‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’: Danny DeVito Reveals How He Shifted Frank’s Character to ‘Push the Envelope’
The long-running TV show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia with Danny DeVito pulls no punches when it comes to its satirical humor and outrageous storylines. Frank Reynolds, played by DeVito, is one of the best characters for spreading chaos. But DeVito needed time to fully discover how out-of-control Frank could be.
‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ needed Danny DeVito
When It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia debuted in 2005, the cast was missing one important person. According to Far Out Magazine, the show’s ratings were not great for the first season. The executives at FX believed in the show’s potential, but they felt that the lack of star power was holding them back.
The solution they came up with was hiring DeVito. Not only was he ideal for the quirky sitcom, but he’s also a huge name in the business. Fortunately, when he was approached about the series, he had watched all of the episodes with his family and loved it. He joined the show as Frank, the somewhat unhinged father of Dee and Dennis.
DeVito is well known for fully committing when he plays unusual or intense characters. But even for him, finding the limits of Frank’s bad behavior took a little time.
He learned to be ‘more and more extreme’
The Always Sunny Podcast is the brainchild of stars and creators Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and writer Megan Ganz. Recently, DeVito appeared on the podcast to discuss his experience on the show. He was asked about Frank and if he felt there had been a change in the character. He agreed that Frank had changed, and revealed that he’d urged the writers to make him even more unhinged.
“I felt like that, that was the direction that Frank was going as more and more extreme,” DeVito said. “And I always used to say to you, push the envelope. Let’s do more outrageous things.”
He went on to explain that he wanted Frank to get more extreme for more than one reason. It not only worked for the character and got a good response from the viewers, but DeVito himself just enjoyed it more the wilder it got.
“Not only because I thought that’s what the audience would like, and the fans would like, but that I would like…I love when you throw me out of a window. I love when I lose my memory.”
When is the next season of ‘It’s Always Sunny’ being released?
Distractify reports that all eight episodes of season 15 dropped in December 2021, so fans have been waiting for over a year for a new season. Finally, in January, McElhenny announced that they’d started writing the script for the next season. Filming was expected to start within a few weeks. However, the release date still has yet to be announced.
Currently, the series is expected to continue for three more seasons. Considering that it has already taken the title of the longest-running live-action sitcom in TV history, three more years will only cement its place in the record books.
If the past is any indication, loyal fans will show up for as many seasons of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia as possible. One reason the show continues to be so popular is the outstanding work of DeVito as the outrageous Frank. As a veteran performer, he recognized early on that Frank had to go even farther. He seems to have been right, and the rest is history.
