Charlie Day
He turned a low-budget, anarchic sitcom about terrible people into a cultural institution, defining a brand of unhinged, brilliant comedy.
Born 1976 (age 50)·American actor and producer·Birthday: February 9·Generation X
Biography
Charlie Day didn't just arrive on the comedy scene; he and his friends built their own. A native of New York, he moved to Los Angeles with childhood friend Rob McElhenney, and together with Glenn Howerton, they scraped together the funds to make a pilot. That pilot became 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,' a show that began as a scrappy experiment and grew into television's longest-running live-action sitcom. Day's creation, Charlie Kelly—the illiterate, glue-huffing, rat-bashing janitor—is a masterpiece of committed, chaotic performance. Off-screen, his high-pitched voice and manic energy have fueled film roles in comedies like 'Horrible Bosses,' while his creative leadership expanded as co-creator of the sharp video game industry satire 'Mythic Quest.' Day represents a DIY ethos scaled to empire, proving that raw, specific humor could forge a lasting legacy.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Charlie was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charlie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Charlie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-created, executive produces, writes for, and stars in 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,' the longest-running American live-action sitcom.
- Co-created and executive produced the acclaimed comedy series 'Mythic Quest' for Apple TV+.
- Voiced the character Luigi in the blockbuster animated 'Super Mario Bros.' film (2023).
- Starred in the hit comedy film 'Horrible Bosses,' which grossed over $200 million worldwide.
Did You Know?
He is married to Mary Elizabeth Ellis, who plays The Waitress on 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.'
He and his 'It's Always Sunny' co-creators bought a real Philadelphia bar to use as the show's exterior.
He attended Merrimack College in Massachusetts on a drama scholarship.
His mother was a piano teacher and his father was a history professor.
“The show is about people who are desperately trying to hold onto their youth, and they're failing miserably at it.”
