The hit dark comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been known for many, many things during its time on the air. There are the 16 (and counting) seasons, with the 2025 TV schedule playing host to Season 17 this summer. And, with the series being around for so long, there are a number of actors who appeared on Always Sunny that you’ve likely forgotten about. Plus, there are hilarious side characters and the wild number of terrible things that the gang has done. But, one thing that might not be discussed enough is how the show brought leads Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney together. Their co-stars are now sharing funny stories about finding out that the two were dating.
Always Sunny Star Glenn Howerton Thought The ‘Whole Show Is Fucked’ When He Heard Kaitlin Olson And Rob McElhenney Were Dating
Seeing as how Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney (who portray Sweet Dee and Mac, respectively, on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) have been married since 2008, and have two teenaged sons (one of whom they allow to watch their show about the mostly depraved Paddy’s Pub crew), their millions of fans likely know that the show is how they met and fell for one another. While the story is very sweet, as co-star/executive producer Glenn Howerton (he’s potential serial killer Dennis) told Variety, he was stunned when he found out, and noted:
How did I not see this was happening? She would always come over and then would get too drunk and sleep there. In retrospect, she wasn’t really that drunk; she was just using that as an excuse to stay at our apartment. And then Rob would disappear for a couple of nights, and I’d be like, ‘What’s going on?’ He’d tell me he went out with some girl, just making shit up!
OK, it certainly didn’t help that McElhenney lied about his whereabouts on the reg (though the scheming Paddy’s gang would certainly approve), his position makes sense. He and the A.P. Bio star were roommates, and went through a lot of lean days to get the show off the ground. To find out that all of your sacrifices were potentially being put in jeopardy because your buddy has begun dating one of your co-workers is a tough blow. Especially because if things go wrong in that relationship, things could permanently go wrong at work and sacrifice all your hard-won success. Howerton continued:
I thought he was doing a bit, because he knows that the stupidest thing you could possibly do is to date your co-star. You’re compromising the show and everybody’s job. If that goes south, you’re fucked, and your whole show is fucked, and you fucked everybody. So I laughed, and he was like, ‘No, I’m serious. We both tried to stop it, but it was inevitable. We’re in love.’
Apparently the duo had been trying to quell their non-professional feelings for each other, but it was after the wedding of co-star Charlie Day (he’s, of course, Charlie on the show) and Waitress actress Mary Elizabeth Ellis, that they had to finally give up and face facts. At the time of this confession (which was far less vulgar than the ultimate reveal of Mac being gay), Howerton was actually being a solid housemate, and scooping the litter boxes of their two cats. He added:
All of this is happening while I’ve got a fucking cat pooper-scooper in my hand. I was like, ‘You idiot! You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. You know this is the stupidest possible thing you could be doing, right?’
Can you imagine? What if this hadn’t worked out? The unbelievably inappropriate comedy might not now be the longest-running scripted comedy on TV. We might not have gotten some of the best It’s Always Sunny episodes. Or, maybe the show would have eventually been Dee-free, and Olson wouldn’t have put her body on the line for laughs nearly as much. What kind of world would we be living in if she can’t have people yelling “Shut up, bird!” at her in public?!
Danny DeVito And Charlie Day Were Far More Chill About Kaitlin Olson And Rob McElhenney Dating
Though it’s pretty easy to understand why Howerton (who was largely and hilariously absent from Sunny’s crossover with Abbott Elementary) had some strong words for his buddy after hearing of the romance, it turns out that not everyone felt that way. Danny DeVito (who stars as Dennis and Dee’s dad, Frank) not only saw it coming, but seemed to have very positive feelings about the pairing. As he added:
When we were going on a trip or something like that, you got the feeling that they were kind of gravitating toward each other in a cool way. Every once in a while, people who are supposed to be together wind up together.
Awww. That’s lovely, right? Meanwhile Day noted that he didn’t have any suspicions about the couple, but also wasn’t worried in the least about them pairing up:
I had zero suspicion. I didn’t see it coming at all. And conversely, didn’t care one way or the other. Maybe because Mary Elizabeth and I had been together for so long at that point, I thought, ‘Well, what’s the big deal?’ I think I remember Glenn was a little more thrown off.
To say that Howerton was “a little more thrown off” is clearly an understatement, but hey, it’s no biggie now. Everything turned out great, and we just might get this amazingly long-tenured comedy for many more seasons to come!
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