By Thomas Chau

Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with a Cinema Confidential favorite, Anna Faris, for her new film "The Hot Chick" opening in theaters everywhere tomorrow.

We spoke with Anna 2.5 years ago when we first found out about her in "Scary Movie." Since then, her interview has been the most read interview on Cinema Confidential. Here is what she had to tell us about working with Rob Schneider.

So let’s talk about “The Hot Chick.” How did you get involved with the project initially?

Anna: I actually met Rob Schneider at the MTV Movie Awards two years ago.

That was when “Scary Movie 2” came out?

Yeah I think “Scary Movie 2” was just a few months away from coming out. But I was nominated for a couple of things…

Yeah, like “Breakthrough Actress of the Year”?

Yeah, and you know what’s great is that you know beforehand who’s going to win. I knew that I was going to win. But I was so excited to be nominated, I just wanted to go and have a great time. And I did. I was drinking away, having a good time, and then Rob Schneider was seated next to me. He looked over at me at one point, and says, “Hey, I thought you were really great in ‘Scary Movie’”. And I said, “Wow, thank you so much!” And he says, “You know, I’d really like to work with you some time.” And I said, “Wow, let’s great, let’s do that.” So then they sent me the script for “The Hot Chick” and I went in and read for Tom [Brady] and I met with Rob. They wanted me for the role, so it was really nice.

And how was working with Rob Schneider?

It was great because it was completely different from working with the Wayans. He’s more sort of mellow. The Wayans are like all over the place all the time. They have so much energy and fantastic. And everything was improv with “Scary Movie.” With “The Hot Chick,” Rob and Tom Brady really dedicated to this project because they worked really hard with the script. So instead of doing that, we had a lot of rehearsals and it was really nice. Both ways are very fantastic because on one, you get the opportunity to be on your toes playing all the time. The other one, you get the chance to sort of know what you’re working with. Rob is probably one of the most hard-working people I’ve ever met.

In “The Hot Chick,” you play a cheerleader. Were you ever a cheerleader in high school?

No (Laughs)

So did you have to train for any moves or anything like that?

Yes, we did camp. I didn’t know this before I was cast, but we had to go to cheer camp for almost three weeks before we started filming. It was so hard and I have a whole new respect for cheerleaders. I had no idea how difficult it was. It was also really great because the cheer squad was a combination of actors and cheerleaders. We all became really good friends before the actual filming, so it was nice. We would all go out together on the weekends and it was really nice feeling like you really had a squad. So in that sense, it was great. But I am an awful cheerleader, I learned, and I hope I don’t have to do it again.

Do you have a favorite sequence or scene in “The Hot Chick”?

I really like the bedroom scenes with me and Rob. At the time, when we did all the bedroom scenes, it was towards the end of the shoot. It was really nice to have a calm place and it was just the two of us. And it was just so thrilling for me to be acting with Rob like that, just one-on-one. I think we really had a great time.

So was it weird being in your 20s but acting like you were in high school again, almost like a 17 year old?

In this movie, it was really fun because I got to live an alternate version of my high school experience. I wasn’t popular, I wasn’t very social, I was a bit of a nerd. In this character, my character is popular and she has a boyfriend on the football team even though he’s awful to her.

So your high school experience is absolutely nothing like it’s portrayed in “The Hot Chick”?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I hated the girls that I played. I hated that type of girl. Hated them, hated them. But my character is kind of sweet even though she’s weak. It follows four high school girls after our leader turns into Rob Schneider. They all go through some kind of transformation with her. We all become better people and I like that part of it.

Now one comment I frequently get about you is that despite your success, you manage to stay really, really humble.

That’s really nice of them to say. I think this is just acting after all. I think you get a lot of ego knocks enough to keep your self-confidence struggling. I think a lot of actors, no matter how successful they are, are still manic and ultimately insecure.

I remember I did a play when I was 11, and it was a professional play in Seattle, and I was invited to do this radio interview. And I was on the radio for five minutes and I was really snotty. I was way too big for my britches. I remember my shot sat me down and was so embarrassed of me. I can’t remember a time in my life where I was so ashamed. I put on like an accent, and I was talking about all the things I wanted to do, all the acting jobs I wanted to do, and all the money I wanted to make. I think I just found it really inapt so I sounded like not me, I guess.

