Most fans know Mila Kunis as the voice of the perpetually picked-upon Meg Griffin on Family Guy, but the show’s iconic teenage daughter started with a different famous voice. For the animated series’ first season, another well-known actress brought Meg to life before stepping away from the role.
The First Meg Griffin
Lacey Chabert, known for her role as Claudia Salinger on the television drama Party of Five and as the voice of Eliza Thornberry in The Wild Thornberrys, was the original voice of Meg Griffin. She performed the role for the entire first season and some episodes of the second season due to production schedules. At the time, her work went uncredited because of contractual restrictions with her other projects.
Chabert’s departure from the show was due to her busy schedule balancing high school, her work on Party of Five, and other acting opportunities. Series creator Seth MacFarlane confirmed the split was friendly, noting a potential oversight in her initial contract. He stated, “I think there was a mistake in her contract, and I guess she had not intended to be involved for, like, the full run of the show.”
A Seamless Transition to Mila Kunis
Following Chabert’s departure, the search for a new Meg led to a 15-year-old Mila Kunis, who was already starring on That ’70s Show. MacFarlane was impressed during her audition, recalling a specific line reading where Meg calls Peter an idiot that “just nailed the tone” he was looking for. After a callback where she was asked to speak more slowly and enunciate, Kunis won the role. MacFarlane felt she “had a very natural quality to Meg” and was a perfect fit for the character.
Kunis’s voice is first heard as Meg in the season two episode “Da Boom,” with the broadcast order occasionally switching between her and Chabert’s archived recordings until Kunis permanently took over.
The Show’s Playful Homages
Family Guy has never forgotten its original Meg, often making meta-humorous references to the voice change. In the season ten episode “Back to the Pilot,” Brian and Stewie travel back in time to the series premiere. When they hear Meg speak with Chabert’s 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 show revisited the joke in the season eleven episode “Yug Ylimaf.” As time reverses, Stewie notices Meg’s voice changing and exclaims, “Oh my god! We’re getting closer to the beginning. You’re Lacey Chabert!” This episode marked the first time Chabert received an on-screen credit for her work as Meg.
Chabert later voiced herself in a season seventeen episode, “Griffin Winter Games,” where she and Meg Griffin compete against each other in a ski race, sharing a memorable “Shut up, Meg!” moment.
Lasting Legacy
Though her time on the show was short, Lacey Chabert’s contribution as the original Meg Griffin remains a key piece of Family Guy history. Her departure opened the door for Mila Kunis, who has since become inseparable from the character for over two decades. The show’s clever callbacks ensure that fans will always remember there was another voice behind the bullies’ favorite target before Kunis made the role her own.
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