Rob McElhenney's wife and ‘Sunny' co-star Kaitlin Olson reacts to his last name change
But for his wife and 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' co-star, Kaitlin Olson, she isn't fazed by the switch-up from McElhenney to 'Mac.' The actor filed to legally change his name last week and is waiting for the court to make it official.
'I'm legally Olson McElhenney, but I go by Olson, so I don't really have to change anything,' the actress, 49, told People on Tuesday. 'We can call each other whatever we want. Whatever makes him happy, makes me happy.'
Advertisement
6 Rob McElhenney at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Variety via Getty Images
The actor, whose name is Mac on 'Always Sunny,' revealed why he chose the new moniker.
'When I did a full family tree and realized that it had been spelled differently six or seven different times since the late 1800s,' the 48-year-old told the outlet. 'There was always a part of me that thought this is my name and it's a connection to a long lineage of people and my family.'
Advertisement
6 Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson attend the season 7 premiere of 'Game Of Thrones.'
FilmMagic
He added, 'But I realized that it was just a series of letters and syllables that was smacked together by some government official in the late 1800s, and I thought maybe we can do things a little differently.'
In a video posted to X on Tuesday, he shared another reason why he decided to change his last name, explaining it's due to 'the amount of time that I have wasted trying to get people to either say or spell is literally days of my life.'
'Times have changed and most people already call me 'Rob Mac' anyway,' the star continued. 'My family knows me and loves me regardless of how many syllables I have, and that's the only thing I really care about.'
Advertisement
6 Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson attend the special event 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia 20th Anniversary Celebration!'
REUTERS
'There are so many things going on in the world, and this is a silly one to continue to waste your time with,' noted the producer. 'Maybe we just keep it simple and try 'Rob Mac.' Let's see how it goes.'
He first mentioned his plans to change his name in a May interview with Variety.
'As our business and our storytelling is expanding into other regions of the world and other languages in which my name is even harder to pronounce,' he expressed. 'I'm just going by Rob Mac.'
Advertisement
The actor is also a part-owner with Ryan Reynolds of Welsh soccer club Wrexham.
6 Season 17, Episode 2 of 'It's Always Sunny.'
Patrick McElhenney/FX
Despite Olson being on board now, his wife of 17 years, with whom he shares kids Axel, 14, and Leo, 13, was initially wary.
'The kids are really not happy about it, because they have that last name. And so do I, legally!' she teased. Her husband shared that 'it's up to them' if they want to legally change their last name, too.
'It's their name, and just like their first name, if they decide they want to change it, then they could be called whatever they want,' the actor replied.
6 Season 15, Episode 5 of the FX sitcom.
Along with his career in entertainment, he launched the private company 'More Better Industries' in 2024.
In May, he announced his Philadelphia bar 'Mac's Tavern' — in which he and Olson were part owners — would be closing after 15 years in business.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, the sun is about to shine a little brighter as Season 17 of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' premieres on July 9.
6 Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney attend the Los Angeles premiere of 'Blackberry.'
Getty Images
Along with the real-life married pair, the sitcom includes Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day and Danny DeVito, and follows the owners of the unsuccessful Paddy's Pub.
This season, fans can expect part two of the 'It's Always Sunny' and 'Abbott Elementary' crossover.
Advertisement
In October, 'Abbott' star, Lisa Ann Walter told The Post what viewers are in store for.
'I can't wait,' the actress, 61, gushed. 'I think it's going to be unhinged. We did our side of it. We're in the middle of doing it. We're not done. And then I just got a script today for their side, but I haven't read it yet.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
People are only just learning what the ‘Disney Hug Rule' is
If there's anything that can heal your inner child, it's watching compilations online of kids hugging their favorite characters at Disneyland. They really get you every time, but if you look closely, you might notice a familiar pattern – the Disney character will keep hugging the child until they break off the hug. While it's not an officially mandated rule (although many others exist … more on that later), it's an informal guideline that many Disney theme park staff have embraced, so it's now become a standard practice. 5 A child hugs 'Anna' during a recent trip to Disneyland. The embrace lasted for over a minute and a half. @mccallcook/TikTok The adorable guideline helps ensure that the child feels their beloved character isn't pulling away. According to the Disney fan site Inside the Magic, the practice dates back to Walt Disney himself, who apparently said, 'You never know how much that child may need that hug.' TikTok features countless videos of this rule in action, including one heartwarming clip from @flickdash, showing a montage of kids hugging the characters for as long as they wish, and the characters patiently hold on until they let go. 5 A girl hugs Mickey Mouse at a Holiday Spectacular in Los Angeles, California on Dec. 18, 2021. Getty Images 5 A woman hugs Mickey Mouse at Tokyo Disneyland on April 15, 2011. AFP/Getty Images In another clip by @mccallcook, liked by 3.3 million people, a girl called Hazel is seen running up to Anna from Frozen and refusing to 'Let It Go' for more than two minutes. The character is seen chatting with Hazel and asking her questions endlessly until her parents finally manage to guide her away. 'I THINK SHE BROKE THE RECORD WHAT DO YOU THINK?' Hazel's mum wrote in the caption. 