“As time passed, it became clear that my original hesitation about hiring Anna had been justified,” Lorre wrote in his memoir. “Six years later, she left the show for reasons described as mysterious—though they were no mystery to anyone working on the series.”
The network ended the series after only one season without Faris, even though Janney had won two Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy for the show’s first two seasons.
“CBS decided it could manage without a flawless cast anchored by a national treasure,” Lorre wrote. “They cancelled a show starring Allison Janney.”
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Even so, Lorre remained proud of what Mom achieved, particularly during its later seasons.
“In its final seasons, Mom discovered its authentic voice,” he wrote in Sitcom. “It showed that hope and laughter can emerge while confronting the seemingly fatal disease of alcoholism.”
Faris is far from the only television star to leave a hit series under surprising circumstances. Read on to discover more actors whose departures stunned viewers.