Kaitlin Olson Had One Request For Her It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Role
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" has maintained its charm over 15 seasons because every member of the gang is equally awful.
The gritty sitcom is set in the dim lights of Paddy's Pub, a bar owned by a group of high school friends, Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (Rob McElhenney), and Charlie (Charlie Day). They employ Dennis' twin sister, Sweet Dee (Kaitlin Olson), as a bartender, and later by their father, Frank (Danny DeVito), as a manager. The show was created by McElhenney and originally featured Jordan Reid in the role of Dee. After the pilot was picked up for series, Olson joined the cast.
When the show first began, Dee was an exasperated employee trying to convince her lazy brother and his friends to work harder while she picked up their slack. Olson was intrigued by the series, but the way her character was written almost made her turn down the role. "Dee was the voice of reason and they were all really funny," the actress explained to Yahoo. "I said, 'With all due respect, I just don't want to play that character. I don't want to be the voice of reason.'"
Dee shouldn't be the voice of reason
Dee had the potential to be just as pathetic and embarrassing as any guy in the gang. Olson knew she could play a more complex character than the "boring straight person" archetype that was on the page, she told Entertainment Weekly. She told McElhenney she didn't want Dee to just be a woman that's "going to tell you guys when you're doing something bad." If the show was going to be any good, all the main characters had to indulge each other's problematic behaviors. "Let the world be the voice of reason, and let us be ridiculous," Olson continued to EW.
The "Always Sunny" creators told Olson they "[hadn't] written for women that much" (per Yahoo). "My first thought was, 'Well, don't write for a woman. Just write another funny character,'" she retorted. Day is now in complete agreement. He told EW he abhors the thought that "people want to see men be funny and act childish, and they don't want to see women do that." Day argues that "Sweet Dee is as selfish and childish as any other character on the show, and the audience loves her for it."
Dee's best moments aren't feminine
The writers haven't forgotten that Dee is a woman. She is ostracized by the men in her life and often has to strive to be a part of the group. The writers incorporate "some hurt-feelings stuff that's more feminine" into her character, Olson admitted to Yahoo. However, the actress finds that some of her "favorite Dee moments are very 'masculine' things." Olson does her own stunts on "Always Sunny" and has made a name for herself in the world of physical comedy. For reference, see hilarious scenes like Dee stumbling out of a shoe store in "Who Pooped the Bed?"
Part of what made "It's Always Sunny" so groundbreaking is it features a well-rounded female character in a comedic role. She doesn't play the hot wife or the nagging mother, she is entirely "selfish and childish" in her own right, as Day pointed out. The show would be much more boring without Olson fighting to make her role more interesting. Dee is proof that the best way to write for a woman in comedy is to make her just as foolish as the men.