No, Macaulay Culkin Doesn't Play Cricket On It's Always Sunny, But You Might Recognize Who Does
Of the many secondary characters in "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," none has had quite as much interaction with the gang as Matthew "Rickety Cricket" Mara. The character first appeared in the season 2 episode "The Gang Exploits a Miracle," where fans got to know him as a former high school classmate of the younger members of the gang who had an intense infatuation with Dee (Kaitlin Olson). Called "Rickety Cricket" because he wore leg braces throughout high school, he had gone on to become a priest, but his reunion with the gang led him on a downward spiral that would lead to him becoming a drug-abusing pimp with burn-related facial scarring who lives under a bridge. Over the years, he's debased himself in just about every way, making "Sunny" fans double over with laughter in the process.
Unfortunately for the guy who plays him, it's apparently a pretty thankless job, as most of the internet seems to think that ole Cricket is played by "Home Alone" star Macaulay Culkin. While Culkin and Cricket do bear some similarities, at least before Cricket's horrifying burn accident anyway, the actor doesn't perform on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." So who plays Cricket, anyway, and what has Culkin been up to?
Cricket is played by David Hornsby
The ultimate put-upon priest isn't played by Macaulay Culkin but is instead portrayed by actor, writer, and producer David Hornsby. Hornsby has known the "It's Always Sunny" guys for some time and helps write and co-produce the series in addition to playing Cricks. He wrote such bangers as "The D.E.N.N.I.S. System," the brilliant two-parter "The Gang Goes to Hell," and even "Charlie Rules the World," an episode that had its own video game tie-in for a time. In fact, the "Sunny" folks like working with Hornsby so much (and vice-versa) that he's also a big part of Rob McElhenney's Apple TV+ series, "Mythic Quest," where he plays video game executive producer David Brittlesbee.
Hornsby has a long list of credits outside of his work with the "Sunny" team, including a regular guest role on the NBC crime-comedy series "Good Girls," film roles in movies like "Flags of Our Fathers," and a whole lot of great voice acting in animation. Hornsby is a talented creative who does a lot of great work, but when it comes to Rickety Cricket, sometimes he just doesn't get the credit, and people think Culkin plays the Catholic disaster. He doesn't, although he has been pretty busy lately!
Culkin continues to embrace alternative media
While Macaulay Culkin hasn't been catching as much attention as his "Succession"-starring younger brother Kieran lately, he's been just as prolific (if not more so). He's a pretty regular fixture on YouTube, guest starring on channels like The Angry Video Game Nerd and repeatedly appearing in Red Letter Media videos (where he helps to review cult classics and total cinematic garbage alike). He also appeared on an episode of "The Eric Andre Show," running out from backstage with an active chainsaw and dressed in a leather BDSM gimp outfit sans mask. He's an internet culture mainstay who's managed to stay relevant in his own weird way, remaining true to himself while still entertaining the heck out of all of us. It's been quite a long ride from when he used to pretend to booby-trap his house against burglars in beloved Christmas films, but he seems to be doing great all the same.
Maybe one day the folks at "It's Always Sunny" will have Culkin guest-star and perhaps even make a joke about his similarities to Hornsby. For that matter, maybe he can play Cricket's long-lost brother! With Culkin and Hornsby's combined sense of humor, that's guaranteed to be worth some great laughs.