The Only It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Star Who's Actually From Philadelphia
The gang from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" are all Philadelphia natives who have spent their entire lives residing in the City of Brotherly Love, but only one of the actors is actually from Philly. Charlie Day (Charlie) grew up in Rhode Island, Kaitlin Olson (Dee) is from Oregon, Danny DeVito (Frank) is from New Jersey, and Glenn Howerton (Dennis) is from an Air Force family who traveled all over but eventually settled in Alabama. That leaves only Rob McElhenney (Mac), the series creator, who was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. That's right, McElhenney is the only true Philly person, and much of the Philadelphia-related humor comes from his personal experiences. (It also explains why he's the only character on the series with a bit of a Philly accent, though Howerton occasionally throws in a few Philly pronunciations, probably learned from his time with McElhenney.)
Over the years, Philadelphia has become a character in the series as much as the gang, Rickety Cricket, Artemis, or any of the other kooky characters that interact with Philly's foul five. Whether the gang is trying out for the Philadelphia Eagles football team, bartering for fruit and wicker chairs in the Italian Market, or visiting the Swann Memorial Fountain for its magical properties, there's lots of love for these locations. Without McElhenney's firsthand knowledge of the city, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" wouldn't have any authenticity and might feel like it could take place anywhere. Thankfully that's not the case, and audiences everywhere can learn a little about the historic city through the gang's hilarity.
A bonafide Philly boy
McElhenney was born and raised in Philadelphia, growing up in South Philly and moving to Delaware County after graduating high school. In an interview with Temple News, he shared that he used to go to Lemon Hill in Fairmount Park to hang out, and would sometimes "go to the bars that let underagers in." Apparently "Underage Drinking: A National Concern" was inspired by a bit of McElhenney's own Philly experience! McElhenney attended Philadelphia's Temple University for one semester before leaving Philly and moving to New York, where he met Day and Howerton as they all tried to make it as actors in the Big Apple.
The actor currently lives in Los Angeles with wife Olson and their two sons, but he does make it back to Philly to see his family for major holidays and big sporting events. He also flies back in to check on his bar, Mac's Tavern, which he co-owns with Olson and some of his Philly friends, a must-see destination for "Always Sunny" fans. In an interview all about Philly with the Wall Street Journal, McElhenney shared some of his own must-see destinations in Philly, including the Schuylkill River Trail, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and The Mann Center for the Performing Arts. He also shared his cheesesteak restaurant of choice since everyone from Philly has one — for McElhenney, it's Jim's South St. Charlie and Dee have both chowed down on cheesesteaks in the series, but whether or not they came from Jim's is anyone's best guess. Maybe next season we'll get to find out the gang's cheesesteak preferences once and for all!
A bit of Philly pride
The rest of the "Always Sunny" gang have definitely gotten to know Philadelphia a bit better over the years, as the series films in the city when the characters visit particular landmarks or roam the city streets. The gang has gotten to leave the confines of Paddy's more and more as the series has gained popularity (and a bigger budget), even going to Ireland in season 15.
The series has featured a few famous Philly folks, including Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty, and more, while also giving a nod to various Philadelphia landmarks and traditions. Heck, there's even an episode where the gang tries to convince a historian that Paddy's Pub was somehow involved in the cracking of the Liberty Bell! They've also followed some major local sports events in episodes like "The World Series Defense" and "The Gang Wins the Big Game," focusing on Game 5 of the 2008 World Series between the Phillies and the Houston Astros and the 2018 Super Bowl, in which the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots.
There's no telling how long fans will have to wait for season 17, but hopefully we'll get lots of fun Philly moments courtesy of one of the city's most famous former residents.
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is available to stream on Hulu and FXNow.