'I think Hazie would've sat there all day long if there wasn't a line behind us.' In the comments, people were getting teary over the adorable moment. 'This is so pure and innocent,' said one. 'I'm sorry, but how do you not break down crying every time this happens?' another asked. However, some wondered whether the parents should've stepped in to break the hug sooner and let another child have their turn. 'As a parent, I would have stopped it earlier,' said one. 'The parents should know that the hug went on for way too long as they put the Disney worker in an awkward position,' added someone else. Other official rules at the parks include that characters must never eat in public, tattoos need covering, staff must be able to sign autographs as their character, and no staff member can say 'I don't know' in response to a question. 5 Tigger embraces a dog during a day at the theme park. @flickdash/TikTok 5 A little girl hugs Mickey Mouse at Disney. @flickdash/TikTok Also, if a staff member wears glasses and their character doesn't, they'll need to wear contact lenses to keep it authentic. For guests, no one over 14 is allowed to wear costumes so they aren't mistaken for real characters, and guests staying at the Disney Hotel aren't permitted to hang wet towels, swimmers, or clothes off their balconies.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why Richard Simmons Died 'Very Happy' According to a Friend Who Spoke to Him 1 Day Before His Death (Exclusive)
Those closest to Simmons say he was energized by a new project months before he died and had begun writing songs for a potential Broadway musical about his life alongside musician Patrick Leonard 'He was so excited,' says older brother Lenny, 'and would always read us the lyrics, in poetry form, of the last song he had written for Patrick' Tom Estey, Simmons' publicist for decades, says the health guru was in a "much more serene, very happy, very content" place before he diedSo much changed in the final year of fitness star Richard Simmons's life before he died at age 76, almost one year ago. From early 2014 to the beginning of 2024, the once-ubiquitous health icon, who became a household name in the '80s and starred in a series of tank-top clad workout videos, retreated from the public eye and avoided most contact with even his closest friends and professional circle, as PEOPLE previously reported. But months before he died as a result of a fall and underlying coronary disease, the "Sweatin' to the Oldies" legend returned to social media — partly to distance himself from an unsanctioned film about his life. Those closest to him also say Simmons was energized by a new project and had begun writing songs for a potential Broadway musical about his life alongside musician Patrick Leonard, who has worked with megastars from Madonna to Elton John. 'He was so excited,' says older brother Lenny, 'and would always read us the lyrics, in poetry form, of the last song he had written for Patrick.' "When we reconnected, it was a completely different Richard," says Tom Estey, who was Simmons' publicist for decades, adding that the health guru "was in a very happy and content place' after he reemerged. While Simmons was home in the Hollywood Hills, "He did know that people missed him and he missed them, but he never took his eye nor his heart off them," Estey adds. Simmons's death came as a complete surprise to Estey, who also noted, "the last day, he didn't feel well." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "My body told me I needed to retire," Simmons himself told PEOPLE in an interview two days before his death, explaining how years of intense workouts had caught up to him and contributed to his decision to take a step back from public appearances a decade earlier. Michael Catalano, who worked as the star's manager for years, said, "He found some peace in coming back and reconnecting with all people he had not spoken to in years," adding that throughout his career, Simmons was always uniquely able to bond with fans. "He cried with them and he laughed with them, and he was never judgmental," Catalano said. Read the original article on People
San Francisco Chronicle
7 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Pop star Katy Perry and actor Orlando Bloom split 6 years after getting engaged
NEW YORK (AP) — Popstar Katy Perry and actor Orlando Bloom have split, multiple media outlets reported Thursday. Outlets including People and USA Today cited a statement that said the pair 'have been shifting their relationship over the past many months to focus on co-parenting' and would continue to be seen in public with their daughter. The statement, attributed to representatives for both stars, said their priority would be raising their daughter with 'love, stability, and mutual respect.' The statement came a week after reports of the couple's breakup swirled ahead of the wedding of billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, which Bloom attended alone. Perry has been on a world tour. Perry, 40, and Bloom, 48, have been romantically linked since 2016. The pair split in 2017 but rekindled shortly thereafter, getting engaged on Valentine's Day in 2019, as Perry revealed during an interview on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live.' In 2020, the pair welcomed a daughter named Daisy Dove Bloom. Perry and Bloom got UNICEF to announce the news on its Instagram account. Both are goodwill ambassadors for the United Nations agency that helps children. Bloom and his former wife, Australian model Miranda Kerr, have a son, Flynn, who was born in 2011. Daisy is Perry's only child. Perry, born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, was previously married to comedian Russell Brand. Born and raised in California, the 13-time Grammy Award nominee helped usher in the sound of '00s pop, quickly becoming one of the bestselling artists of all time for her campy, big, belting anthems. She has released seven studio albums, most notably 2010's sugar-sweet 'Teenage Dream.' The album produced five No. 1s that tied a record set by Michael Jackson's 1987 album 'Bad.' Bloom, who is from Canterbury, England, is best known for his roles as the elf Legolas in 'The Lord of the Rings' and "The Hobbit" films as well as Will Turner in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' series.
