Anna Faris is currently promoting the latest Scary Movie film. Anna starred in the first four movies but was not invited back for the fifth. She returned to the franchise after Marlon Wayans called to tell her that the Wayans Brothers had regained control of it.

One of Anna’s stops was Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast. Anna talked to Josh about her career as a comedic actress and how she felt that she and Regina Hall were “financially undervalued” by the studio. She also gave more details about a scary incident from Thanksgiving 2019 in which Anna, her husband Michael Barrett, and their extended family got carbon monoxide poisoning while staying in a rental house in Lake Tahoe. We’ve heard about this before, but I don’t think we’ve had details until now. According to Anna, she and Michael were passed out. It sounds like they almost died! Here’s what Anna told Josh:

There was a lawsuit. I can’t get too specific, but what I can say is that carbon monoxide is odorless. It is deadly. There were, like, 14 of us. We had rented a house in Lake Tahoe during the winter. We had all the heat going, and my dad wasn’t feeling great. We all weren’t feeling great, but we thought it was altitude sickness and being hung over. We just weren’t feeling great.

My dad was having some health issues. My mom said, “Why don’t you go to the hospital?” At the Lake Tahoe Emergency Room, they had the wisdom to check his carbon monoxide levels in his blood. Next thing you know, Michael and I were passed out and we were being shook awake by firefighters. I have this hazy memory of being told how lucky I was by a firefighter. It was awful.

There were 14 of us. My sister-in-law was pregnant, and there isn’t a lot of study on the long-term effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. When I brought up the heat, this was a house that hadn’t finished an inspection. So, we had all the windows closed. It was winter. We were feeling low, dull, constant headache, drowsy, sluggishness – the opposite of euphoria.

So audience, if you’re feeling if you have those symptoms, just don’t rule out carbon monoxide. We were all clocking it. We were like, “Are you feeling like sh-t or this feels awful?” We knew something was afoot, you know?

[From YouTube Transcript, edited for clarity]

What a terrifying experience. Thank goodness Anna’s dad went to the ER or it could have ended much differently. According to initial reports, officials found that carbon monoxide (CO) levels at the rental home were more than six times what they should be. The details about Anna’s lawsuit aren’t public, but I wonder whether they had functioning CO detectors. (48 states, including California, require them for all homes.)

I really appreciate that Anna listed their symptoms as a PSA. According to the CDC, the most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headaches, dizziness, feeling weak, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Because those are easily mistaken for the flu, the CDC also states, “Consider CO poisoning especially in these situations: No fever associated with symptoms, history of exposure, multiple patients with similar complaints.” They also recommend checking detector batteries twice a year, buying one that digitally displays CO levels, and having any gas, oil, or coal appliances serviced yearly. For peace of mind while traveling, you can also pick up a portable carbon monoxide detector. Consumer Reports has a detailed list of good and bad ones here.

Photos credit: Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon, Roger Wong/INSTARimages,