Among these familiar faces is the always entertaining Anna Faris, the talent behind roles like the lovable stoner in “Smiley Face” and of course Cindy Campbell from the “Scary Movie” franchise. Faris took some time to sit down with the CU Independent to discuss her new film and the uncontrollable madness of Baron Cohen.

What’s working with Sacha Baron Cohen like?

Anna Faris: He’s like a crazy genius. He’s sort of – he’s very intellectual. He’s very thoughtful. You know, he stays in character throughout like the whole movie. And he has reveled in making people uncomfortable. But the other side of him is he’s also really, really sweet. And he’s kind of a gentleman and a total family man. So he’s – even a juxtaposition, I suppose.

So you worked with the Curb [Your Enthusiasm] writers and Sacha Baron Cohen. Would you say that the set was kind of a loose and sort of a lot of improv? Or was it really tight and to the script?

AF: No, it was very, very loose. It took a little bit of a learning curve for me. It was unlike pretty much any filming process I had ever gone through before. And you really didn’t know where the scene was going to go. We had a script and we would do the scripted version a couple of times. And then, the writers and Sacha would collaborate. And then, next thing you know, you would be headed in a completely different direction. So it forced you to really stay on your toes, which was hard, but also, sort of an exciting challenge for an actor. I mean, in a scene like where he was sort of supposed to be charmed by me, he would suddenly be threatening to kill me, or like calling me like a lesbian hobbit, or you know, grabbing me on the back of my head.

Was that just for fun or is that part of the movie?

AF: Well, a lot of it became part of the movie, but … it was just sort of as an actor you’re like, all right, got to be game. You know, it was improv. It was like improv class in a sense that you just sort of roll with the punches, literally.

What’s your favorite part of doing comedy?

AF: I think that it has made me be able to laugh at myself and a lot easier. I think I used to take myself very seriously. And there’s the reward, too, of when you sneak into a theater, which I rarely do… But on those rare occasions that you hear other people laughing at your movie, it feels amazing. It’s amazing to give people joy and to be a part of a hugely challenging process as well.

What do you usually look for when you’re looking for a film role? Do you foresee doing any darker films like “May” or “Observer Report” in the future?

AF: Yes, I would love to. I look for just interesting characters. And with this movie in particular, I was really excited to work with Sacha. I knew that that would be sort of, for me, really thrilling, because I’d been such a huge fan of his for so long. And then, as far as sort of the darker movies, I love making those. And I feel just so fortunate that I’ve been able to view some of those sort of odd independent movies playing really interesting darker characters, and then getting to play the very dark character of Cindy Campbell [from "Scary Movie"]. (Laughs) Just kidding.

What is the strangest thing a role required you to do?

AF: Oh. Wow, man, so many. For “The Dictator,” I had to grow out my armpit hair, which was a new experience for me. And I was very naïve about it. They asked me if I would do it, because they said they could glue some hair on me. And I was like, “No, no, no, I’ll totally do it. I don’t care.” And sort of thinking that maybe it would grow in kind of thin and wispy and maybe even kind of cute. And that was not the case… It was dark and thick. And it defined my whole summer. I was like no tank tops, no swimsuits, couldn’t hail a cab. At a party, I would always, if I’d had a drink or two, lift my shirt and show off my arm pit hair. And it made people gag. It was amazing. So that’s the first thing I can think of, I guess.

How does your character in “The Dictator” differ from past characters that you’ve played?

AF: She’s got a great heart, and I’ve played a lot of characters that have great intentions and are kind people. And she’s definitely like that. She’s smarter. And she’s naïve. She’s sort of passionately naïve, I guess. She very much sort of stuck in her [niche], you know, she majored in Fem Lit at Amherst. She’s very idealistic, I think, to a fault. So it’s easy for people to take advantage of her. But I think that she definitely had some qualities that some of my other characters have had in the past, you know, that naiveté that I tend to play a lot of. And I’m starting to think that I’m just really naïve in real life.

