worked as a waitress at The Rustic Fig, where Rudy was the head chef. While their interactions were often full of tension and clashes, the 3rd Rock from the Sun star had nothing but praise for his co-star. He emphatically stated:
The vast majority of my eight years on Mom was spent working with Anna. She was Mom. The spine of the show. And a legit good person. I was disheartened to see Chuck Lorre throw her under the television bus in his new book.
French Stewart’s comments didn’t stop there. While he said he wouldn’t trade a day working with the House Bunny star, when it came to his former boss, his words were not nearly as flattering, describing him by saying, “I saw a man trying hard not to turn into a werewolf.” I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure what it means to call someone a werewolf, but I do know that it doesn’t sound good.
Fans of Mom know that Anna Faris left the hit series at the end of Season 7 and nearly quit acting after stepping away from the role. Faris released a statement, but the reason why she left the series was vague, which led to speculation. While the show did go on, co-star Allison Janney spoke about how it felt to film without her, and ultimately Mom ended with Season 8.
Throughout all of this, the real-life mom is staying above the fray, having nothing but praise for her time on the sitcom, expressing how proud she is of the final product, and stating that she never took a day of it for granted. She was on a series about recovery and has since gone through recovery herself, now sober and healthy, and seemingly focused on the positive.
I assume it's a bit disappointing to see these statements from Lorre, but it’s nice to see the support from her co-stars over the seasons. Fans and sitcom lovers can relive the laughs and watch Mom with a Netflix subscription.
