Observe and Report: Anna Faris

Anna Faris specializes in outrageous characters, from a Playboy bunny sorority girl to the celbutante in Just Friends. In Observe and Report, she plays a makeup counter girl, the ultimate dream of mall cop Ronnie Barnhardt (Seth Rogen). Even when she drinks, vomits and passes out, he loves her.

CraveOnline: What did you think of Paul Blart: Mall Cop?

Anna Faris:  I think they’re completely different. 

CraveOnline: What attracted you to this movie or character? 

Anna Faris:  For me it was getting hired. I actually, truth be told, I was actually. Getting a job is always a victory in this town but I had seen Foot Fist Way, his first movie and loved it and loved this idea we've been talking about a little bit, the idea of this unapologetic comedy, which I think Foot Fist Way is as well. Then when I read this script and was able to go in and meet with the guys for it, I was really happy because it's very rare that you come across a character that's so offensive and awful. It's just like taking a bite of a juicy apple but naughty. As a woman, it's great to be able to not have to win over an audience I guess. And Jody, he just wanted me, for all of us essentially I guess, to be as awful as we could. So there's a lot of freedom in that. 

CraveOnline: Were there scenes cut you were sad to see go? 

Anna Faris:  For me there was. There was a couple scenes. You know what? It wasn't so much whole scenes but moments in scenes. we have a longer version of our date scene. I think you have to. You have to sacrifice those moments in all comedies, in all movies I think. I am a fan of short movies.   

CraveOnline: Were you aware of the controversy over whether the studio would tone this movie down? 

Anna Faris:  I sort of thought that our tender lovemaking moment, Jody was like, "Okay, you guys are having sex and you're going to have some vomit come out of your mouth, you're passed out and your boobs are jiggling all over." I was comforted by the studio. I was like, you know what? There's no way. There's no way. I'll do it, sure, because I don't want to be a stick in the mud but there's no way this is going to make it in the movie. I'm grateful, I'm grateful. I'm grateful that the movie is unapologetic. 

CraveOnline: Which love scene did you enjoy most, with Seth Rogen or with Ray Liotta?

Anna Faris:  Seth. There’s nothing like straddling Ray Liotta in the back of a car for an hour but you can’t compare it to having Seth Rogen grind on top of you for 30 seconds!

CraveOnline: Are you nervous about your parents seeing you in this? Playing the slutty girl?

Anna Faris:  I feel really happy that I’ve done a pretty good job breaking in my parents. The first Scary Movie did a pretty good job of that. I think I’ll have to give them some wine. They love the whole thing anyway. They’re very proud and very supportive and I’m so lucky to have those kind of parents. My character is so outrageous and it’s so ridiculous so I think you can get away with a lot. The audience is almost forgiving because, hopefully, she’s clearly not me.

CraveOnline: What would you be doing if you weren't an actor?

CraveOnline: How do you chill out?

CraveOnline: Congratulations on your engagement

CraveOnline:  Was yours out of the blue?

CraveOnline:  What are your plans for the wedding?

CraveOnline:  What about the dress?  Have you worked out any of the details?

Anna Faris:   No, we’re just taking time. We’ve moved in together and we’ve adjusted to all of that and getting him to wash the dishes, that kind of thing. He’s looking forward to the bachelor party, I think .  I think other than that he’ll let me do the rest.

CraveOnline: So it won’t be until next year?

CraveOnline: What's the hardest part of choosing the path to be a comedian?

Anna Faris:  I think that, I certainly felt a few years ago, I put a lot of pressure on myself to do something dramatic. I felt the need to prove to this town or to my parents or whomever, you guys, that maybe I can also be a dramatic actress as well. Just recently in the last year, I've had a complete change of mindset which has been very liberating, which is like, you know, comedy's hard enough. I don't know why I necessarily feel this pressure to do something else. I love doing this and it makes me happy so I think coming to that realization has been a path in and of itself and I feel grateful that I feel really content.