Do you have any upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

AF: Yes, well, I’m leaving on Saturday for London to do a romantic comedy with Rose Byrne and Simon Baker. And I just adore them both… So that should be a fun spring. And then, I’m hoping for a margarita and pool-filled life.

cuindependent.com

I saw The Dictator last night. It was a lot of fun.
How was that screening? I keep hearing sort of …

What did you hear?
Oh, just that different journalists were like, “It was crazy, it was crazy … ”

Oh, I mean it’s the 42nd Street theater. People were into it, though.
Oh, good.

I didn’t think it was that crazy. What are you filming in London?
It’s a movie called I Give It a Year. It’s a SudioCanal movie with Rose Byrne and Rafe Spall and Simon Baker. It’s a rom-com.

What’s your character?
I play a character who’s a very real girl. She’s kind of like me, if I’m a real girl. I don’t know. She’s very insecure and she’s American. She works for a nonprofit; she’s been gone in Africa for a long time and she kind of comes back into a married man’s life.

Is it more serious than other rom-coms that you’ve done?
Yeah, yeah.

So it’s more of a rom-dram?
[Laughs.] Ha-ha! Rom-dram!

I thought that the role in The Dictator was a bit of a departure from your usual bubbly blonde character. Was that what drew you to the role?
Yeah, I mean, I guess. I was really just excited to work with Sacha. I was sort of ready to play any role that they wanted me to. But yeah, I loved sort of playing a character that’s not vain, and clearly not too concerned with the aesthetic end. And I think part of the comedy is that his character has never met or known a girl like that. For me, it was awesome. It was great.

Did he write it with you in mind?
I don’t think so, no. They asked me to come in to, like, meet him for this top secret project. I was like, “Okay … ” So they didn’t give me, like, the script, or the sides or anything. So we went in and we did some improv scenes and then, like, a couple of months passed and I was like, “Oh, I wonder what happened with that.” And then they offered the role to me but yeah, I was just thrilled.

What were the scenes that you improvised?
They were nothing really based in the movie except for a scene where I find out that he is the general, or he’s the dictator. So they would give us a scenario, like, okay, you’re falling in love with this guy, and then you just found out that’s he’s actually a horrible dictator. So, go.

I have to ask, was the armpit hair fake?
No. It was mine. It was all mine. It’s the first time I haven’t worn extensions. [Laughs.]

Are you at all political like that character?
Yeah, a little bit. I mean, I grew up in Seattle; I went to the University of Washington. I think there was a time in my life where I felt like maybe I identified with that gal a little bit. I used to sort of consider myself a feminist, an environmentalist; and I still have some of that in me, but I’ve done so many offensive comedies I’m now worn down to a little nub of … nub of an activist. But I think I love those elements of her.

In the great New Yorker profile of you last year, your agent said he’s wary when people try to go outside the box with you, when they want you to play a cop, or a spy, and that really annoys you. Is that something that still bothers you? Do you still want to do things that are even more far afield than the comedies that you’re known for?
Yeah. I don’t think anybody really wants to know their limits. I think I’d like to think I play all kinds of roles. I don’t know if I can or not, but I like to explore that idea. But I do feel really lucky because I feel like compared to a lot of actors, I have been able to play — I mean, it’s all sort of mostly in the comedy world — but a lot of different types of people; some insane people, some really awful people, mostly all really dumb people. So yeah, I feel pretty fortunate in that. And I think that though, the big thing with that in Hollywood with sort of breaking that idea is time. It just takes time to build up a repertoire with roles.

Is there anything that you’d especially like to do?
Well, there’s characters on my mind that I want to play, that I want to create and develop. I like the idea of sort of playing quieter roles, which would be refreshing for a minute. It is exhausting being really loud and obnoxious.

I’ll bet. Are you developing any characters right now?
Yeah, there’s something that I’m sort of working on, but I feel like it’s too early to talk about.

