The Real Man That Inspired Some Of Frank's Weirdest It's Always Sunny Moments
The main characters of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" are so outrageous they seem like they couldn't possibly be based in real life, and Frank is perhaps the strangest of them all. Portrayed by the incomparable Danny DeVito, Dennis and Dee's millionaire father chooses to move into their friend Charlie's tiny apartment and leave his upper-class lifestyle behind.
"He's got the Midas touch, but he misses living in squalor," DeVito explained in an interview with The New York Times. "The one line that got me hooked to do the show was that I had a scene with Charlie Day, and I say [...] 'Let me come and live with you, man. I miss living in this Bohemian style.'"
Frank develops several new bohemian quirks, like a "toe knife" he uses to dig the scum out of his toenails, a habit of eating cat food before bed, and a penchant for a healthy game of Night Crawlers. He is responsible for some of the most unforgettable moments of the series, from his short-lived wrestling career as the Trash Man to bursting out of a leather couch. "So far, there's nothing they've come up with in their addled brains that I've refused," DeVito told Entertainment Weekly. "I've been slimed, I've fallen out of windows, I've climbed out of couches naked, I've done all kinds of things."
He might seem like a one-of-a-kind character, but the quirky curmudgeon is actually based off of a real-life person. Scott Marder, a longtime writer-producer for "Sunny," has found a lot of inspiration for Frank in his own father, who bore the nickname Hockey.
Hockey, the real Frank Reynolds
One thing that Marder's father shares with Frank is a habit of eating pet food. "My dad was really thrilled by this beef stew that he got at the flea market, and he was digging into it and had a couple cans of it," the writer-producer recalled on an episode of The Always Sunny Podcast. "And my mom saw how much he enjoyed it, so she opened up one to have for dinner ... 'till she turned it around and saw that it was dog food that he had been eating."
This story almost got its own arc on "Sunny," but never made its way into the show, series co-creator and star Charlie Day revealed. After accidentally eating dog food from the flea market and enjoying it, Frank is left wondering, "What else does a dog do that I'm missing out on?"
Other characters, too, take inspiration from Hockey. When Mac is diagnosed with diabetes in "Frank's Pretty Woman," he shoots himself in the belly with insulin. This jarring misapplication of medicine is also a nugget from Marder's real family life. "I mean, my dad's like live-action Homer Simpson," the writer continued. "He just eats such garbage. Like, sleeves of Oreos right before bed. Like, Mountain Dew all day. He doesn't drink water. He doesn't like the taste of it. All he drinks is soda, which is — he's 80. I mean, to make it to 80 and all you drink is soda is pretty remarkable."
Marder's dad inspired the Yellow Jackets to sing
Marder's dad was such a special guy that he even got a character named after him in the season 3 episode "The Gang Sells Out." In this episode, Frank has a street gang of old guys, which includes Marder's father's namesake, Hockey, so named because "he was the fastest thing on two feet," the writer revealed. The Yellow Jacket Boys try to intimidate a new retailer out of opening a bookstore down the block, but instead, they are mistaken for a singing group. This, too, was inspired by Hockey.
"My dad was in a group — my dad's actual group name was called Vito and the Salutations, which he got kicked out of," Marder added. The singing group went on to make an album, but by that time, Marder's dad had already gotten the boot. It's a shame, too; their unconventional rendition of "Unchained Melody" made it into Martin Scorsese's beloved mobster movie "Goodfellas."
The leather-clad seniors were also inspired by another group of guys that Hockey hung out with. "There used to be a club called the 123 Club," Marder continued. "And my dad loved the 123 Club 'cause you could go in there and you could walk in, kick the jukebox, and 1-2-3 you're in a fight."
Frank isn't the only character who was inspired by a real person
Hockey wasn't the only real-life person who ended up inspiring a major character in "Sunny." In fact, Sweet Dee was named after the wife of Tom Morello, the lead guitarist of Rage Against the Machine, series co-creator, showrunner, and star Rob McElhenney revealed on an episode of The Always Sunny Podcast.
"[Morello's] girlfriend at the time, now wife, everybody kept referring to her as Sweet Dee. And I always thought, God, that's an interesting, funny name, Sweet Dee. Why do they call her that, I don't know? And then I kind of forgot about it. [...] For like three years. Three years I forgot about it. And then when I sat down to write the show, I don't know why it popped into my head. I was like, maybe they call her Sweet Dee, that's kind of fun. Yeah, that's just a funny name."
Some of the show's most memorable recurring characters also got their names from real-life people. The McPoyle brothers' roles were written specifically for Jimmi Simpson and Nate Mooney, Day told LAist, but they were named after a guy that the series co-creator met in college:
"Now the name McPoyle, I went to college with a guy named Brendan McPoyle who is absolutely nothing like those characters whatsoever, although he did have 13 brothers and sisters. I just always thought it was a funny name, so I gave them that name."
Unfortunately, the real McPoyle did not have the same sense of humor as Day about his last name. "I've since heard from friends who were at a wedding that he's not happy about it, so I do apologize," the "Always Sunny" star added. "I no longer have his phone number, but it's all in good fun."
Minor characters and major storylines are based on true stories
Several of the most memorable side characters in the series have been gleaned from the co-creators' real lives — including Charlie's alter ego, Green Man. "I think it was one of Rob [McElhenney]'s buddies who did Green Man in real life first," Day told Vice. "Apparently he wore that suit to all the Eagles games."
The episode was such a hit that it ended up inspiring a lot of real-life copycats. "That was another one where we thought, 'Yeah, it's kind of funny...' But you never really know what's going to resonate with people," Day continued. "It turned out that everyone really got a kick out of it and now you see that Green Man everywhere."
But it isn't just characters that were born out of the "Always Sunny" creators' real lives — some of the best storylines have too. In the season 8 episode "Reynolds vs. Reynolds: The Cereal Defense," Dennis attempts to get Mac to pay for his car's detailing after he is rear-ended, causing him to spill the bowl of cereal he is eating. It's one of Dennis' most ridiculous storylines, but co-creator and star Glenn Howerton was the direct inspiration for his character's crazy road snack. "For the record, that cereal thing from the [season 8] finale happened to me in real life," he revealed on Twitter. "I defend myself to this day."