‘The House Bunny’: A frivolous ranking of Anna Faris’s funniest performances
Reviews were mixed for Rob Greenberg’s gender-swapped remake of the classic romantic comedy Overboard, in which Anna Faris played the mistreated employee reaping revenge against a spoiled wealthy yacht owner (Eugenio Derbez). But one thing’s for certain: Faris was as on form in the movie as always.
As far as we’re concerned, Faris is one of Hollywood’s most underrated comedic talents who deserves to score a lot more roles. Still, she’s enjoyed a varied and hilarious career so far, as her best performances capably highlight. Here’s our ranking of Faris’s funniest roles ever.
10. Samantha James: Just Friends (2005)
Delivering a diva strop of a performance, Faris is deliciously monstrous as a bratty, talentless singer opposite Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and Amy Smart (The Butterfly Effect).
9. Ally Darling: What’s Your Number (2011)
Faris delivers some serious Goldie Hawn (The First Wives Club) vibes in this romantic comedy opposite Chris Evans (Avengers: Infinity War). Naturally, the two of them play a couple who could just never work (but who totally make it work by the end).
8. Erica: Friends (2004)
Playing the surrogate mom of Monica (Courtney Cox) and Chandler’s (Matthew Perry) baby, Faris was a little underused in the 90s sitcom and ostensibly played another version of ditzy space cadet Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow). Still, she fires those jokes out like free t-shirts at a football stadium and is as charming as ever.
7. Zoey: The Dictator (2012)
In a refreshing change for the actor, Faris goes against her type in Sacha Baron Cohen’s satirical comedy to play an outspoken feminist with wonderfully hairy armpits and a cropped dark haircut who just wants to save the planet.
6. Shelley Darlingson: The House Bunny (2008)
Faris plays a former Playboy Bunny who swaps out the Playboy Mansion for a struggling sorority house. The movie (which also stars Emma Stone, Colin Hanks, and Kat Dennings) isn’t great, but Faris’s performance is cute, endearing, and seriously funny, regardless.
5. Jane F: Smiley Face (2007)
Gregg Araki’s stoner comedy saw Faris starring alongside John Krasinski (A Quiet Place), Adam Brody (Jennifer’s Body), and Danny Masterson (Face/Off) as a young stoner who accidentally consumes an entire plate of space brownies. Faris is an absolute treat as a dazed & confused young woman on a blitzed out series of misadventures.
4. Anna Faris: Keanu (2016)
Faris starred as a warped, drug-hoovering, sadistic version of herself in Jordan Peele (Get Out) and Keegan-Michael Key’s kitty-based action comedy. Her irreverent and dark performance is one of the highlights of the movie, including a particularly nasty game of Truth or Dare.
3. Kelly: Lost in Translation (2003)
Long believed to be a characterization of Britney Spears, Faris’s brief but memorable appearance is sharp and impossibly cringeworthy. Kissing up to Charlotte’s (Scarlett Johansson) music video directing husband (Giovanni Ribisi), the character is a big brass band of bullshit that Faris is expertly tooting all the horns of at once.
2. Cindy Campbell: The Scary Movie franchise (2000 – 2006)
The Wayans Brothers’ horror movie spoof franchise is spectacularly dumb but rewardingly so. They were also the movies that put Faris on the map, spotlighting her incredible capabilities to poke fun at “dumb blonde” stereotypes and be generally very silly.
1. Christy: Mom (2013 – )
As one half of TV’s best modern mother & daughter depictions, Faris is phenomenal opposite fellow comedy titan Allison Janney (The Hours) as a daughter struggling to make sense of her life and that of her equally as eccentric mother.
