Charlie Day

Episode notes

Photo courtesy of Amazon Studios

Charlie Day is the star and co-creator of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. You probably knew that already, because Always Sunny is the longest running live-action comedy in the history of television. A person born during the show’s first season back in 2005 can get a driver’s license now.

And… It’s still good! The show’s main characters – Charlie, Mac, Dennis, Dee and Frank – are still immoral, self-sabotaging doofuses, and our lives are all the richer for it.

But Charlie Day, the actor, is more than Charlie from Always Sunny. He helped co-create the very funny TV show Mythic Quest. He’s acted in movies like Pacific Rim, Horrible Bosses, The Lego Movie – and now, the romantic comedy I Want You Back, where he plays Peter, one of the leads.

When the movie begins, Peter’s been dumped by his longtime girlfriend, and he’s feeling crummy about it. Then he meets Emma, played by the incredible Jenny Slate. Emma was also dumped by her longtime partner, and she’s also feeling crummy about it.

In a typical romcom, you’d probably have guessed the next move here: Emma and Peter fall in and out of love but eventually realize they’re meant to be together.

In I Want You Back, though, they conspire.

Peter and Emma develop a plan to win back their exes the only way they know how: sabotaging their new relationships. It’s like Strangers on a Train, but instead of murder, it’s emotional warfare.

We’ll talk with Charlie about the movie and playing zany characters – plus, he’s started rewatching Always Sunny episodes he hasn’t seen in over a decade! He tells us what that’s like.

I Want You Back is out now, streaming on Amazon Prime. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is on FXX.