The following is a list of recurring characters from the FX television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Main characters
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Charlie Kelly
Charlie Kelly is a co-owner of Paddy's Pub. He also works there as a janitor, cleaning and doing other unpleasant tasks which is referred to by the gang as "Charlie Work". He is a childhood friend of Mac and a high school friend of Dennis. Frank is his roommate, and until "The Gang's Still in Ireland", he was heavily implied to be Charlie's biological father. Charlie is illiterate (although he can read Irish), although he repeatedly denies this, and he is generally unstable and in poor mental health. He often becomes frustrated and begins screaming when he cannot get his point across. Like the rest of the gang, he is an alcoholic, and also a chronic user of inhalants. He is possibly the least intelligent member of the gang, but he is also a talented pianist and singer, and he is capable of dealing with problems that the rest of the gang ignores; in the season 10 episode "Charlie Work", he executes an intricate plan to help Paddy's pass a health inspection despite the bar's terrible conditions. He often disregards the gang's attempts to control his dysfunctional behavior. While Charlie is generally portrayed as innocent, idealistic, and nicer than the rest of the gang, he is usually just as selfish, ignorant, and chaotic as the others. Charlie is portrayed by Charlie Day.
Mac Mac is Charlie's childhood friend and the roommate of Dennis, whom he met in high school. He is a co-owner of Paddy's Pub and, supposedly, its bouncer. He often brags about his strength, athletic ability, and incredible martial arts prowess, even though he lacks any real skill or even a proper sense of balance. Mac's father Luther is a violent convicted felon who withholds affection from his son. Consequently, Mac tends to seek approval from others. Mac is the most self-deluded member of the gang, clinging onto many fantasies, such as being tough, loved by everyone, and a good Catholic. He ignores the gang's attempts to explain otherwise.
His full name is revealed to be Ronald McDonald in the seventh-season episode "The High School Reunion". It is heavily implied throughout the early series that Mac is gay and in denial about it; he momentarily comes out of the closet in season 11, and again in season 12, although this time permanently. Mac is portrayed by Rob McElhenney.
Dennis Reynolds Dennis Reynolds is Dee's twin brother and a co-owner of Paddy's Pub, where he is a bartender. He is superficial, manipulative, and incredibly narcissistic, flaws perpetuated by his Ivy League education at Penn. Several episodes have implied that he is a rapist and a serial killer, and in one episode he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Dennis's sense of self-worth is entirely dependent on what others think of his appearance, and he habitually manipulates women into casual sex using what he calls "the D.E.N.N.I.S. system", a parody of pickup artist techniques. He sometimes refers to himself as "The Golden God". Outwardly, Dennis appears more composed than the rest of the gang and usually acts as the voice of reason. However, when he is made to feel insecure or weak in any way, he tends to violently lash out and descend into screaming fits, often going to extreme lengths to retaliate against others for any perceived slight.
Dennis is a fan of the music of Rick Astley, Bryan Adams, and Steve Winwood. He is portrayed by Glenn Howerton.
Deandra "Sweet Dee" Reynolds
Deandra Reynolds (usually called Dee or Sweet Dee) is Dennis's twin sister, the other bartender at Paddy's Pub, and the show's main female character. She is self-absorbed, shallow, petty, and the subject of bullying by the other members of the gang, who call her "bird" in reference to her supposedly ugly, bird-like appearance. They often do not treat her as one of the gang, but rather just someone who works for them. Despite the gang's awful treatment of her, she still involves herself in their schemes.
Dee dreams of becoming an actress and comedian even though she has no experience or talent; in the season 7 episode "Sweet Dee Gets Audited", a scheme involving a fake funeral goes wrong because Dee cannot cry on cue, requiring Dennis to blow chili powder into her eyes. She also suffers from crippling stage fright, and when attempting to perform stand-up comedy, she begins dry heaving before she can deliver the punchline. Like her brother, Dee is egotistical and believes that she is talented and pretty, although she is constantly told otherwise. Dee is portrayed by Kaitlin Olson.
Frank Reynolds Frank Reynolds is the legal (but not biological) father of Dennis and Dee. In season 13, his expired driver's license displays his date of birth as July 31, 1943. Frank is wealthy and was formerly a successful businessman, but his enterprises are generally very sleazy or even illegal, including sweat shops, drug-dealing, and working for Jeffrey Epstein "on the sex island" to score discounted snorkeling.
In season 2, Frank buys 51% of Paddy's Pub, and afterwards makes a majority of the business decisions at the bar and also funds the gang's schemes. Despite having enough money to live comfortably, he chooses to live with Charlie in a disgusting apartment in order to make his life more interesting following his split from his ex-wife Barbara, whom he frequently refers to as "my whore wife". Frank's lifestyle involves eating cat food, using a "toe knife", living on about five dollars a week (not counting his morning cocaine routine), keeping a mini meat fridge in his apartment as well as sausages in his shirt pocket, and sharing a bed (which is also their couch) with Charlie.
He is the only member of the gang to frequently involve himself with politics, often ranting about the government. He does not trust psychiatrists, and was admitted into a school for clinically insane children for a short while as a child before he was cleared of any legal mental issues, having received a certificate stating that he did not have "donkey brains". He is frequently seen in strip clubs and sleeping with prostitutes (even proposing marriage to a "crack whore" in the season 7 premiere). Frank is portrayed by Danny DeVito.
