Three Differences Between Charlie Day and Charlie Kelly
Actor Charlie Day is best known for his role as Charlie Kelly on FX/FXX’s popular comedy series, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The show focuses on a group of friends called “the gang” as they attempt to run a bar in south Philadelphia called Paddy’s Pub. During the show’s seventh season a monologue from Dennis Reynolds (Glenn Howerton) perfect captured the group’s spirit when he stated: “We immediately escalate everything to a ten. … (S)omebody comes in with some preposterous plan or idea, then all of a sudden everyone’s on the gas, nobody’s on the brakes, nobody’s thinking, everyone’s just talking over each other with one idiotic idea after another. Until, finally, we find ourselves in a situation where we’ve broken into somebody’s house – and the homeowner is home.” The show quickly became a hit, and Charlie Kelly became one of the most popular characters on TV. Although he is typically depicted as illiterate, dirty, and unsuccessful, he often comes off as childlike which allows him to still appear lovable, quirky, and entertaining.
Charlie Day’s portrayal of the character has also made him lovable in the eyes of the public. Since becoming Charlie Kelly, Charlie Day’s career has reached new heights. In 2011 he landed a starring role in the comedy film Horrible Bosses and it was clear that Charlie Day could light up a big screen just as well as he could light up the small screen. However, even with his success in film, many fans still have a hard time separating Charlie Day from Charlie Kelly. Although Day and his on-screen character share similar names and are both talented musicians, they differ in several other ways. Here are three interesting differences between Charlie Day and Charlie Kelly.
3. Charlie Day isn’t from Philadelphia.
Unlike his character on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Charlie Day is not from the city of Philadelphia or the state of Pennsylvania. Day was born in New York but spent most of his childhood in Rhode Island where his father works as a professor of music history and music theory at Salve Regina University. According to Day, “When I lived in New York, my apartment was too small for a piano so the musical director at a local church on 22nd Street allowed me to practice at the church…One day I was playing and this priest came up to me and said, ‘I don’t like you or your kind.’ And he kicked me out. Now that’s New York for ya!” Day also said that being a native New Yorker who was raised in Rhode Island often caused playful rivalries between himself and his friends when it came to cheering on sports teams. Day stated: “Growing up in Rhode Island, my friends would have strung me up if I had been a Yankees fan…A little while ago, I went to a Yankees game with Sudeikis and we were sitting front row in Lorne Michaels’ seats. My buddies from home spotted me on TV and they called to give me crap, not because I was wearing a Yankees cap, because I wasn’t, but because I wasn’t wearing a Red Sox hat.”
2. Charlie Day is married with children.
Charlie Kelly doesn’t seen to have much luck with the ladies. Although he develops feelings for a waitress, he doesn’t seem to ever make any progress on his quest to win her over. Charlie Day; however, seems to have had much more luck in his love life. In fact, in real life, Charlie Day is married to the woman who plays the waitress that his own screen character desires so much. In March 2006, Charlie Day married Mary Elizabeth Ellis and the couple now has one child, Russell Wallace Day. During an interview Day said that he really enjoys working with his wife on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Day stated: “It’s always great working with Mary Elizabeth. We actually have a great working relationship. Oftentimes, I think we joke around at home in various characters, or in the characters of the show. For us it’s very enjoyable and it’s easy for me to pine after her. I don’t know why it’s so easy for her to dislike me so much, but I think it’s pretty enjoyable for both of us.”
1. Charlie Day’s net worth is reportedly in the millions.
According to sources, Charlie Day’s net worth is $14 million, which would make him far more wealthy than Charlie Kelly. Although Kelly is the co-owner Paddy’s Pub, he is often depicted as living in poverty, and the pub is never very successful. However, multi-talented Day has a lot to bring to the table to ensure that there will always be a way in which he can bring something to the table. Along with acting as one of the show’s main characters, Day is also a producer and screenwriter. Although the show has become a huge success, it came from humble beginnings as “a low-budget experiment.” During an interview, Glenn Howerton, who also stars on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia stated: “I think first impressions are huge in this business. I think we started as a very, very small show, and I think we looked so low-budget and FX wasn’t known for comedies, and I don’t think people really paid any attention to us. We didn’t have Danny on the show, and I think because it took so many years for it to grow its audience… I think that first impression of a low-budget, we-don’t-need-to-pay-attention-to-this-small-cable-comedy thing kind of stuck.”
(Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)