Anna exclusive!

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs star Anna Faris began performing at nine-years-old. Faris was drawn to acting because of its ability to make a tiny person feel enormous. “I was a really short child,” Faris admitted exclusively to SheKnows from a suite at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills.

Faris is starring in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, in theaters September 18, an animated spectacle based on the beloved children’s book by Judi and Ron Barrett.

Meatballs also stars SNL’s Bill Hader as an inventor who seeks to create a device that turns water into food for his island-town that is surviving only on sardines. Faris’ weather reporter arrives on the island for another story and explosively becomes part of the food falling from the sky story.

Faris is widely known for her priceless comic timing in the Scary Movie films, The House Bunny and starring opposite some of Hollywood’s hottest funnymen including Ryan Reynolds in Just Friends and Seth Rogan in April’s Observe and Report.

The Cloudy with a Chance of Meatball star recently wed sweetheart Chris Pratt July 9 and with her star ever-rising, the forecast for Faris is blindingly sunny.
Anna FarisFaris’ firsts

SheKnows: First of all, congratulations on your wedding.

Anna Faris: Oh, thank you!

SheKnows: When actors discover they want to act very young as you did, what was it about performing that first appealed to you?

Anna Faris: When I was six, my mom enrolled me in an acting class. I loved it. Most kids were into swimming or soccer and I just loved acting. There never was any pressure to do it. See, I was really short! It was my identity that I was the short girl. I think out of that I needed to find a way to express myself. Also, in many ways too I was terrible at public speaking — but, through escaping in a character…

SheKnows: …that gave you more confidence to do it.

Anna Faris: Totally! Plus, I worked with adult actors. That was really big for me to be surrounded by adults hearing them complain about, I don’t know, adult things (laughs). It was really fun for me. I didn’t have too many friends. I really cherish those memories.

SheKnows: You have the most impeccable comic timing…

Anna Faris: Oh my God, thank you.

SheKnows: You do, like a Lucile Ball for the modern era.

Anna Faris: That is so nice of you…

Anna gets animated

SheKnows: Now in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, how was it difficult to perform in your usual manner without having the benefit of utilizing your physical frame?

Anna Faris and Bill Hader in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Anna Faris: It was hard. My character isn’t really that funny in this one. I wanted to make her frustrated. The voice acting job is so much harder. It was so difficult. I’d come home every night exhausted. I figured, it’s a voice-over gig, it’ll be easy. I would do another one in a minute, but I would go into it knowing it’s difficult. It’s work.

SheKnows: Did I see you are in the Chipmunks Squeakquel?

Anna Faris: Yes!

SheKnows: It’s the perfect name…

Anna Faris: I laugh every time I see it. I don’t know what I’m going to do at the junket for that one.

SheKnows: Are you live action or animated on that?

Anna Faris: I’m a Chipette with Amy Poehler and Christina Applegate — it’s the best!

SheKnows: The best Chipettes ever!

Anna Faris: Thank you!

SheKnows: Was the Squeakquel challenging, but in a different way than Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs?

Anna Faris: Yes! Because you have to record your voice really slow because they speed it up. (Slowly) You have to be very persistent in your speech. You have to say everything mor slowly, but at the same time you have to be in a character that is hyper. It is very difficult. What I’ve seen so far looks incredible and witty too.

Faris films instant classics

Faris in BrokebackSheKnows: I wanted to ask about a couple of directors you’ve worked with, first, Ang Lee with Brokeback Mountain. What was it like to be a part of that masterpiece?

Anna Faris: That was amazing. That was also terrifying (laughs). I auditioned for the Anne Hathaway role.

SheKnows: No kidding…

Anna Faris: Yeah, and then they offered me the other role. I’d do anything to work with Ang Lee. I flew up to Calgary and the first shot, we started with me. I’m with Jake Gyllenhaal and Ang started with my coverage. We just have done the line about 15 times. I thought, “I’m doing this all wrong. Oh my God I’m ruining the movie.” (Laughs) Jake just told me that is how Ang does it. It was really a special film to be a part of.

SheKnows: Now what about working with Sophia Coppola on Lost in Translation.

Faris in Lost in TranslationAnna Faris: I was thrilled. I couldn’t believe I got that role. I auditioned for it six months before I got it. Meanwhile, all my friends had auditioned for it. I’m like, “hello?!” But, I got it (laughs). Sophia’s a very focused director. Where Sophia was incredibly soft spoken, Ang Lee was much more vocal. It’s interesting. Those are two great directors to compare (laughs).
Meatballs mania

SheKnows: Well, thank you. Now, speaking of directors, Chris Miller and Phil Lord from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, those two seem like a zany pair to work with, especially on an animated film.

Anna Faris: I’ve never really know what to expect from directors. They’re so funny – so witty. Working with them was awesome. You can tell that they’ve worked in comedy TV (How I Met Your Mother) in how they are so on with their timing.

SheKnows: Before the screening, I saw Jason Siegel outside the theater waiting to say hi and I think that speaks volumes about the people Phil and Chris are that their former star dropped by to support their directorial debut.

Anna Faris: He did! That’s so cool. Yeah, they are just a joy because they’ve love for what they do is so transparent. You get excited about what you’re doing just being around them.

SheKnows: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is such a fun film…

Anna Faris: Isn’t it so quirky? I just love it. I really admire Chris and Phil for the vision that they have to maintain to create a film like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

Anna Faris at Comic-Con in July

SheKnows: We saw it at the 3-D IMAX premiere and I have to say it is like watching art. Visually, stunning.

Anna Faris: That’s so cool! Thank you for saying that.
Anna’s expectations

SheKnows: I really did! Now, your character is quite smart but has to dumb herself down because of her job as a “bubbly” weather reporter. Now, have you experienced that yourself here in Hollywood?

Anna Faris: You know, I have. But, I think it’s fun to have people underestimate you (laughs). I’ve kind of had that my whole life — I’d say, it’s an advantage. People may have certain opinions about you by looking at you or from their perception of you, but the act of surprising them with intelligence, talent and wit is quite fun.

From She Knows