Anything mid-stage that you could talk about?
Bill Hader and I have a project together where we play twins, both incredibly depressed, and it’s actually really serious. It’s already written. It’s called The Skeleton Twins. We’re just hoping that financing will come along soon, but it’s a great project. We’re both excited about going down that path. I think all actors, maybe everybody in general has a desire maybe to surprise people. So I think that idea is exciting.

Your movie from last year, What’s Your Number? was set up in the media as something of a litmus test for a woman-led comedy. How did you feel about the movie’s reception?
Well, I think it’s always a little sad when something you’ve worked on and loved isn’t loved the way you love it. But I guess you just sort of move forward. I love that movie, but I think it’s like my 32nd movie maybe, so it’s kind of like at some point you just have to distance yourself a little bit from the economic sort of part of this industry. You have to, you’re forced to.

Were you heartened by the success of Bridesmaids? Has that actually made it easier to get movies about flawed female characters made? Has it felt like there’s been a shift since last year?
I think so. I mean, I think it’s still scary for Hollywood to sort of commit money to a messy woman. And to a lesser extent, but to some degree, a messy guy as well. But yeah, I do think it’s shifted the conversation because it used to be the conversation when I was pitching movies was always like, “Well, what’s it rated?” And if we said R it was like, “Well, no, it’s got to be PG-13.” Or, either that or the conversation was like, “How do we make this girl likable?” So then you’re forced with the burden of like, winning. You know, the whole cliché is like you want the women in the audience to want you to be their best friend, and the men in the audience to fall in love with you. That’s a whole hell of a lot to be saddled with, and it’s very limiting. So, I’d like to think that that conversation’s shifting.

Are you seeing any evidence?
No, I’m not seeing any evidence. [Laughs.] No.

Would you make another Scary Movie movie?
I would, but I think that they’re going to, from what I hear, they’re going to revamp it or call it something —

A reboot?
Reboot. I think that’s the plan. I’m not positive, though. But I have a very, very fond place in my heart for Cindy Campbell.

I know that was your big break. Do you feel like your career has been calculated? Or just a series of breaks? Do you have a master plan?
I think the master plan is just to have a really good time for as long as I can. Yeah, I mean, I always like to take roles that are really interesting to me, and fun, and I’m really grateful. I never anticipated ending up in the comedy world, but …

Where did you think you’d end up?
I thought I would end up at Starbucks, working the machines. But when I was growing up and I was acting, it was always very dramatic stuff. And I didn’t really have a sense of humor. I was a very, very serious kid. So then to sort of end up in the comedy world was really very odd and I was very insecure for a long time, like, “I have no idea why I’m here.” But I feel really, really lucky that that’s been sort of the journey, and I think the master plan is just to do things that I love and work with great people.

Do you think you have a sense of humor now?
Yeah, I think I’m pretty good at laughing at myself.

Your husband started out doing comedies like you, and it seems like he’s recently been able to cross over into more serious stuff like Moneyball, and I know he’s in the upcoming Kathryn Bigelow movie. Do you think it’s easier for him to cross over in that way because of his gender, or do you think every career is different in its path?
I think that it’s sort of every opportunity and everything is incredibly different. I mean, I think that he probably … actually, I don’t know. I don’t want to speak for him, so I don’t know. Yeah, but I mean as far as my goal, I would love to be able to do something dramatic here and there, but I hope that my career is mainly focused on comedy, for as long as I can. So, I haven’t really been incredibly active in pursuing really dramatic stuff.

There’s a really funny moment in that New Yorker profile where you had a list of actresses you compete with for roles, that you hope get pregnant. You talked about wanting to start a family. Is that still something where the timing seems complicated, or is it something that you’re trying to figure out?
It’s something that we really want to do. And we’ll figure out the time. I mean, we’re both in our thirties now, and I think that our priorities are kind of shifting. I think it would be great to start a family. It’d be great to have maybe a place up in Washington State that we could sort of retreat to. We have a fantasy of starting a weird little theater company on an island in Washington State. It would be incredible. And just, you know, putting on weird plays and training the locals … not even training them, they would train us.

