Near the end of her autobiography, Anna Faris writes, “If there’s one thing I’m grateful for, it’s that this book is called Unqualified. I don’t have everything figured out, and I don’t think I ever will…Feeling unqualified is in my DNA” (301). While Faris may feel this way about her life and career, it’s clear from her book that she is quite capable of handling all types of stress, relationship problems, career highs and lows, and personal setbacks with honesty and humility.
Unqualified is primarily about Anna Faris’s life outside the film and TV industry. While her films are mentioned, she doesn’t spend much time discussing each project or the behind-the-scenes stories. This book focuses on her upbringing in Washington, her early brushes with acting, her two marriages, the stressful birth of her son, and how she’s dealt with and overcome obstacles to love and career success.
I didn’t know what to expect as I started to read. I mainly know Anna Faris from the Scary Movie franchise, The Hot Chick, The House Bunny, and her myriad other comedy projects. Unqualified gives readers true insight into who Faris is as a person, not just as the ditzy characters she’s known for playing. It’s easy for people to stereotype and think certain actresses are just “playing themselves” onscreen, but Faris definitely isn’t Cindy Campbell in real life.
Written in 2017, I’m certain that Faris’s life has undergone many changes since its publication, but the stories and advice she offers on life, relationships, marriage, and sex are still relevant and thought-provoking. It’s also the only memoir I’ve read where the author presents advice from fans about several topics and allows herself to be put in the hot seat about various areas of her life.
Faris’s podcast, also called Unqualified, appears to be on hiatus right now. Still, when she discusses it in the book, it sounds like an engaging and fun listen for those interested in spicy relationship advice.
I finished reading Unqualified with a greater appreciation for Anna Faris as an actress and as a person. It’s easy to have a myopic view of celebrities and their lives, so I appreciate when actors give us a small peek behind the curtain at what’s really going on beyond the tabloid fodder.
If you’re looking for a quirky and insightful take on relationships and sex, I recommend Unqualified by Anna Faris.