"It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia" creator and star Rob McElhenney is about to get "Lost." The St. Joe’s prep grad, whose show goes back into production for a third season Feb. 19 – expect to see crews filming scenes around Philadelphia sometime in March, with the show returning this summer – is reaping an unexpected reward from his FX gig. Fans in high places. "I went to a dinner party and when I walked in, there were these two guys there, and someone said, ‘Hey, these guys really want to meet you,’ and I said, ‘Oh, OK,’ " McElhenney recalled in an interview during the Television Critics Association’s winter meetings. The pair turned out to be big fans of McElhenney’s FX comedy, which has become something of a cult fave (translation: lowish ratings, highish profile) and picked up a bit of ratings steam when Danny DeVito joined the cast last year. They also turned out to be writers on ABC’s "Lost." "It’s my favorite show on the air," said McElhenney of "Lost." When the writers told him that "Lost" co-creator Damon Lindelof was also a big "It’s Always Sunny" fan, he asked if "I could maybe come by and just see [their] offices," he said. "Because we didn’t even have a writers’ room," he said. So he was looking for decorating tips? "Yes, exactly," he said. "I just wanted to see how a real show functions. I went on to the Disney lot, and it’s this big, beautiful office, with arcade games… and I met Damon. And he kind of gave me a tour, and he said, ‘Hey, if you ever want to be on the show, let me know.’ And I was like, ‘Yes, I will be on the show, please.’ " McElhenney’s signed no confidentiality agreements, but there’s honor among TV writers, nevertheless, so he’ll discuss his role in only the sketchiest of terms. "I play an Other," he said, and he’ll appear in the "first episode back from the hiatus." (That’s currently scheduled for Feb. 7.) "I will say I get beaten up pretty bad, by one of the… handsomer members of the cast," he said, laughing. Beating aside, "it was awesome," he said. "Free trip to Hawaii. Not bad." McElhenney doesn’t see himself having the time for a return engagement, though he did suggest to the "Lost" writers that they were welcome to write an episode of "It’s Always Sunny" anytime they wanted. "But," he said, "they’re way too busy over there."
Philadelpia Daily News
He is such a Cinderella story. He submitted the pilot to FX on a shoestring budget and now the show has Danny DeVito starring, renewed for a third season and he is going to get his a$$ kicked on Lost…what more could he want?
