What Happened To Mila Kunis In Ted 2? Why She Wasn't In The Second Film

Mila Kunis' performance in 2012's comedy "Ted" was, as fans will know, not the first collaboration between her and Seth MacFarlane. Kunis has spent more than 20 years voicing Meg Griffin on "Family Guy," and she and MacFarlane are reportedly very good friends. She is also a rather important part of the plot of "Ted," playing John Bennett's (Mark Wahlberg) girlfriend Lori Collins. Lori spends most of the movie as far from a fan of Ted (voiced by MacFarlane) as possible, seeing the sentient but foul-mouthed slacker teddy bear as a bad influence on her boyfriend and holding him back from responsible adulthood. Of course, Lori ends up coming around in the end, as Ted himself starts to act more responsible and even plays a crucial role in getting the couple back together again.

So why, if John and Lori are once again a couple at the end of "Ted," was Kunis strangely absent from the sequel, "Ted 2"? During a 2015 Reddit AMA, Kunis answered a fan who asked why she had not been cast in "Ted 2." "A little thing called 'a pregnancy' got in the way of me and production," she explained. "But I wish them all the best, and I'm sure the movie will be hysterical."

Kunis' absence was explained via her character Lori and Wahlberg's John having divorced six months prior to the events of the film. John's new love interest, Samantha, was played by Amanda Seyfried. 

Though it has admittedly been some time since fans have seen much of anything from the raunchy teddy, Seth MacFarlane has previously dangled the possibility of Ted's story continuing on at least a few different occasions. This would, in theory at least, open the door for Mila Kunis to reprise her portrayal of Lori in another film. There would also be the possibility of her reviving Lori for Peacock's upcoming "Ted" TV show. 

The problem there, however, is that the television show is intended to be a prequel to the film series, set almost 20 years before the events of "Ted," focusing on John and Ted's life during adolescence. Such a premise leaves room for neither Mark Wahlberg nor Kunis. 

Interestingly enough, Kunis was not the first choice to play Lori. When first coming up with casting choices, both she and MacFarlane thought she was too young for the role. Kunis even tried to help him out by suggesting several other actresses who she thought might be more appropriate. "And then at one point, it got to a place where I got old enough to do the movie," she told Vanity Fair, "and he literally just out of nowhere turned, he goes, 'Well, do you wanna do it?' And I went, 'I mean, I can. OK.'"