Getting in touch with her PG side for a change, sexpot Scary Movie scream queen vet Anna Faris decided, as she explains in her own strange way during this giggly gab session, that she was ready for a big switch extreme makeover in movies.
Especially to finally be able to make a movie that her parents can see. Hence her moody but modest female cartoonish stint in the high carb animated feature, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. Anna dropped by to spout all these sweet nothings in this NYC candy store press encounter, including doing the newlywed thing, as well as more binging type of indulgences like chips, donuts and especially In-N-Out Burgers. And exactly what a salty savory kinda gal, not to mention geek reversal, may be.
ANNA FARIS: I hope you’re easy on me!
Oh, not to worry! And congratulations, didn’t you just get married this summer?
AF: Um…Yes, I did. And I’m super-happy. It’s been a great summer.
So what are your guilty pleasures when it comes to the candy all around us in this candy store?
AF: Oh, my indulgence, sweet-wise, like definitely donuts. But I’m definitely a little bit of a salty savory kinda gal. Chips. Chips are trouble! I raided the mini-bar last night at the hotel!
But at one point, when the cheeseburgers were falling from the sky, they got us In-N-Out Burgers. Because they wanted us to talk with our mouths full. And it was a great excuse to eat an In-N-Out Burger, I’ll tell ya!
So how did you get into character for animation?
AF: Um…They showed me a drawing of the character before I started recording, and that’s pretty much all I had. But it was amazing. We worked for about a year. And it was pretty incredible to see it all come to life.
But we all thought it was going to be easy, basically. And it is incredibly challenging. And when they asked me to do this movie, I was so excited. It was a book that I loved as a child. So I was really honored to be asked to do it.
I did some voice work early on in Seattle, when I was growing up. And I loved the idea of doing it again. And it’s finally a movie that I’ve done, that I think people can…see! I guess. My parents are happy!
Did you relate to this movie in terms of geek reversal, and bringing the geekiness out of you?
AF: Yeah, I was a geek in high school. I used to wear a Christmas tree sequined skirt as a cape. And now I’m…comfortable enough to talk about it! And I was really into bugs. I still do love bumblebees, and bees in general. Honeybees, not carnivorous bees!
But I managed to capture the queen bumblebee, when she was just leaving her nest in the winter. And they were a little drowsy at that point, so I was able to capture her. And I attempted to make a bumblebee hive. But she died. That’s pretty geeky, I think!
Bummer. How old were you?
AF: Probably a little too old! Like fourteen or fifteen.
This is a movie about food, so what is your relationship with food?
AF: As far as food goes, my mom is an incredible cook. And cooking is probably my most favorite hobby and pastime. And of course I love to try new things. If I wasn’t an actress, I would like to be a food critic, a restaurant critic. We’ll see how that goes!
How did you relate to your character Sam, and the theme of this movie, which is all about food?
AF: As far as my character, I think she suppresses her intelligence a little bit, because she feels pressured by society. Whether it’s through her work, or being a woman, to play an assertive role. And she finally sort of lets her guard down, and is accepted for, you know, who she really is.
I do think there’s also a really interesting idea of excessiveness, and that what we wish for in indulgence and excessiveness, can be quite harmful. Which I think is kind of appropriate for this time.
How did you first get started in show business?
AF: I was nine. And I did an Arthur Miller play called Danger Memory, in the Seattle Repertory Theater. And I got paid two hundred fifty dollars, I think. Which was huge. I felt like I was rolling in the dough. I think I’m still living off that! And I went out and bought a piano phone.
What’s that?
AF: A phone where the keys were..you know! But it was pretty awesome, and cool. Yeah.
What was it like doing Comi-Con?
AF: I had never been to Comi-Con before, and I had a fantastic time. And what surprised me about it, is how happy everybody is there. I mean, they’ve been looking forward to this all year.
And so you’re in an environment that is for the most part really supportive, and joyous. And I can relate to the idea of escaping through a character. So that was really cool, to see all these people doing the same thing.
