One of TV’s longest-running and best sitcoms is set to return to the 2025 TV schedule this week, and I could not be more excited. Season 17 of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia will premiere on FXX this Wednesday, July 9th, with back-to-back episodes, but we are in for more than just new shenanigans from The Gang. Alongside this new season, Rob McElhenney will also be debuting his new name, Rob Mac, and his castmates, Danny DeVito and Charlie Day, had the funniest reactions to the news.
No, it’s not a joke. Rob McElhenney is legally changing his name to Rob Mac. In an announcement posted to Instagram, the It’s Always Sunny co-creator explained the reasoning behind his new “stage” name. However, apparently not everyone got the memo. In a Tik Tok via Decider, Danny Devito shared his confusion live on stage during a recent Hulu press event for the new season:
Wait, woah, whoah, whoah. You said it’s true?…I swear to god, I looked at the credits and thought they were fucked up. Somebody screwed it up, they took the…
People that they are leaving the decision to keep McElhenney up to each individual person in their family.
If you are looking for a change to the High Potential star’s name in the credits of Sunny on Wednesday, you won’t find it. The Sweet Dee actress, while legally Olson-McElhenney, has always just gone by her maiden name, Olson, when it comes to her TV and movie credits. However, she has been known to occasionally respond to “Shut up, Bird!” when spotted by fans in public.
Be sure to catch (formerly) McElhenney’s first official credit as Rob Mac this Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on FXX, or the next day with your Hulu subscription.