‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ Star Glenn Howerton Opens Up About a Major ‘Turning Point’ in His Career
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star, Glenn Howerton revealed that his time on That 80’s Show was a “turning point” in his showbiz career. Here’s what the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor, writer and director had to say about what inspired him to do more than act on the Fox sitcom.
Glenn Howerton’s role on ‘That 80’s Show’
Howerton was cast as the lead role of Cody Howard on That 80’s Show. The half-hour comedy sitcom focused on a group of twenty-somethings as they navigate early adulthood in ’80s San Diego. Howerton’s character, Cody is a creative soul trying his luck in the music industry.
That 80’s Show, a direct spinoff of the wildly popular That 70’s Show, didn’t quite grab the attention of audiences as the original had done. Fox aired That 80’s Show aired in 2002 for a measly one season, which included 13 episodes.
Glenn Howerton says ‘That 80’s Show’ was a ‘turning point’ for his career
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia show creators Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton give fans behind-the-scenes antidotes on The Always Sunny Podcast.
In the June 13 episode, Howerton reveals how his time on That 80’s Show prepared him for his role of Dennis Reynolds on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Howerton said the opportunity to make a TV show with his friends was enticing, especially after starring on That 80’s Show. Check out the episode 36 of The Always Sunny Podcast below:
He explained, “It was coming off of ‘That 80’s Show’ and not being fully satisfied. Part of that was my fault, ’cause I was too deferential. I was deferential to a fault.”
Despite this, Howerton believed that he could do more. He said, “I had comedic instincts. I had instincts about the scripts. I had instincts about how I think it should be executed.”
The AP Bio actor recounted a specific memory on the set of That 80’s Show that was a “turning point” for him. He explained that when he was rehearsing for an episode for the show.
He said, “We were rehearsing a scene that I thought was really really funny and it was really well written and I was enjoying it.” He explained that the scene “wasn’t fully working” and he wanted to suggest an idea to a very unenthusiastic director, which he said “sapped” all of his confidence.
How ‘That 80’s Show’ prepared him for ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’
Howerton explained how that moment with the director changed his perspective. He said, “From that point forward, it was really a little like, something isn’t sitting well with me here. This doesn’t feel right. It was moments like that that made me realize I had strong opinions about how I wanted things to be executed. So when we started making this [It’s Always Sunny in Philaelphia] it was an opportunity to test that.”
Despite realizing that he needed to have more creative control in a project he was working on, Howerton expressed that he enjoyed his time on That 80’s Show back in 2002. He said, “I had a great time. I really enjoyed it. It was extremely formative. I needed to do that before I could have ever done ‘It’s Always Sunny.’ I needed to get that out of my system I think.”
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fans can look back at Howerton’s role as Cody on That 80’s Show and understand how it propelled him forward in his career as an actor, director, writer, and producer. Thanks to that role, he helped created the longest-running live-action comedy series in history — and quite possibly the funniest too.
New episodes of The Always Sunny Podcast air Mondays.