That sounds like an amazing family. Is it just that you wouldn’t want to raise a family in Los Angeles?
I don’t know. I think if you do it right you can raise a great kid anywhere. I just think that it’s hard for me to not feel sometimes like my industry and my job is the most important thing in my life. I’d like to feel like it’s not what everyone around me’s talking about. You know, just a retreat would be great. And I certainly don’t want that kind of thing for future kids and stuff.

What’s going on with the movie Gold Diggers — the Kate Hudson project you were developing that you described as the female Wedding Crashers?
I don’t know. That’s been sort of on pause. It’s with Paramount, which has [The Dictator]. I think we probably need to update the script and work on that a little bit, but with any project, you know it goes through waves of momentum. And I realize now with some distance — because House Bunny was the first movie that I developed, and it happened so fast, I sort of thought that’s how everything kind of worked. So it’s been an interesting lesson to realize, oh, projects, like, stay in development for years and then maybe something happens. So, I still want to make it, I need to sort of finish up with this current project.

Is it frustrating to have things in limbo?
Yeah, but I think you accept it. It definitely makes it all the more rewarding if actually something happens. But, yeah, it’s frustrating. But it’s even more frustrating to wait around for an audition and see if you’ll, like, get a role and feeling like you have absolutely no control over your future.

Do you still have to audition for things or do people tend to come to you?
No, I don’t really audition for much. I auditioned for The Dictator, but usually a lot of the stuff I’m doing now, I’m usually a part of the process before the movie gets financed, or something like that, so it’s a little different. Sometimes I do long for the days when I auditioned and if by some miracle I got the role, like three weeks later you’re shooting. You’ve got a job. That was amazing.

Have you made any headway in your goal to have an Apatow-style all-girl production team?
No! I mean, I guess … not really. That’s not exactly true. I haven’t formally done anything, but being in a part of, like, the community, in the sort of comedic world, is now it’s so different from when I first got to LA. And also it’s great because my husband is friends with all these people. Now there’s just a different feeling when you talk to other actresses, there’s this feeling of, like, let’s do something together, instead of when I first moved to L.A. where it was like, oh, we’re up for the same role. There is a feeling of camaraderie, and the feeling is, like, isn’t this sort of impossible, isn’t this sort of hard? Well, let’s doing something together, wouldn’t it be cool, will you come do a little thing in my movie? It’s an empowering feeling, which is great.

Who are the actresses that are in that world?
Well, like Zooey Deschanel, and Rashida [Jones], and Amy Poehler, and Abby Elliott, and Kristen Wiig — I mean, she’s on a different level. I don’t know, but she’s like scraping around. The cool thing, though, she’s such a leader and supporter of that kind of collaboration. So, that’s really amazing. It’s just nice when you see these actresses and you’re friends with them and they’re like, I like that person, love to work with them, and I think we just all have each other’s backs. And maybe I’m naive in that way, but it feels like that.

You were talking about the women who are in that comedy circle. Who do you think are your peers in terms of when you go up for roles?
Oh, I have no idea.

No idea?
I have no idea. I mean, I really don’t. Part of it is because I don’t ask because I don’t really want to know. Part of it is ’cause it changes all the time, and part of it is, too, I think it’s … I feel like I’ve done enough, so people either know that they want me or they know if they don’t. It’s kind of interesting. But when I was first starting out, it was, like, all the American Pie girls; I was always losing jobs to all of them, I remember. It just, like, shifted; every six months it was somebody else. It was funny.

Before you go back to London to shoot, tell me a little bit about I Give it a Year.
It’s directed by Dan Mazer, who executive produced this movie, The Dictator, and he’s been with Sasha [Baron Cohen] for a long time. I love that it’s very British in that all of the dialogue is very quick, and witty, and fun to say, and it’s all very dialogue-based humor. There’s nobody slipping and falling on a fucking bra or whatever. So that’s a great sort of change of pace. It’s very actor-y. It’s been a while since I’ve done a movie with like three other really professional, amazing actors. It’s really rewarding to sit around and laugh and play with these people who are all so good at what they do.

vulture.com

The ‘Dictator’ star announced last week she and her husband Chris Pratt are expecting their first baby in the autumn and Anna, 35, admits her mum Karen had been pestering her to give her a grandchild for a long time.

