Anna Faris has given up drinking alcohol because she found “there’s a correlation between drinking and depression”.

The Scary Movie star has admitted she feels a lot better since quitting booze and she now appreciates when she is recognised by fans when she is out and about.

During an appearance on Chelsea Handler’s Dear Chelsea podcast, Faris said: “It was only in the last, like, year, I think, that I really started to notice and appreciate if and when people recognise me, they would usually smile.”

Handler then asked: “Do you think that has to do with not drinking? I know you stopped drinking.”

Faris explained: “Yeah, I do. One of the many gifts. It turns out there’s a correlation between drinking and depression, for me, for sure. I had to take a step back and not self-sabotage.”

Faris went on to reveal she started hormone replacement therapy to deal with symptoms of perimenopause.

“I finally got on hormones, the hormone patch … (It has made a) huge difference,” she said.

Faris admitted she was struggling with mental health issues while filming her TV series Mom before she walked away from the show in 2020, and she even considered retiring from acting altogether.

The 49-year-old – who has son Jack, 14, with ex-husband Chris Pratt – explained: “I was, in hindsight, I think pretty depressed, like, perimenopausal depression without recognising it. I was just having a distant relationship with this city and my career and wondering if I had enough money to retire.”