It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Cast (2005–present)
FX / FXX | Dark Comedy / Sitcom | 16+ Seasons | Created by Rob McElhenney
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an American dark comedy sitcom that premiered on FX in 2005 and moved to FXX in 2013. Set in a run-down Philadelphia bar called Paddy's Pub, the series follows five deeply selfish and frequently delusional friends — known collectively as "The Gang" — as they pursue increasingly misguided schemes that almost always end in failure or humiliation. Created by Rob McElhenney on a consumer-grade camera with virtually no budget, the show has grown into the longest-running live-action comedy series in American television history, celebrated for its willingness to tackle taboo subjects with gleeful, consequences-free irreverence.
The It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia cast is a five-person ensemble of remarkable consistency. Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito have played the same characters for over fifteen years, making The Gang one of the most stable ensembles in the history of American television. Three of the five principal actors — Day, Howerton, and McElhenney — are also the show's primary writers and producers, giving It's Always Sunny an unusually tight feedback loop between performance and script. The addition of Danny DeVito as Frank Reynolds in season two transformed the show from a modest FX experiment into a genuine cultural institution. Kaitlin Olson's Dee Reynolds is widely praised as one of the most committed physical comedians on American television, a fact that makes the show's in-universe treatment of her character — as the least respected member of The Gang — a recurring source of dark irony. Understanding who plays each member of The Gang is the essential entry point for one of television's most distinctive comedic voices.
Main Cast
Charlie Day
Charlie Kelly
The illiterate, solvent-huffing, and surprisingly musically gifted "wild card" of The Gang, whose unrequited love for the Waitress and devoted friendship with Mac provide the show's most consistently absurd storylines.
Glenn Howerton
Dennis Reynolds
A narcissistic, deeply vain, and possibly sociopathic member of The Gang who co-owns Paddy's Pub with his twin sister Dee and maintains an unsettling air of predatory self-confidence at all times.
Rob McElhenney
Ronald "Mac" McDonald
The self-appointed enforcer and bouncer of Paddy's Pub, a devout but hypocritical Catholic who spends years in denial about his sexuality before an emotionally cathartic revelation in the series' twelfth season.
Kaitlin Olson
Deandra "Dee" Reynolds
Dennis's twin sister and co-owner of the bar, an aspiring actress and comedian whose genuine talent is never recognized by The Gang, making her simultaneously the most competent and most dismissively treated member of the group.
Danny DeVito
Frank Reynolds
The filthy-rich, morally bankrupt father figure who joins The Gang in season two, rapidly descending from a position of relative normalcy into the most depraved and uninhibited member of the group.
Supporting & Recurring Cast
| Actor | Character | Role | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Elizabeth Ellis | The Waitress | Charlie's long-suffering and perpetually unnamed object of obsession; the waitress at the diner the gang frequents | 1–present |
| David Hornsby | Rickety Cricket | A former priest named Matthew Mara whose life is progressively ruined by his involvement with The Gang across many seasons | 2–present |
| Sandy Martin | Mac's Mom | Mac's profoundly neglectful and antisocial mother, whose silence and indifference to her son serves as a recurring dark joke | 1–present |
| Gregory Scott Cummins | Luther McDonald | Mac's violent, incarcerated father who occasionally appears during prison visits | 2–present |
| Lance Barber | Bill Ponderosa | A high school acquaintance of The Gang whose self-destructive lifestyle mirrors their own | 6–present |
| Lynne Marie Stewart | Charlie's Mom | Charlie's deeply troubled mother, whose backstory is gradually and disturbingly revealed across the series | 2–present |
| Kevin Rankin | Brad Fisher | A former classmate of The Gang who resurfaces in multiple humiliating situations | 4–present |
| Jimmi Simpson | Liam McPoyle | One of the disturbingly insular McPoyle brothers who torment The Gang across multiple seasons | 2–present |
| Nate Mooney | Ryan McPoyle | The other McPoyle brother, equally unnerving and devoted to raw milk and family solidarity | 2–present |
Creators & Production
Rob McElhenney
Creator, Executive Producer & Star — Shot the original pilot on a consumer camera with Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day in 2005 and sold it to FX; has written or co-written the majority of the series' episodes.
Glenn Howerton
Co-Creator, Executive Producer & Star — Co-wrote the original pilot and has served as a writer and producer throughout the series' run.
Charlie Day
Co-Creator, Executive Producer & Star — Co-developed the show with McElhenney and Howerton and has written and produced the series alongside them since its inception.
Nick Frenkel
Executive Producer — RCG Productions executive producer who helped facilitate the show's long-running deal structure with FX.
FX Productions
Production Company — The FX Productions arm has co-produced It's Always Sunny since its debut, with distribution moving to FXX for seasons nine onward.
About the It's Always Sunny Cast
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia holds a singular distinction in American television: its core cast are also its principal creative team. Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day have written, produced, and starred in the show from its inception, giving The Gang an authenticity that is difficult to replicate through conventional television development. This arrangement means that the characters are in some sense self-portraits, exaggerated and distorted through a dark comedic lens, which explains why the show's portrayyal of its characters' worst impulses feels observed from the inside rather than imposed from without. The addition of Kaitlin Olson — who married McElhenney in 2008 — and Danny DeVito completed the ensemble's chemistry, which has remained remarkably stable across more than fifteen years of production.
The show's longevity has allowed it to develop running gags, character arcs, and recurring supporting figures with a depth that few sitcoms achieve. Rickety Cricket's multi-season descent from a functioning priest into a feral, permanently disfigured figure living on the streets of Philadelphia is simultaneously played for laughs and constructed as a genuine tragedy rooted entirely in The Gang's selfishness. Mac's storyline regarding his sexuality, which concluded in the acclaimed Season 12 episode "Hero or Hate Crime?" and was followed by a wordless dance sequence in the season finale, demonstrated the show's capacity for emotional sincerity beneath its transgressive surface. The longevity of It's Always Sunny — which surpassed The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet as the longest-running live-action comedy series in American television history — is a testament to the cast's investment in the project they created together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who stars in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia stars Charlie Day as Charlie Kelly, Glenn Howerton as Dennis Reynolds, Rob McElhenney as Mac, Kaitlin Olson as Dee Reynolds, and Danny DeVito as Frank Reynolds. The five core performers, known collectively as The Gang, have remained constant throughout the series.
Who plays Frank Reynolds in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?
Danny DeVito plays Frank Reynolds, the wealthy and morally unrestrained father figure of Dee and Dennis who joins The Gang in season two. DeVito's addition transformed the show's profile and allowed its dark humor to escalate to new extremes.
How many seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are there?
As of 2024, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has completed 16 seasons, making it the longest-running live-action comedy series in American television history. The show premiered on FX in 2005 and moved to FXX in 2013.
Who created It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was created by Rob McElhenney, who shot the original pilot on a consumer-grade camera with Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day and sold it to FX. Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day joined as co-creators and co-writers throughout the series.
Is It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia still running?
Yes. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia remains in production as of 2025, with FX having renewed the series for multiple additional seasons. The show has been renewed through at least season eighteen, ensuring its place as one of the longest-running scripted comedies in television history.
How we build these cast lists
For background on how Cast.biz compiles and orders cast credits, see understanding billing order, how TV show casts are built, and our glossary of cast credits.