She told The Sun newspaper: ‘Chris and I both want a family. Mum has been saying to me for some time, ‘You had better start soon.’ ‘

Anna – who was previously married for three years to Ben Indra, before divorcing in 2008 – and Chris were only engaged for six months before getting married in 2009, but Anna believes it was meant to be as they lives had so many similarities.

She explained: ‘When I fell in love with Chris it was great. We both grew up in little towns next to each other near Seattle and I found that very comforting.

‘My marriage didn’t work out the first time round but I am still a big believer in marriage.

‘We lead a boring life in LA on purpose. I never go out, I never go to premieres, don’t go to parties and don’t live a Hollywood lifestyle.

‘My perfect night in is cooking dinner, drinking wine and watching movies – there is nothing I love more.’

monstersandcritics.com

Synopsis: The heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.

Anna has a lot to say about her role in the film, so check out the interview below!

amctheaters.com

Anna Faris grew out her underarm hair to play her hippie character — and yes, it was all her own hair.

She told thehothits.com, “It was itchy, it was uncomfortable, it was incredibly thick and long. And for some reason when they asked me to grow it out I thought yeah that’s no big deal, it will probably be thin and whispy and kind of cute even under certain circumstances.

“But no. It was just revolting. I had no idea that I had the capacity, the ability!”

Anna also explained how she kept a straight face around Sacha Baron Cohen when he was in character!

Check out our interview with the cast below. The Dictator hits Aussie cinemas on May 16.

thehothits.com

So, where did the actress get her start? Was it film school? The theater?
Keenan Ivory Wayans . “He, you know, is very dear to my heart. He gave me my first break in Scary Movie. And I know that he would really appreciate [The Dictator] – he loves humor that offends everybody equally. I’d love for him to see this. I’d love to be in the screening room as he watched it.”

The Scary Movie franchise has already released four successful movies and is in talks for a fifth. Just goes to show how landing the right project can really springboard an actor’s career.

I had a chance to chat with the Hollywood actress about her new movie. The Dictator tells the tale of a foreign dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy never comes to the country he so lovingly oppressed. All the makings of a comedy, right? Well, did we mention the all-star comedy lineup of Sacha Baron Cohen, John C. Reilly, and the writing and directing team behind Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm? Hold while I contain my excitement…

Anna was able to give us some insight about this comedy dream set and her character, which she describes as naïve.
“She’s very idealistic, I think, to a fault. And I think it’s easy for people to take advantage of her. But I think that she definitely had some qualities that some of my other characters have had in the past, you know, that naiveté that I tend to play a lot of. And I’m starting to think that I’m just really naïve in real life.”

Would you say this was a loose set with a lot of improv? Or was it really tight and to the script?
It was very, very loose. It took a little bit of a learning curve for me. It was unlike pretty much any filming process I had ever gone through before. And you really didn’t know where the scene was going to go. We had a script and we would do the scripted version a couple of times. And then, the writers and Sasha would collaborate. And then, next thing you know, you would be headed in a completely different direction.

So it forced you to really stay on your toes, which was hard, but also, sort of an exciting challenge for an actor. I mean, he would, you know, in a scene like where he was sort of supposed to be charmed by me, he would suddenly be threatening to kill me, or like calling me like a lesbian hobbit, or you know, grabbing me on the back of my head …

Was that just for fun or is that actually part of the movie?
A lot of that became a part of the movie. It was just sort of as an actor you’re like, all right, got to be game. You know, it was improv, but it was like improv class in a sense that you just sort of roll with the punches, literally.They’ve all known each other for years, all the writers and Larry and Sacha. And so, for me, my strategy was just, you know, being open to trying anything. The audition process was really fun for me. You know, we just did a lot of improv. We played a lot.It took me like I think three months to get the role. Like they auditioned. And then, I didn’t really hear anything. And so, it was kind of – I didn’t know what was going on. And ultimately, I have no idea why they chose me. Probably because I was willing to grow my arm pit hair.

