Rob McElhenney, the actor and creator behind the long-running hit series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has officially embraced a new identity: Rob Mac. The 48-year-old star recently filed legal documents to change his last name, citing a desire to simplify his life and spare others the frequent mispronunciations and misspellings of his original surname.
In a candid video posted on July 1, 2025, to X (formerly Twitter), McElhenney addressed the buzz around his name change with a straightforward explanation, dedicating exactly one minute to the topic. “Hi! Okay, I’m going to dedicate exactly one minute to this. Start the clock,” he began, as a 60-second timer appeared on screen. “Yes, I’m shortening my name to Rob Mac. Mostly a stage name, but I digress. Is it kinda douchey? Sure. But the amount of time that I have wasted trying to get people to either say or spell my name correctly is days of my life. Trust me, I added it up.”
McElhenney’s frustration with his last name isn’t new. For years, fans, colleagues, and media outlets alike have stumbled over the pronunciation and spelling of “McElhenney.” Even his co-owner of the Welsh football club Wrexham AFC, Ryan Reynolds, poked fun at the difficulty in a 2023 musical birthday video featuring McElhenney’s wife and It’s Always Sunny co-star Kaitlin Olson.
But beyond mere convenience, McElhenney revealed a deeper reason for the change. “Still, it’s a family name. My grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and I all share it, and I love them and I want to stay connected. There’s heritage. Except, it’s not even really our f--king name,” he explained. “Not only have many generations changed its spelling, the current one was just given to my ancestor by a government official who decided that this was now the spelling.”
In other words, the McElhenney surname as he knew it was an imposed iteration, a bureaucratic artifact rather than a deeply rooted family tradition. This insight helped him reconcile the decision to adopt a simpler moniker without feeling like he was abandoning his heritage.
“Most people already call me Rob Mac anyway,” he added, referencing his beloved It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia character, Ronald “Mac” McDonald. The character’s name has been a staple of the show since its debut in 2005, and fans have long affectionately referred to McElhenney by this nickname. The actor’s decision to make it official, then, feels like a natural evolution rather than a sudden break.
McElhenney’s company, More Better Productions, which produced the acclaimed docuseries Welcome to Wrexham, is expanding its reach internationally. This global growth, he noted in a May 2025 Variety interview, made the name change even more practical. “As our business and our storytelling is expanding into other regions of the world and other languages in which my name is even harder to pronounce, I’m just going by Rob Mac,” he said.
Despite the change, McElhenney emphasized that his family’s love and connection remain intact regardless of his last name. “My family knows me and loves me regardless of how many syllables I have, and that’s the only thing that I really care about,” he said. He even encouraged fans and the public to take a lighthearted approach to his name. “Honestly, call me whatever you want. Marion, Jerome, Archibald, Eric, Maurice, Stephanie, Frances, Marvin, Gordon or Sam. But maybe we just keep it simple and try Rob Mac. Let’s see how it goes.”
Not everyone in McElhenney’s household was thrilled with the change, however. His wife Kaitlin Olson shared that their two sons were “really not happy about it” since they still carry the McElhenney name. Olson herself keeps her legal surname but continues to use Olson as her professional name.
Rob Mac’s name change is part of a broader tradition among celebrities who have altered their names for various reasons—be it ease of pronunciation, personal identity, or professional branding. For example, Sterling K. Brown reverted to his first name after his father’s passing to honor him, Kat Dennings adopted a stage name before her official acting debut, and Cher discovered in the late 1970s that her legal name was actually Cheryl, prompting a name simplification. Other notable examples include Post Malone, who prefers his real name Austin among close friends, and Frank Ocean, who legally changed his name in 2014.
By choosing Rob Mac, McElhenney joins this lineage of artists shaping their public identities to better fit their lives and careers. It’s a pragmatic move that acknowledges the realities of global communication and personal branding in the modern entertainment landscape.
Meanwhile, fans of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia can look forward to the show’s 17th season, premiering July 9, 2025, on FX and FXX. The new season promises a crossover with the hit series Abbott Elementary, continuing the irreverent humor and sharp social commentary that have made the show a staple of American television for two decades. With Rob Mac at the helm—both on screen and off—the legacy of the show and its creator marches on, now with a name that’s a bit easier to say and spell.
In the end, Rob Mac’s name change is more than a simple rebranding. It’s a reflection of his evolving identity, a nod to his heritage and career, and a practical solution to a long-standing personal challenge. Whether you call him McElhenney or Mac, one thing is clear: the man behind the name remains the same creative force fans have admired for years.
