If anyone can take credit for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s longevity, it’s Danny DeVito. The veteran actor joined the cast during the second season because the network thought it needed to hire someone famous to boost ratings. As Dennis and Dee’s father, Frank Reynolds, DeVito immediately clicked with fans, and arguably helped save the long-running series from cancellation. But he wasn’t the only big name being eyed for the part.
In a 2022 episode of The Always Sunny Podcast, Glenn Howerton revealed that they were once “really serious” about getting Ray Liotta to play Frank. Though primarily known for his dramatic work, Liotta ventured into comedy at different stages of his career, appearing in films like Observe and Report, voicing characters on Family Guy and The Simpsons, and even guest-starring on a few sitcoms. It’s unclear why he didn’t end up getting the role of Frank, but needless to say, the character’s run would’ve been cut short if he had, due to Liotta’s untimely death in 2022.
‘It’s Always Sunny’ Could Have Had a Very Different Frank Reynolds
One Always Sunny cast member at least got to work with Liotta later on, however, as the Goodfellas star played a film producer in Charlie Day’s 2023 directorial debut Fool’s Paradise. Unfortunately, Liotta didn’t live to see the project’s release because production was delayed several times, but he was reportedly very enthusiastic about it. “Ray would text me every three months like, ‘Hey, man, what’s going on with that movie we did?’” Day recalled ahead of the premiere. “And I would say, ‘Ray, I’m so sorry. I’m stuck back doing It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.’”
But according to a later episode of The Always Sunny Podcast, Liotta also came close to doing a guest spot on the show. Though Day remains uncertain whether Liotta ever watched it, the two discussed the possibility of him making an appearance. “So he was like, ‘And why don’t you have me on your TV show sometime?’” Day remembered. “I was like, ‘Absolutely, we’ll find something for him.’”
Liotta died on May 26, 2022, a few months after Always Sunny’s 15th season concluded. Fool’s Paradise finally hit theaters the following May.
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