We’re sure it’s much more than arm pit hair. See Anna in The Dictator with Sacha Baron Cohen in theatres May 16th.

themovieblog.com

The Dictator actress, 35, and her Parks and Recreation star husband, 32, are expecting their first child this fall, her rep tells PEOPLE exclusively.

After tying the knot in 2009, the couple were open about their dreams of a large family, but admitted the timing was “so hard in this industry.”

Still, The Five Year Engagement actor made it clear he was ready to fall into fatherhood sooner rather than later. “Chris wants a big family,” Faris told PEOPLE.

The actress stars alongside Sacha Baron Cohen in The Dictator, opening May 16, and is currently filming Working Title’s I Give It a Year in London with Rose Byrne and Simon Baker.

Pratt is filming Zero Dark Thirty for director Kathryn Bigelow and will appear with Channing Tatum in Ten Year this September.

People.com

The issue will be on sale May 10th!

1. On her character.
2. On Zoey’s relationship with Alison Burgers.
3. On what drew her to be part of the film.
4. On what it was like working with Sacha.
5. On Zoey’s store and how Sacha’s character helps manage it better.
6. On what the audience can expect.
7. On on her favorite scene.

8. On Sacha’s character.

It’s been six years since Scary Movie 4 and while there’s been talk of Dimension Films making another one ever since, they finally announced they were moving ahead with Scary Movie 5 and that it would be directed by Malcolm Lee. Other than the release date of January 11, 2013, that’s pretty much all that’s known about it.

Of course, we wanted to assume that Cindy Campbell would be back and it was rumored Faris might at least make a cameo, so when ComingSoon.net interviewed Anna Faris today for her new movie The Dictator with Sacha Baron Cohen, we asked whether she’s gotten the call and whether Cindy may be returning.

“No, I don’t think I’m going to do it,” she told us. “I don’t think I’m part of that. I don’t know exactly what’s happening with it, but I hear it’s sort of in the works and stuff.”

It’s kind of sad to hear that Faris won’t have a chance to pass on the baton, but she was glad to hear we’d miss seeing her in the movie, and maybe they’ll call her eventually to at least do a cameo.

As of now, no other cast has been officially announced, although at least another “Scary Movie” regular Regina Hall has worked with Malcolm Lee before, appearing in his first movie The Best Man.

Look for more from our interview with Ms. Faris before The Dictator opens on Wednesday, May 16.

comingsoon.net

Watch them test their luck in the casino.

How Anna thinks of comedy: “In college one of my jobs was as a receptionist, and during my lunch breaks I’d wander around the city,” says Faris, who graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in English. “So, on this particularly beautiful day, I was out walking in a dress, wearing my backpack, feeling great. But then I realized I was attracting a lot of looks, really getting checked out, which really made me angry, although I bet I loved it, even if I wouldn’t admit it. So, I’m scowling and stomping around when an older lady in a van pulls over and yells, ‘Hey girlie, your ass is showing!’ My dress had gotten hiked up under my backpack, giving full view of my Costco granny panties. My ass is showing, and I’m condemning a city full of lecherous men! That’s what I think [of] when I think about comedy and what it is.”
On how she got cast in Scary Movie: “I’ve asked Keenen why he cast me, and he said, ‘Because you didn’t know what you were doing.’ Does that mean I was malleable? Willing to fall down a hundred times and get hit in the head more? I don’t know.” A long pause. “The real answer is, it’s because I took myself so seriously.”
Her ultimate character dream: “That’s what I would love to play!” says Faris. “A woman who is unambitious, has no maternal instinct, is liberated from vanity, relishes porn and is pretty much the female version of the comic male mess.”
On comedic actresses: Faris envisions a day in the not-too-distant future when funny girls can behave like funny guys on-screen, and also collaborate extensively on funny fare—much like the coterie of male talent marshaled by writer, producer and director Judd Apatow. “I really think there’s a change happening, where instead of viewing every female as competition, which is exhausting and futile, comedic actresses are now comradely. It feels really nice,” says Faris. “And there’s nothing funny about that.”

