Dennis' Fake Grandma On Its Always Sunny Was Actually 100 Years Old
There are a lot of memorable moments in the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" episode "The D.E.N.N.I.S. System," but perhaps the best is the final scene in which Dennis (Glenn Howerton) tries to win back the affection of his pharmacist ex-girlfriend (Jill Latiano Howerton) with the help of his (fake) grandmother, Gladys. As a part of his system for winning over women, he pretended to have a sick grandmother in order to flirt with the pharmacist and he needed a grandmother to prove to her that his story was true. They go to the carnival to purportedly get Gladys some fresh air, but the whole plan falls apart after the rest of the gang shows up with their own versions of Dennis' system. The gang leave, abandoning poor Gladys in front of one of the carnival booths without a way to get home. The gang are pretty awful people, but leaving poor Gladys is one of their darker moments.
On the "Always Sunny Podcast," stars Howerton, Rob McElhenney, and Charlie Day, along with writer Megan Ganz and guest star Jill Latiano Howerton, all discussed "The D.E.N.N.I.S. System" and its most senior guest star. It turns out that Mae LaBorde, the actor who played Gladys, was 100 years old when the episode was filmed!
The magnificent Mae LaBorde
On the podcast, Day explained that originally there were some lines after the gang abandoned Gladys but that it was much funnier to just end things with her all alone. Ganz, frequently the keeper of knowledge on the podcast, then informed the guys (and Jill) that LaBorde was 100 years old when the episode was filmed. She also appeared in the episode "The Nightman Cometh" from the season prior, helping Charlie by playing the piano during his musical so he could propose to the Waitress (Mary Elizabeth Ellis). Even though she only appeared on the series twice, Gladys is one of the most beloved guest stars in all of "It's Always Sunny" (aside from the cast's spouses, of course). A big part of that is Mae's delivery of her lines and, apparently, some improv!
In the delightful YouTube short video "An Ode to Gladys" on the "Always Sunny Podcast" page, Day reveals that LaBorde improvised many of her lines in "The Nightman Cometh," cracking the cast up. Born in 1909, the hilarious LaBorde had plenty of life experience but not that much acting experience, as she started her acting career at the age of 93. She continued to act until her death in 2012 at the age of 102, reminding people everywhere that you're never too old to chase your dreams.