The It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Star Who Almost Showed Up In The Indiana Jones Franchise
FXX's record-breaking sitcom "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" continues to leave a significant impact on television. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the 17th season following the exploits of the Paddy's Pub gang continues to bring on the laughs, whether it be the ever-decaying nature of their collective lives or perhaps how their toxic antics leave recurring characters worse off. In the case of one of the new season's best episodes, the return of the unnamed lawyer is a showcase of how much of a cancer the gang can really be.
The first season of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" introduced viewers to Charlie Kelly (Charlie Day), Dennis Reynolds (Glenn Howerton), Ronald "Mac" McDonald (Rob Mac), and Deandra "Dee" Reynolds (Kaitlin Olson). Besides being the Bizarro sitcom version of the Fantastic Four, the original four cast members showed some promise in their first season, yet the network warned the team that cancellation was imminent if a big star did not join the cast in the next season. Thus, Danny DeVito joined the Paddy's Pub gang as Frank Reynolds, the father of Dennis and Dee. A legend on both television and film, DeVito's addition to the cast saved the show and is arguably a factor in why it is still on the air to this day. The five members of the ensemble are often in high demand for projects beyond the dilapidated Philly dive bar, particularly Charlie Day and Danny DeVito, both of whom are often taking part in massive film franchises. However, one notable cast member nearly made an appearance in one of Hollywood's legendary film series, which could have altered their career in significant ways.
Danny DeVito was nearly cast as Sallah in Raiders of the Lost Ark
Steven Spielberg's seminal masterpiece "Raiders of the Lost Ark" notably has one of the most famous casting what-ifs in all of cinema. Tom Selleck was originally cast in the role of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., but departed due to scheduling conflicts with his series, "Magnum, P.I," leading to the casting of Harrison Ford. Ultimately, things worked out for both Ford and Selleck, with the two leading successful careers in their own right. In the case of Selleck, while he may not be recognized for bringing cinema's most famous archaeologist to life, he remains a living television legend.
As it turns out, Tom Selleck was not the only actor whose television commitments prevented him from appearing in "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Steven Spielberg recalled the script's vision for the character of Sallah, telling Empire that he initially offered the role to Danny DeVito:
"Sallah was originally written as a Sam Jaffe or Gunga Din type – almost a small creature from the 'Star Wars' cantina in an earthbound adventure film. I had originally offered the part to Danny DeVito, who wanted to do it but couldn't fit it around his schedule for 'Taxi.'"
Ultimately, given that Danny DeVito was unavailable, Steven Spielberg had to look for other character actors to bring Sallah to life. Luckily, while watching the 1980 miniseries "Shōgun," he was struck by John Rhys-Davies' performance. Rhys-Davies reflected on getting offered the role to Empire:
"Mr. Spielberg had seen Shogun. I went to see him and said, 'Well, look, it says here that Sallah is a 5'2 skinny Egyptian Bedouin. Are you proposing surgery?" He said, 'No, I want you to do something between that character you played in 'Shōgun' and 'Falstaff.' I thought, 'Ah, this is interesting.'"
One of the funniest It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episodes hilariously references Indiana Jones
Although Danny DeVito missed out on the opportunity to play Sallah in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," the "Indiana Jones" franchise has been referenced in his sitcom, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." In particular, Dr. Jones is subject to much love from Charlie and Mac in "The Gang Gets Trapped," which was the ninth episode of season 7. In the episode, as evident in the title, the gang finds themselves trapped in a stranger's house after their burglary scheme for a priceless vase gets botched.
The planned burglary reminds Charlie and Mac of the "Indiana Jones" movies, which were a childhood favorite for them. Dennis' dismissal of their plans as being based on "dumb movies" enrages both Charlie and Mac, who appear to be wearing separate pieces of an Indy costume, with Charlie donning a leather jacket and Mac sporting a brown fedora. As for Frank, he is shown wielding a bullwhip, which is used in one of the episode's final gags.
"The Gang Gets Trapped" also features a nod to another one of Steven Spielberg's 1980s classics. In an attempt to protect himself from being caught by the owners of the house, Frank finds disguises himself as part of a pile of stuffed animals. This visual gag is a direct reference to "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," in which the titular alien hides within a collection of stuffed animals in a closet, when Mary Taylor (Dee Wallace), the mother of Elliott (Henry Thomas), Michael (Robert McNaughton), and Gertie (Drew Barrymore) checks for any potential disturbances.
The 17th season of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is currently airing Wednesdays at 9 p.m., with new episodes available to stream on Hulu the next day. You can read /Film's ranking of the 25 best episodes of the sitcom here.