Recurring characters Character Actor Seasons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 The Waitress Mary Elizabeth Ellis colspan="7" colspan="2" Ernie David Zdunich colspan="5" colspan="13" Bonnie Kelly Lynne Marie Stewart colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="2" Liam McPoyle Jimmi Simpson colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="6" Ryan McPoyle Nate Mooney colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="6" Artemis Dubois Artemis Pebdani colspan="3" colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="4" Carmen Brittany Daniel colspan="2" colspan="11" Jack Kelly Andrew Friedman colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="2" Barbara Reynolds Anne Archer colspan="15" Matthew "Rickety Cricket" Mara David Hornsby colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="3" colspan="1" colspan="2" Mrs. Mac Sandy Martin colspan="2" colspan="2" Margaret McPoyle Thesy Surface colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="6" Luther Mac Gregory Scott Cummins colspan="2" colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="2" The Lawyer Brian Unger colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="5" The Waiter Michael Naughton colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="4" Rex T.J. Hoban colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="4" Gail the Snail Mary Lynn Rajskub colspan="4" colspan="3" colspan="3" colspan="2" Ben the Soldier Travis Schuldt colspan="4" colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="3" colspan="4" Maureen Ponderosa Catherine Reitman colspan="5" colspan="2" colspan="3" colspan="5" Bill Ponderosa Lance Barber colspan="5" colspan="3" colspan="4" Z Chad L. Coleman colspan="5" colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="" colspan="3" Chet Wallum Bob Wiltfong colspan="8" colspan="2" colspan="3" Old Black Man Wil Garret colspan="10" colspan="5"
Artemis Dubois Artemis Dubois (Artemis Pebdani) is one of the more frequently recurring secondary characters, introduced in "Charlie Gets Cancer" as Dee's friend from her acting classes who acts out a scene from Coyote Ugly (a film that featured Kaitlin Olson in a small part). Artemis is the closest thing to a friend that the Gang has, often joining in on their schemes purely to have a good time. She is overly serious about her craft and displays bizarre habits and outbursts. She is very open about her sexuality and often offers to perform in the nude, even when it is unnecessary. She has been involved in a sexual relationship with Frank and the two shared a food fetish. She likes having sex with bacon bits in her hair because it "makes her feel like a Cobb salad." She and Frank once had makeup sex in a dumpster behind Wendy's, where she incorporated a bun. She has openly proclaimed that she has a "bleached asshole". In the season 11 episode "Being Frank" it is shown that Artemis' family is Jewish. In season 15's "The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 7" Artemis also states that she is of Persian descent (as is Artemis Pebdani in real life).
Brad Fisher Brad Fisher (Nick Wechsler) is first introduced as the Waitress' fiancé in the season 5 episode "The Waitress Is Getting Married". Brad dated both Dee and the Waitress in High School but both dumped him because of his acne. He rekindles both relationships in a plot to humiliate them. Charlie gives Brad a wedding gift of a box full of hornets. Brad returns in the season 7 episode "The High School Reunion" where his face is scarred from the hornet stings. He gets "revenge" on Charlie for this by attempting to give him a wedgie when Charlie has passed out from huffing chemicals in a restroom, but is horrified when Charlie's filthy underwear splinters into shreds in his hands.
Carmen Carmen (Brittany Daniel) is a trans woman who was dating Mac, she is portrayed by a cis woman. She first appears in the season 1 episode "Charlie Has Cancer", then reappears in the season 3 episode "Mac Is a Serial Killer". She is often shown with a bulge in her pants as a visible indication she is trans. Mac finds her attractive, but regularly displays shame about this because of her gender. Mac shows excitment at the prospect of Carmen undergoing gender-affirming surgery. She flatters Mac with many physical compliments. In "Mac Fights Gay Marriage", she has had reassignment surgery and has married Nick, much to Mac's dismay. In "Dee Gives Birth" it is revealed that Carmen is the parent of Dee's baby (she had her sperm frozen before she had GRS) and that they used an anonymous egg donor and Dee was merely a surrogate. Dee gave the baby to Carmen and her husband Nick to raise. In the unaired pilot, Carmen is portrayed by Morena Baccarin.
Duncan & Z Duncan (David Gueriera) and his right-hand man, Z (Chad L. Coleman), are Frank's bizarre friends that he met under a bridge. They appear in "Charlie Kelly: King Of The Rats" where Frank wants the gang to invite them to go to the gang's luau. They later appear in "Dee Gives Birth" to provide music for their party/interrogation of Dee's potential baby's daddies. Z also makes a brief appearance in "The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award," as the gang attempts to show that they are a diverse crowd; the episode then makes a pointed reference to the no-Emmy wins-ever show Coleman formerly starred on, The Wire when Dennis flatly states that "black bars don't win awards." Z appeared in the season 12 premiere, "The Gang Turns Black."
Da Maniac Da Maniac (Roddy Piper) is a deranged, homeless wrestler. The gang enlists him for their wrestling act in season five, and he drifts into both their timeshare scam and pyramid scheme in season 9, the latter of which he proves surprisingly adept at.