Anna Faris Is Shocked Learning She Beat Out Iconic '90s Star for “Scary Movie” Role
Anna Faris Is Shocked Learning She Beat Out Iconic '90s Star for “Scary Movie” Role
Kimberlee SpeakmanSat, June 6, 2026 at 3:58 PM UTC
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Anna Faris attends the World Premiere of 'Scary Movie' in L.A. on June 3.Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty -
Marlon and Shawn Wayans revealed Melissa Joan Hart was originally considered for Anna Faris' role in Scary Movie, much to the latter's shock
However, Marlon shared that Keenan Ivory Wayans championed Faris for the role after being impressed by her audition
Scary Movie 6, described as a reboot, was released on June 5 with the original cast returning
Anna Faris wasn't the only one vying for the role of Cindy in Scary Movie.
The film's creators — Marlon and Shawn Wayans — revealed to the Mom star, 49, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that another popular '90s actress was also one of the front-runners for the iconic role.
During the interview, Faris asked the brothers if there was "ever a celebrity that desperately wanted to be in a Scary Movie, but you had to hit them with a hard no?"
"Melissa Joan Heart," Marlon, 53, replied. "She was supposed to play Anna's part."
Melissa Joan Hart attends the world premiere of Lifetime's 'When I Said I Do' on May, 12 2026.Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty
A shocked Faris told them that she hadn't known about Hart's interest in the role, adding, "She's good!"
However, Marlon explained that he and Shawn's older brother, Keenen Ivory Wayans, who was a co-creator of the first Scary Movie film, championed Faris for the role after seeing her audition.
"Keenan was like, 'I saw this young lady Anna Faris, and it really feels like that's our Cindy,'" he shared to a stunned Faris.
"So, you took Melissa Joan Hart's job! Good job, Anna," Marlon jokingly added. "Way to go. Taking food out of another white lady's mouth."
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Shawn, 55, chimed in with a laugh, "We see the way you do it."
After starring in the first Scary Movie film, Faris went on to star in five out of the six films in the franchise, alongside Regina Hall, who played the recurring character Brenda Meeks.
Both Faris and Hall return to their iconic characters in the most recent movie, along with Marlon and Shawn, who play Shorty and Ray, respectively.
Anna Faris attends the world premiere of 'Scary Movie 6' in L.A. on June 3.Credit: Monica Schipper/WireImage/Getty
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Scary Movie 6 has been described as a "reboot" of the franchise, which puts a comedic spin on popular horror flicks, per The Hollywood Reporter. Marlon previously teased that recent movies — including Longlegs, Get Out, Nope and Sinners — could be referenced in the latest installment.
"We got the gloves off. We're going R. We're going to have the same fun and the same kind of tone and Wayans flavor that we gave on the first one," Marlon told PEOPLE in March 2025.
Scary Movie 6 — which also starsCheri Oteri, Chris Elliott, Olivia Rose Keegan, Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro, Jon Abrahams, Anthony Anderson and more — was released on June 5.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
