Scary Movie 6 star Anna Faris just found out another actress was originally cast as Cindy. The Wayans brothers revealed the surprising casting secret during a candid interview.
Anna Faris reacts to learning who was originally supposed to play Cindy in Scary Movie
Anna Faris reacted with shock after learning Melissa Joan Hart originally had her iconic role in Scary Movie. On Entertainment Tonight, Marlon Wayans revealed the casting secret during a conversation with Faris. The revelation caught both Faris and Shawn Wayans off guard during the candid exchange.
Faris asked the Wayans brothers if any celebrity had desperately wanted a role in the franchise. Marlon Wayans responded directly with an unexpected answer about the original Cindy casting. “Melissa Joan Hart. She was supposed to play Anna’s part,” Marlon Wayans said during the interview.
The franchise co-creator Keenen Ivory Wayans ultimately changed the direction of the casting decision. He directed the original 2000 film and pushed for Faris after watching her audition tape. “Keenan was like, ‘I saw this young lady Anna Faris, and it really feels like that’s our Cindy,'” Marlon Wayans recalled.
Wayans then joked with Faris about the situation in his signature comedic style. “So you took Melissa Joan Hart’s job! Good job, Anna. Way to go. Taking food out of another white lady’s mouth,” he quipped. He humorously described the casting switch as “white on white crime” while Faris laughed along.
Melissa Joan Hart previously addressed her departure from the project in a 2025 Instagram video shared by Betches. She explained that she was originally cast to parody Drew Barrymore’s Scream character, Casey Becker. Hart revealed that producers let her go during the costume fitting over appearance concerns. The role ultimately went to Carmen Electra instead of Hart. Faris went on to anchor the franchise as Cindy across multiple installments.
Scary Movie 6 recently opened to a franchise-best $56 million at the domestic box office this past weekend.
Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on ComingSoon.
