Fallout from the recent revelation that actor Stephen Collins allegedly admitted to child molestation has been swift. It’s likely just beginning. But the first wave of news broke when it was revealed that Collins has been fired from the production of Seth MacFarlane’s Ted 2, in which he had a small role.
EW has the story, saying that even though the 67-year-old Collins has yet to be charged with a crime, the audio of his alleged confession that was shared by TMZ was enough to lead to the immediate firing from the comedy sequel. EW doesn’t have information on what type of character Collins was supposed to play in Ted 2, but representatives from the film confirmed the firing, and sources close to the movie say that Collins’ part could be removed without affecting the final outcome of the story.
One idea, floated by EW, connects Ted 2 to Stephen Collins’ Star Trek past. The character actor played Captain Will Decker in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, so it’s possible that he was going to be one of the many obscure pop-culture references that Seth MacFarlane likes to weave into his screenplays. If you’ll recall, Ted had a fairly large part for Flash Gordon actor Sam J. Jones.
Again, while Stephen Collins has yet to be charged with anything, the allegations against him appear to be serious enough that a major motion picture that had a small tie to him through a minor role felt compelled to act immediately and sever that connection. In addition to Ted 2, Collins has a short film on his radar, Penance, in which he plays a priest. He recently had roles on television’s Revolution and Falling Skies, but did not have any other major projects of which to speak.
As mentioned, it feels like the sordid details of this story are just beginning to surface. Stay tuned for more information, as it becomes available. As for Ted 2, the comedy sequel will be in theaters on June 26, 2015.