So how do you keep yourself humble in L.A.? What do you enjoy doing?

I really like hanging out with my friends and my boyfriend. I love to hike, I love to cook, go out to eat, go to the beach. I don’t really enjoy going to events at all. I’ve never gone to a premiere for something that hasn’t been something I’ve done. It’s also about getting dressed up. I’d much rather stay at home and watch a movie. It’s not that fun for me.

When we were talking about “Scary Movie,” we knew it was good but we didn’t know it was going to be a $54 million dollar opening weekend movie. When you do a movie like “Men in Black,” or “Star Wars,” you go into it knowing that it’s going to be a hit. But with “Scary Movie,” it literally surprised everybody.

It was a crazy experience. It’s funny because for me, I never kept track of the figures of movies had made. I wasn’t part of the industry and this was my first movie. I was actually up in Seattle on opening weekend and my agent called me the first night, and he said, “Scary Movie made $17 million last night.” I didn’t know what it meant. He had to really explain to me, “No, listen, this is really huge. This is unbelievable for you.

People considered “Scary Movie” to be a fluke to have made that much money, but I think it came along at the right time. I think people were ready excited to see something that made fun of what they had been consuming for the last two years.

I had no idea how raunchy the movie would be. How do you sit next to your parents during scenes like the bed scene?

I just tell them, “Mom, if you don’t see my face clearly, it’s not me.” I think there’s just really proud of me. I think I would be more embarrassed if it were a really, truly steamy love scene. That’s more intimate. There’s nothing intimate about what we did. (Laughs)

And I read in an article a few years back that you started getting recognized after the movie came out and you would get really excited?

Yeah! I have blonde hair now which is what I normally have. There was a time when it was overwhelming and I didn’t know what to say to people. I felt probably more surprised than they were. It’s one of those huge things that become quickly no so huge at all especially when living in LA when there are much bigger celebrities living there.

But in the time period between “Scary Movie” and “Scary Movie 2,” do you think things moved really quickly for you? Because you did things like a MAXIM spread and probably things that you never thought you would do…

At the time, I don’t think it felt like it was moving fast at all. I wanted things to move really, really fast. There was a time when I had a sitcom for NBC, “Dog Days,” but never made it on the air. It always feels slower than it may seem to the person who’s not doing it.

I feel so fortunate to be a working actor but at the same time, I’m still unemployed every few months. Even though I’m at a different level, I still have to fight for jobs. It’s still a lot of work.

Do you feel like you’re getting a lot more offers now?

I definitely feel like I’m getting a lot more opportunities. I just finished this film called “Lost in Translation” and that was with Bill Murray and directed by Sofia Coppola. We filmed it over in Japan. I was beyond thrilled to get that role.

What’s your role in the movie?

It basically centers around Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. It takes place in a hotel in Tokyo and they develop this funny friendship. Scarlett Johansson is married to Giovanni Ribisi, who is a photographer. I play a movie star who’s doing press over there in the Tokyo hotel. Every time they run into me, I’m really bubbly and friendly. The movie is sort of a life story. It’s nice, it’s a nice movie. It’s not a comedy but it’s definitely a light-hearted drama.

As I understand it, they’re doing a “Scary Movie 3”?

I’m under contract under Miramax to do a third one. They called me two weeks ago. I’m going to be playing the same Cindy again!

The Wayans Brothers have their own little sci-fi spoof that they’re shopping around…

They actually sold it to Revolution Studios. It’s going to be a competing project. I’m good friends with the Wayans. I love and admire all of them and it’ll be a new experience doing “Scary Movie 3” without them.

So now you have the opportunity to spoof sci-fi movies, and fantasy movies, looking forward to the opportunity?

Yeah, I love doing these parody movies. And I love playing Cindy. Cindy is one of my all-time favorite characters. She’s just so sweet, and clueless and absurd too, so I’m really looking forward to going back to that.

"The Hot Chick" opens in theaters everywhere tomorrow.