Many people consider their partners to be their best friend, but not Anna Faris.
The 40-year-old actress recently shared an adapted excerpt from her upcoming memoir Unqualified, revealing why she liked to keep her relationship with Chris Pratt — from whom she is now separated after eight years of marriage — distinct from her female friendships.
"I was once told that I didn't need a tight group of girlfriends because Chris should be my best friend. But I never bought that," she wrote in the adapted column for Cosmopolitan. "The idea of your mate being your best friend — it's overhyped. I really believe that your partner serves one purpose and each friend serves another."
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Interestingly, a study from 2015 found that women are less likely to consider their spouse their best friend, so Faris' point of view is not uncommon. However, the same study also noted that "well-being effects of marriage are about twice as large for those whose spouse is also their best friend."
While Faris admitted she used to be a "guy's girl" and tended to be drawn to men for friendship, she realized these relationships were lacking.
"I was selling my own gender down the river," she wrote, "and I wasn't even getting any fulfillment from the relationships with those dudes."
It takes vulnerability of spirit to open yourself up to other women in a way that isn't competitive.
Considering her celebrity status, Faris noted the beauty of having female friends in her life now and how important they've become to her.
"It takes vulnerability of spirit to open yourself up to other women in a way that isn't competitive, and that's especially hard in Hollywood, where competition is built into almost every interaction," she explained.
In Hollywood, there are plenty of examples of female besties who are pure #friendshipgoals, from Michelle Williams and Busy Phillips to Taraji P. Henson and Viola Davis.
But while female friendships are thought to be "the most meaningful but complex relationships in women's lives," and offer a ton of benefits, such as boosting our moods and relieving stress, Faris believes you shouldn't rely on one person to be your BFF — regardless of their sex.
I truly believe it's okay to have intimacy with different people in different ways.
"It puts so much pressure on any one person, when I truly believe it's okay to have intimacy with different people in different ways," she wrote. "And ranking your friends? It just shouldn't happen, at least not beyond grade school."
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