Charlie Day is one of the lead actors in FX’s acclaimed series, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Day portrays a dim-witted yet loveable bar owner in the famed show that has run for 16 consecutive seasons. The show quickly put Day on the map as one of Hollywood’s most eccentric comedy actors.
As well as starring on the show, Day has also written over 160 episodes since the show’s inception. Away from television, Day has boosted his profile by starring in a number of movies like Fist Fight, Pacific Rim, and Horrible Bosses. Additionally, he has taken his writing to the big screen with his first feature film, Fool’s Paradise. There’s no doubt that Charlie Day is a leading talent in the world of comedy movies, and it’s easy to see why he has become such a sought-after star. Here are five things you didn’t know about Charlie Day.
1. Charlie Day Was Told He Wouldn’t Make It In Comedy
It’s not uncommon for creative individuals to be told they haven’t got what it takes to achieve their goals. But most of the time, this only serves as an extra inspiration to push. Day kicked off his acting career doing dramatic plays and didn’t initially have his mind set on becoming a comedic actor. After some small roles in shows like Law & Order and Reno 911!, Day began auditioning for movie roles.
While auditioning for the raucous comedy movie Eurotrip, Day was told that he was interesting but “will never make it in comedy.” Flash forward a year, and Day filmed his own pilot with his Always Sunny co-stars and quickly became a household name. In fact, his showcase of comedic talent in the show was a big deciding factor in being cast in 2011’s Horrible Bosses.
2. Charlie Day Nearly Lost His Part In Horrible Bosses
As It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia continued to grow in popularity, Charlie Day was becoming more and more sought after. He quickly became a hot ticket and found himself having a range of roles to decide between. In 2010, Day found himself forced to choose between two big projects – 30 Minutes or Less or Horrible Bosses. Day decided to go with the latter, and the film was so popular that a sequel was quickly greenlit. Horrible Bosses propelled Day to a new level of fame.
3. Charlie Day Turned Down A Role In A Huge Quentin Tarantino Movie
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has a fast turnaround with each season. This means that the stars of the show have been unable to take on many side projects. Day is a key writer on the show, so his spare time is fairly sparse. Therefore, he chooses his side projects wisely. So wisely that he even turned down a role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
When Tarantino was on the lookout for an actor to portray the infamous Charles Manson, Day was approached to audition. However, he couldn’t picture himself as a mass murderer. Day also stated that he is too big a fan of Tarantino fan and that his excitement for the project would be ruined if he was in the film. Day told The Hollywood Reporter:
“There was a side of me that didn’t want to be watching Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — because I was very excited about it — and then be taken out of the film by seeing myself in it. It’s a really dumb way to think as an actor. Talk about limiting your opportunities.”
4. Charlie Day Is Married To His TV Co-Star
Throughout It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Day’s character has a strange relationship with a woman he’s virtually stalking. Known amongst the group of friends simply as “Waitress”, Charlie feels the intense need to protect this woman. While it is practically stalking, the viewers know he has good intentions at heart. The Waitress is portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Ellis, who Day married in 2006 during the second season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
5. Guillermo del Toro Helped Bring Charlie Day’s Movie Out Of Limbo
Charlie Day’s first feature film, Fool’s Paradise, stars Day as a mute man who is plucked out of a mental health asylum to double for a Hollywood actor won’t come out his trailer. The mute man becomes known as Latte Pronto and quickly becomes a Hollywood star. The film was initially shot in 2018 and was set for a 2020 release. However, during the pandemic, Day had time to reflect on the project and realized he wasn’t completely happy with it.
After working with Guillermo del Torro on Pacific Rim, Day built a close relationship with the Oscar-winning director. He utilized this close bond and sought advice from del Torro as to what he should do next with the project. Day told The Hollywood Reporter: “When I was in the process of selling the movie, I had one last conversation with Guillermo about my doubts where the story was going. And Guillermo convinced me just to take a beat. So I wrote 27 new pages.” Day then embarked on a six-week reshoot to get the movie to a place he was happy with. He states that he owes a “massive debt of gratitude to Guillermo Del Toro” for playing a part in resurfacing the project.
Follow Us
