Charlie Kelly (character)
| Charlie Kelly | |
|---|---|
| It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia character | |
| First appearance | "The Gang Gets Racist" (2005) |
| Created by | Charlie Day Glenn Howerton Rob McElhenney |
| Portrayed by | Charlie Day |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Co-owner and janitor at Paddy's Pub |
| Family | Shelley Kelly (biological father) Bonnie Kelly (mother) Jack Kelly (uncle) Bunny and Candy (sisters) |
Charlie Kelly is a fictional character and one of the five main characters on the American sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Portrayed by Charlie Day, the character debuted in the pilot episode, The Gang Gets Racist. Charlie is a co-owner of Paddy's Pub alongside Mac and Dennis, co-worker of Dee, and the roommate of Frank Reynolds. Together, the group are often collectively known as the "Gang".
Charlie works as the janitor and handyman for the bar, doing menial work named "Charlie work" by the other members of the gang. Charlie is depicted as naive, uneducated, and in poor physical and mental health, but also as idealistic and positive.
Creation and development
[edit]Charlie Kelly was one of the original four characters created for the show and was portrayed by Charlie Day from the pilot episode. Day, alongside Glenn Howerton (Dennis) and Rob McElhenney (Mac), became writers and executive producers for the show when it was picked up by FX.[1]
Charlie Day considered leaving the show to focus on starring in films, but ultimately decided to stay.[2]
Fictional character biography
[edit]Background
[edit]Charlie Kelly was born to Bonnie and Shelley Kelly. His father is an Irish man that was entirely absent from Charlie's life, except for being a pen pal to his son, with Charlie not knowing the identity of his pen pal. Charlie's mother was promiscuous during his childhood, often being hinted she was a prostitute.[3] It is also hinted that his uncle Jack attempted to molest him.[4]
Charlie befriended Mac, Dennis, and Dee during his school years. He was bullied throughout school, and didn't perform well academically, leading to his adult illiteracy. While working at a roller rink, Charlie bought Paddy's Pub alongside Mac and Dennis. This is where he also got addicted to inhalants.
During the series
[edit]Throughout the series, Charlie is often manipulated by the other members of the group due to his innocent nature and lack of intelligence. He performs menial labour, dubbed "Charlie work", in the bar due to the other characters not wanting to do the tasks. He lives in near squalor and does not care for his physical or mental health. He often eats strange foods such as cat food, and makes regular use of inhalants such as glue or paint, to get high.[5] He is illiterate,[6] but is able to understand Irish and is exceptionally talented musically, able to perform piano and he wrote his own musical, The Nightman Cometh.[7][8][9] As well as his musical pursuits, Charlie has been portrayed as a creative eccentric, such as in his Dream Journal, his choice of hobbies, and his many personas, including Green Man.[10][11]
Charlie moves in with Frank Reynolds, the new addition to the gang. He quickly develops a strong relationship with Frank, and it is heavily implied that Frank is his biological father. Frank dates Charlie's mother Bonnie on-and-off throughout the show.
Charlie has an infatuation with the waitress, a woman he went to high school with and who is disgusted by Charlie and his actions towards her. Nothing deters Charlie from pursuing her, stalking her and even breaking into her home. The waitress is portrayed by Day's wife, Mary Elizabeth Ellis.[12]
In season 15, the gang visits Ireland and Charlie's biological father Shelley is revealed. Charlie reconnects with his father, but Shelley dies soon after and Charlie throws his body from a cliff, due to a family tradition.
Reception
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Reid, Jordan. "The (Real) 'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia' Origin Story". observer.com. The New York Observer. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ Honardoost, Rusteen. "Charlie Day Almost Left It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia For A Completely Fair Reason". slashfilm.com. Slash Film. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ Ryan, Danielle. "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia's Lynne Marie Stewart Tribute Explained". slashfilm.com. Slash Film. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ Ryan, Danielle. "It's Always Sunny Season 16 Episode 4 Ups Uncle Jack's Creep Factor - And It May Be Too Much". slashfilm.com. Slash Film. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ Thomas, Bri. "Always Sunny: Charlie's 5 Best & 5 Worst Traits". screenrant.com. Screen Rant. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ O'Connor, Rachael. "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia: Charlie Day made huge character change in the middle of a scene that wasn't in the script". metro.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ Sharp, Nathan. "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia: 10 Dumbest Things That Charlie Kelly Has Done". screenrant.com. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ Jaffer, Alina. "After That 'Abbott Elementary' Crossover, I Feel Weirdly Sorry for 'It's Always Sunny's Charlie Kelly". collider.com. Collider. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ Zachary, Brandon. "Brilliant It's Always Sunny Theory Reveals Everyone Has Been Wrong About Charlie For The Last 19 Years". screenrant.com. Screen Rant. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ Sperduto, Rob. "Bring Back Green Man: It's Always Sunny's Iconic Joke After 7 Years". screenrant.com. Screen Rant. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ Hathaway, Ben. "10 Best Charlie Kelly Episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". comicbook.com. Comicbook.com. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ Sanford, Andrew. "Charlie Day Praises Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Hopes To Appear on Her Show". panjiba.com. Panjiba. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ Jackson, Josh. "The 20 Best TV Characters of 2011". pastemagazine.com. Paste. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
