Robert Dale "Rob" McElhenney (/ˈmækɨl.hɛni/; born April 14, 1977 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Mac on the FX series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He is also credited as creator, developer, and executive producer of the show, which has also provided him with writing and directing credits on various episodes.
Outside of the entertainment world, McElhenney is also known as co-owner with Ryan Reynolds of Wrexham AFC, a Welsh football/soccer club that will play in EFL League One (the third level of England's pyramid) in 2024–25, following consecutive promotions from the National League and EFL League Two. Their ownership of the club is the subject of the documentary series Welcome to Wrexham. The pair have since added a minority stake in Club Necaxa, which plays in Mexico's top football league of Liga MX.
He's married to his Always Sunny co-star, Kaitlin Olson.
Filmography
Film
- The Devil's Own (1997) as Kevin (scenes deleted)
- Wonder Boys (2000) as Student (scenes deleted)note
Television
- Law & Order (1997) as Joey Timon (episode: "Thrill")
- ER (2004) as Andy Fesh (episode: "Where There's Smoke")
- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-present) as Ronald "Mac" McDonald
- Lost (2007, 2010) as Aldo (2 episodes)
- The Mindy Project (2014-2017) as Louis "Lou" Tookers (4 episodes)
- Fargo (2017) as Officer Oscar Hunt (episode: "The Law of Non-Contradiction")
- Game of Thrones (2019) as Ironborn soldier (episode: "Winterfell")
- Mythic Quest (2020-present) as Ian Grimm
- Welcome to Wrexham (2022-present) as himself
Tropes
- Actor-Shared Background: Much like Mac, he grew up in an Irish Catholic family in South Philadelphia.
- Celebrity Resemblance: He's noted to bear an uncanny resemblance to Haley Joel Osment, to the point where one of the earliest versions of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia featured him playing what was supposed to be an older, washed up version of him. It came full circle during the promotion for the series' eight season, which portrayed Osment as having ostensibly taken over for Rob in the part of Mac.
- Descended Creator: He plays main characters on both Sunny and Mythic Quest.
- Dyeing for Your Art: He gained 50 pounds to play 'Fat Mac' in Season 7 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, to prove a point about sitcoms where the characters don't change appearance or get 'worse' as they age. He also got ripped and learned to dance in Season 13.
- Romance on the Set: He and Kaitlin Olson fell in love and began dating in secret during Season 2 of Sunny. They tied the knot in 2008 and have two children together.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Although Happily Married, he and Kaitlin Olson often crack a lot of jokes at each other's expense over social media.
