Rob McElhenney is changing his name. His kids, wife share how they feel about it
During a May interview with Variety, McElhenney revealed that he was considering changing his last name from McElhenney to Mac, and WPVI reported he recently took legal steps to do so.
Mac has some significance, at least to McElhenney and his wife, Kaitlin Olson. It's the name of his 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' character, a show that will begin its 17th season in July. And the show the lead to their 17-year marriage.
A post shared by Rob McElhenney (@robmcelhenney)
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New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
‘Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia' star Rob McElhenney explains shock name change in snarky monologue
He's paying the troll toll. Creator and star of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Rob McElhenney opened up in a snarky monologue about changing his legal name to 'Rob Mac' — a move that perplexed many fans. Mac, 48, announced the shocking change to his government name last week and is letting fans know that the name, which 'most people' already use, is officially here to stay. 'I'm going to dedicate exactly one minute to this,' an apparently exasperated Mac started in a video shared online. 'Yes, I'm shortening my name to 'Rob Mac.' Mostly a stage name, but I digress.' 'Is it kinda douchey? Sure. But the amount of time that I have wasted trying to get people to either say or spell my name correctly is literally days of my life,' the Philly favorite said. 'More importantly it means thousands of you have had minutes of your life stolen by me because of my last name, including this one,' Mac joked. The bartender turned soccer club owner further justified the syllable-snipping by sharing his own family tree's generational spelling inconsistencies. 'My grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and I all share [the name] and I love them and I want to stay connected.' 'There's heritage, except, it's not even really our f–king name,' he joked. Rob Mac with pal and Wrexham FC co-owner Ryan Reynolds. Action Images via Reuters Mac then pointed to government documents that show spellings of 'McElhennie' and family pics that spell the name 'McIllhenny.' The star emphasized his family was supportive of the move and that he hoped fans could focus on the 'many things going on in the world,' other than his name change. Mac's familial reassurances come after wife and co-star Kaitlin Olson, 49, expressed skepticism about his then-proposed reidentification in an interview with Variety back in May. 'The kids are really not happy about it, because they have that last name. And so do I, legally!,' she dished to the outlet. Rob Mac (center left) with the core cast of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' including wife Kaitlin Olson (far right). To drive home the 'silly' preoccupation with his name change, Mac made a list of famous entertainers who went by 'stage names' including John Wayne, Gene Wilder, Gregory Peck, Michael Caine, Lady Gaga, Meatloaf, Judy Garland, Sting, and Mark Twain. Mac told Variety that his expanding business empire, 'More Better Industries,' is a major motivating factor for shortening his name. The 17th season of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' premieres on July 9.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rob McElhenney Defends Name Change to ‘Rob Mac,' Admits It's ‘Kinda Douchey': ‘Many Generations Changed the Spelling'
Rob McElhenney, soon to be known as Rob Mac, is defending the decision to change his last name. In a recent post on X, McElhenney shared a brief video explaining why he abridged his last name for those still scratching their heads over the news. More from Variety Rob McElhenney Files to Legally Change His Name to 'Rob Mac' Why 'It's Always Sunny' for Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson: A Power Couple Who Juggle Four Hit TV Shows, a Winning Soccer Team and Ryan Reynolds Rob McElhenney Says Being Cut From His First Movie Was 'Humiliating and Terrifying' After Sharing Scenes With Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford 'Hi! Okay, I'm going to dedicate exactly one minute to this. Start the clock,' McElhenney said in the video as a 60-second timer appeared on screen. 'Yes, I'm shortening my name to Rob Mac. Mostly a stage name, but I digress. Is it kinda douchey? Sure. But the amount of time that I have wasted trying to get people to either say or spell my name correctly is days of my life.' McElhenney went on to explain that his last name has gone through many spelling changes with each passing generation, adding that the most recent iteration came when his family arrived in America. He said, 'Not only have many generations changed the spelling, the current one was just given to my ancestor by a government official who decided that this was now the spelling.' The name change was first revealed by the 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' star in a Variety cover story, in which he explained, 'As I get older, and people are more prone to calling me 'Mr.' or' Sir,' I just say Rob or Rob Mac. And I find that that makes things a lot simpler and easier. People already call me Rob Mac or Mac, obviously, from the television show and it just makes things so much easier.' Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Miami Herald
7 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Rob McElhenney is changing his name. His kids, wife share how they feel about it
As actor Rob McElhenney continues to take steps to change his surname, his wife and kids are revealing how they feel about the move. During a May interview with Variety, McElhenney revealed that he was considering changing his last name from McElhenney to Mac, and WPVI reported he recently took legal steps to do so. Mac has some significance, at least to McElhenney and his wife, Kaitlin Olson. It's the name of his 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' character, a show that will begin its 17th season in July. And the show the lead to their 17-year marriage. A post shared by Rob McElhenney (@robmcelhenney)