In the movie, Faris plays Zoey, a liberal idealist with a good heart who runs an organic, vegan grocery store in Brooklyn. When she meets General Aladeen (Baron Cohen) at a protest, she thinks he’s a refugee and jumps at the opportunity to help him.

When we spoke to the “Scary Movie” actress, she opened up about the challenges of her role (in particular having to grow out her underarm hair), Baron Cohen’s stunt at the 2012 Academy Awards and his crazy antics on set.

MTV: Zoey is a physical departure from your usual leading-lady roles in films like “The House Bunny” and “What’s Your Number?” What was it that led you to choose this script?
Anna Faris: I’ve been such a big fan of Sacha’s for years and I just jumped at the opportunity to get to work with him. I was just thrilled. That was really exciting for me. I love, in general, just getting to transform myself for characters. That’s really an exciting process for me. When they presented me with a more androgynous look, I thought that was just perfect. You know, this is the kind of girl that the dictator has never met before. He’s used to sleeping with models and actresses, these really stunning women, so for a while he thinks that I’m a boy.

MTV: Was there anything challenging for you about the role?
Faris: Not so much the role, but the project was really challenging because Sacha and his whole crew, all the writers and our director, they’ve worked together for so long and they do so much improv. It’s like 90 percent improv, and so the challenge was just keeping up with that as an actor, just being on your toes. I found it really hard, but also really exciting.

MTV: Of course, we have to ask: What was it like working with Baron Cohen?
Faris: It was amazing. He’s just this sort of crazy genius. You just have to be prepared for anything. The scene [can go] in a gazillion different directions and you just have to sort of roll with the punches. But it was great, I loved it. I just adore him. He was in character a lot of the time, but when he wasn’t, he’s a really kind gentleman — really intellectual and very funny. I just adored him.

MTV: You said he was in character most of the time. Would you approach him in character as well?
Faris: [Laughs] Yeah, I kind of would! Like, “OK, wait, is this the…? Oh, wait, he’s the supreme leader.” It was a little tricky for me because my character isn’t supposed to know that he’s a dictator. So I was like, “Well, do I then? Maybe? I don’t know? I’ll just go to craft services.”

MTV: With all the improvisation, did you have a hard time keeping a straight face on set?
Faris: Yeah, a lot of times! I mean, I feel really fortunate that I had the “Scary Movie” experience because I feel like that sort of prepared me for a lot of the general chaos of the set of “The Dictator,” so I just felt like you sort of go with it and wait until somebody calls cut. Until then, you just keep acting.

MTV: He’s known to make people uncomfortable, like his stunt at the Oscars where he poured fake ashes on Ryan Seacrest. Did he ever do anything that made you think, “OK, where is the nearest exit? How can I escape this?”
Faris: [Laughs] No! He was actually so sweet to me. I sort of escaped all that. But he was always, you know, such a gentleman. I didn’t know what it was going to be, but I did know that something was sort of afoot for the Oscars. And my husband [Chris Pratt] and I went and I saw Sacha, and I was like, “Honey, we just need to steer clear. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but let’s just sort of avoid Sacha.”

MTV: Do you have a favorite memory from shooting?
Faris: There’s a scene where Sacha and I are sort of forming our friendship in an intimate way, [laughs] and that’s really fun. I had to grow my armpit hair for the movie.

MTV News: How was that?
Faris: It was awful! I was so naive about it too. I was like, “Yeah, I’ll grow it out. No big deal.”

MTV News: Did your husband say anything about it?
Faris: He was such a good sport about it. He was like, “Yeah, honey! You do it. Just go.” But he also didn’t have to be around me too much that summer. I thought it would be, you know, fluffy and light, I guess. But it was so dark and thick and coarse. It was crazy. I felt very self-conscious about it. Maybe I was a little bit of a baby about it.

