Why Mila Kunis Replaced Lacey Chabert As Meg Griffin In Family Guy

Despite being a perpetual punching bag for the Griffin family, Meg Griffin is one of the most recognizable female characters in adult animation, much of which is thanks to the voice performance of Mila Kunis. Since joining "Family Guy" at just 15 years old, Kunis's distinctive, deadpan delivery has made Meg synonymous with her voice, similar to how Yeardley Smith is synonymous with Lisa Simpson on "The Simpsons."

However, some fans may recall that Mila Kunis was not the first actress to voice Meg. During the first season of "Family Guy" in 1999, the role originally belonged to Lacey Chabert, known at the time for her role as Claudia Salinger on Fox's coming-of-age series, "Party of Five." Chabert's voice work went uncredited and was later replaced by Kunis starting in Season 2. Chabert has since clarified that her departure was due to her need to balance high school with production commitments and other acting opportunities. 

Series creator Seth MacFarlane acknowledges that Chabert's exit was amicable. "I think there was a mistake in her contract," he told IGN in 2003. "And I guess she had not intended to be involved for, like, the full run of the show." Kunis's audition, however, immediately convinced MacFarlane she was the perfect fit — recalling a line reading where Meg calls Peter an idiot that "just nailed the tone" he'd been searching for.

While Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, and Seth Green have voiced dozens of recurring "Family Guy" characters beyond the Griffins, Mila Kunis has remained devoted almost exclusively to Meg, or variations of her, for over 25 years. 

Despite her departure, Lacey Chabert's early contributions have not gone unacknowledged. In the Season 10 episode "Back to the Pilot," Stewie and Brian travel back to the show's pilot, complete with the original animation style and archival audio of Chabert's Meg. Upon hearing her voice, Stewie quips, "Oh my god, what's with Meg's voice? She sounds like someone who's about to give up a huge opportunity!"  The original animation style and 4:3 aspect ratio is on display to contrast with the updated designs and 16:9 aspect ratio at the time of this episode's original airing. 

"Family Guy" will return to Fox in 2026 for its 24th season, while its newest Halloween special, "A Little Fright Music," is streaming exclusively on Hulu.