Anna Faris says Keenen Ivory Wayans personally called her in 2002 and asked her to leave the “Scary Movie” franchise after the Wayans brothers were pushed out following “Scary Movie 2.” Faris says she ultimately returned as Cindy Campbell and later headlined “
Anna Faris didn’t just step back into the “Scary Movie” world—she says she was told to walk away from it.
In a new interview, the actress revealed that Keenen Ivory Wayans once asked her to leave the franchise. She shared the story as a newly released “Scary Movie” film brings renewed attention to one of the series’ most infamous shakeups: the Wayans family’s exit from the horror-spoof run they helped create.
Faris said the turning point came in 2002, after Keenen and his brothers were pushed out following “Scary Movie 2.” She recalled that Wayans called her personally and asked her not to return for “Scary Movie 3.”
The request put Faris in a painful spot. She said she deeply respected Wayans, and she understood how hurt he was by what happened to him and his brothers.
Faris added that Wayans even tried to reassure her that she could fight the decision. She remembers him saying. “All they can do is sue you!” But at the time. Faris described herself as a struggling actress living in a one-bedroom apartment. She said she didn’t feel she could risk breaching her contract.
So she made a choice that kept the franchise moving—returning as Cindy Campbell and becoming one of the few major stars to carry on after the Wayans departure. Faris later went on to headline both “Scary Movie 3” and “Scary Movie 4,” helping keep the series alive through its next chapter.
There was another detail she said fans likely never knew: Faris said the conversation with Wayans was the last time the two ever spoke.
Even with the awkwardness, she made clear she never stopped admiring Keenen. She called the moment “devastating” and said how much his opinion mattered to her stayed with her—more than two decades later, one of the most revealing stories to emerge from the franchise’s history.
Anna Faris Keenen Ivory Wayans Scary Movie Cindy Campbell Scary Movie 2 Scary Movie 3 Scary Movie 4 Variety interview comedy horror franchise