MTV News: Before we sign off, can you tell us your favorite joke?
Faris: Oh, my favorite joke! OK, let’s see. A little boy and his grampa … wait, oh no, I won’t tell you that one. It’s a little raunchy. But I will tell you this one: There’s two blondes and there’s a river in between them and one blonde says to the other blonde, “Hey, how do I get to the other side?” And the other blonde says, “You’re already there!” Yep. Pretty dumb.

MTV.com

Anna Faris will collect the honour at the annual convention in Las Vegas on Apr 26.

Her credits include The House Bunny, Smiley Face, the Scary Movie franchise, Just Friends and What’s Your Number?

CinemaCon is scheduled to run from Apr 23-26.

ScreenDaily.com

Feel free to leave your thoughts on the new design in the comments section! You can also follow us on Twitter @AnnaFaris_Fan and like us on Facebook!

“The Dictator” opens on Wednesday, May 16th.

Real Beauty: What’s been your relationship with SPF and sunbathing?

Anna Faris: It’s been terrible! It was a really bad relationship for years. I grew up in Seattle, and you know, it’s sunny there two days out of the entire year. When I moved to L.A., I worshipped the sun and would lay out all the time and go to tanning beds. During the filming of The House Bunny, I had a makeup artist tell me that my skin was starting to show some early signs of sun damage. When she actually pointed it out to me under a light I could see how it was starting to get blotchy. I immediately started to use a self-tanner, but I was horrible with it because I never remembered to exfoliate properly beforehand. A girlfriend of mine told me about Jergens Natural Glow about four years ago, and it was so serendipitous that they approached me. I already loved the product, and since I forget SPF too often, this really eliminates a step for me.

RB: Do you try to avoid the sun now?

AF: I try to, but it’s hard.

RB: You’re married to the adorable Chris Pratt. Do you two share any beauty products?

AF: He loves this lotion because he’s really pale—he grew up in Seattle, too. I’ll actually apply it for him. Other than that, we’re pretty lazy. It’s funny because we’re both in this crazy industry where people pay attention to how you look, and I always feel like we’re the schlubs of the red carpet.

RB: You’re one of Hollywood’s brightest blondes! Is the color something that’s part of your self-identity?

AF: I love being blonde! I’ve done both though, and I’ve found that the stereotypes are true. People keep their expectations low in terms of intelligence when you’re blonde. They’re friendly and assume that I’m a bubblier person, which I am. When I had dark hair, people took me much more seriously. I would end up auditioning for more intelligent roles. It’s very interesting to think about how hair color affects things like that.

RB: Was it super weird to see yourself with dark hair? You really surprised everyone with a dark, cropped ‘do a while back.

AF: It was strange, but awesome. I loved it. It’s great to be able to feel like a different person, and that haircut felt really liberating and strong. It was like, “This is cool. This girl’s cool.”

RB: What was the longest time you’ve ever spent in hair and makeup?

AF: For The House Bunny it was two hours every morning since my hair was so big, and they had to put a piece on. My makeup was big, too, and I would get sewn into my costumes which were so tiny! So that was like a 4 a.m. start. Anytime you have to do any sort of prosthetic makeup, you get a little restless.

RB: Did you read a lot while you were sitting there?

AF: I’m a news junkie and would just go through the papers. The end result is worth it—t’s fun to fully feel like the character.

RealBeauty.com

Eagle-eyed viewers can glean all sorts of secret information. Did you know that Ms. Faris paired her Salvatore Ferragamo pant suit with a pair of Uggs? Also there’s a pretty sick tilt of Ms. Faris in a shiny dress (by Paco Rabanne) that never made it into print. For the small cadre of comedy nerds who enjoin passion of The Harold with knowledge of fashion, this video is for you.

Christopher Campbell, our fashion director, just came over to my desk to inform me that she didn’t so much “pair” her Uggs with her pantsuit. “It’s just that we knew the shot was going to be cropped and they were more comfortable than a pair of heels.” Truth in comedy, folks!