Rob McElhenney

Rob McElhenney
McElhenney at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International.
Born	Robert Dale McElhenney (1977-04-14) April 14, 1977 (age 39) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Residence	Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation	Actor, director, producer, screenwriter
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Kaitlin Olson (m. 2008)
Children	2

Robert Dale "Rob" McElhenney (born April 14, 1977) is an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter.

He is best known for playing Mac on the FX/FXX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He is also one of the developers, executive producers, and the creator of the show, which has provided him with writing and directing credits on various episodes.

McElhenney was born in Philadelphia. As a child, he liked to play tennis and racquetball. He attended Saint Joseph's Preparatory School, and in the spring of 2013 he established a scholarship fund with his wife and Sunny co-star Kaitlin Olson.

McElhenney scored his first major role with a small part in The Devil's Own, followed by small parts in A Civil Action, Wonder Boys, and Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, though his roles in The Devil's Own and Wonder Boys were cut out of the final edits. He later had more substantial parts in Latter Days and The Tollbooth, and a small role in the Law & Order episode "Thrill". At the age of 21, a debut script by McElhenney was optioned with writer-director Paul Schrader attached to direct, before the project fell through after one year of edits and rewrites.

Initially based in New York City after his graduation from high school, McElhenney moved to Los Angeles at the age of 22. In 2004, McElhenney was waiting tables between acting jobs when his idea for a sitcom was pitched to many cable networks. After receiving offers from many of the stations, McElhenney chose to sign with FX as they allowed him more creative freedom. McElhenney was contracted as It's Always Sunnys showrunner. He met Glenn Howerton through his agent, and Charlie Day in New York while shooting a horror film. Both Howerton and Day were listed as executive producers.