Anna Faris says she quit drinking after realizing alcohol was ‘self-sabotage’ for her

Anna Faris has opened up about the real reason she 'quit drinking' after podcast host Chelsea Handler admitted it 'happens to so many people'.

The actress noted that quitting alcohol was 'one of the many gifts' she found last year, after recognising a 'correlation between drinking and depression' in her life.

Speaking during an episode of the Dear Chelsea podcast released yesterday (August 20), the star, 49, said: "I had to take a step back and not self-sabotage."

Host, Chelsea Handler, agreed, as she added: "I think that that happens to so many people. Things change also, like drinking changes as you get older. It’s not the same, it doesn’t have the same effect or impact."

The podcast presenter said that it's important to be more 'in touch' with the person you are as you get older, as she admitted: "I don’t drink the way I used to drink. I drink - but I just ... don’t even have the same desire."

But the pair are not alone - numerous health surveys show that millions of older adults reduce or stop drinking as they age.

The star opened up about her relationship with alcohol on the podcast. (@chelseahandler/YouTube)

Users on Reddit have shared that getting sober after 50 is common, and leads to major improvements in energy, sleep quality, and mental clarity.

The mom-of-one further noted that the 'hormone patch made a huge difference' in her life.

Her admission prompted host Handler to open up about battling with 'absolutely no estrogen' for a prolonged period of time.

"It's the closest I’ve ever had to what people describe as depression," the comedian admitted.

The Scary Movie actress noted during the conversation: "It was only in the last, like, year, I think, that I really started to notice and appreciate if and when people recognize me, they would usually smile."

It wasn't just alcohol she was battling with mentally. (Getty Stock Images)

But it wasn't just alcohol she had been struggling with.

Faris noted that she had also been battling 'the death of a career' she 'felt confused about', and gushed about seeing Marlon Wayans on the set of the Scary Movie reboot, which they filmed in 2025.

"I leapt up out of my hair and makeup chair and I grabbed him by the forearms and I was like, 'Marlon, I need you to know how I am grateful to be here. I can’t believe I get to thank you in person'," she said.

The 49-year-old felt she never got the opportunity to thank his brother, Keenan Ivory Wayans, who directed the first Scary Movie, which, of course, helped skyrocket her career.