Charlie Day Almost Left It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia For A Completely Fair Reason

There are many reasons why "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" has lasted on air long enough to become one of the longest-running sitcoms of all time. Each season of the show, even in its weakest runs, is capable of producing moments of jaw-dropping hilarity. Where other shows hide from hot-button issues, the "Always Sunny" crew dive headfirst into the thick of it, finding humor in the darkest of subjects.

But of course, a sitcom would be nothing without its characters, and the gang at the center of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" ranks among the most memorable characters of all time. The show has positioned itself as a kind of "anti-'Friends'" in which a crew of terrible people grew worse with each season. And yet, as the show has plumbed the depths of depravity these characters can get up to, it's shown a surprising amount of heart. These characters aren't just awful (don't get it wrong, they are awful people), but they are also broken and sad. Against all odds, this makes their hairbrained schemes even funnier.

It's hard to imagine the show working without any single member of the central crew, especially Charlie Day's Charlie Kelly, the dim-witted janitor who serves as the team's self-professed "wild card." That's why it is scary to hear that Charlie Day almost left the show, but when you hear the reasons why, it's hard to hold it against him.

On a recent episode of Andrew Santino's podcast "No Bad Lies," Charlie Day joined the comedian for a round of golf and an interview where he spoke about how thankful he is to be a part of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and how it has enabled him to be there for his family: "It's been great for me ... it's kept me in town ... I'm getting on the back half of raising a son, I've been around, he knows who I am."

Living the life of a family man is easier when you are the star of a sitcom with a consistent shooting schedule than it is when you are shooting movies. Day was looking to build his film career, which features roles in films like "Pacific Rim," "Horrible Bosses," and "Fist Fight," and he was prepared to step back from his work on "It's Always Sunny" to pursue these opportunities. But the changing nature of the film business has led to a drought of comedies, and allowed Day to stay on the show:

"There was a time when there were a lot of big comedy movies happening, and I thought, maybe I was going to be on the road more often, and then those just kind of dried up, so I'm glad I didn't quit my TV day job, you know?"

Day is not the only cast member who considered leaving "Philadelphia" for bigger Hollywood productions. The whole crew was ready to end the show with season 9, but luckily stuck around to make some of its funniest episodes. And after season 12, Glenn Howerton, who plays the depraved Dennis Reynolds, was close to leaving the show as well. He ended up staying on thanks to a heart-to-heart with co-creator Rob McElhenney led to changes in the show's production order that allowed for more creative flexibility. Howerton would eventually star in the incredible "Blackberry," while Day has been able to star in some of the few comedies still being made today.