The actor formally known as Rob McElhenney made headlines a little less than a year ago when he revealed he was changing his name. While some initially thought he was joking, the multihyphenate confirmed he was changing his name to Rob Mac for professional purposes. Mac’s move led to a myriad of responses from fans as well as some entertainment industry pundits at the time. Now, Mac’s longtime It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia castmate, Charlie Day, is weighing in on his name change in a hilariously honest way.
Anyone who’s familiar with the interpersonal dynamics amongst the It’s Always Sunny cast surely know that they love to (playfully) give each other a hard time. So I wasn’t surprised that when Day asked about Mac’s name change at SXSW, he threw in some funny jabs. Not only did he suggest to Collider that Mac should’ve taken on wife Kaitlin Olson’s surname, but he also said it’s pretty “douchey” to change one’s name. (Mac actually made that same “douchey” admission). Still, Day explained why he understood the decision:
Well, first of all, a missed opportunity not to go with Rob Olson, you know, which I think would’ve been a lot cooler. But, okay, as douchey as it is to change your name, this is a man haunted by the name McElhenney. I mean, from the moment I’ve known him, no one has been able to properly spell that last [name]. Does anyone want to try to spell McElhenney right now? It was M-C-E-L-H-E-N-N-E-Y, and no one ever could spell it, and it drove the man crazy.
Even though Mac’s decision may not have been expected by fans (and the reactions to the name change were funny), I can also understand why he opted to move forward with it. McElhenney is a unique name but, considering the Mythic Quest star has a brand he’s continuing to build, it makes sense that he would want a moniker that’s easy for people to digest. In the Instagram reel, Day shared his approval but also humorously called out his longtime friend and colleague for one reason:
And now that he owns like, nine soccer teams, when he goes to other countries and he tries to explain the name McElhenney, he [sees] people’s brains melt down. So he went — he copied my three-letter last name. But that’s fine, that’s fine, but I understand. I make fun of him, but I also get why he did it.
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I mean, Charlie Day did have the three-letter last name first, right? Regardless, it’s cool to hear that he understands the reasoning behind his co-star’s new name. I still imagine, however, that there could’ve been some playful jabbing while Mac, Day and the rest of the It’s Always Sunny team was writing and working on Season 18. Details on the new episodes are scant at the moment though, in recent weeks, the cast has been sharing behind-the-scenes teases of what’s to come, including what may or may not be a Die Hard-inspired episode.
To be completely honest, it’s still taking me a bit of time to get used to saying (or typing) the name Rob Mac instead of McElhenney. Of course, despite that, my curiosity as to what kind of surprises Mac, Charlie Day and co. have planned for Sunny’s new season has not decreased in any way.
Let’s hope It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 18 arrives sometime during the 2026 TV schedule. In the meantime, stream the first 17 seasons now using a Hulu subscription.
