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‘Super Mario’ Star Charlie Day Has a Luigi-like Fear of Rob McElhenney & Ryan Reynolds' BFF Status
He just wants someone to look at him the way Reynolds looks at Day's ‘Always Sunny’ costar.
With a key role in the box office-smashing The Super Mario Bros. Movie and a 16th season of his adored comedy series on the way, you’d think It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Charlie Day might ease up on the eye-popping energy he brings to roles like Super Mario’s beleaguered super-bro Luigi.
Then again, he’s still got a few metaphorical mountains to climb to keep him motivated amid his celebrity swirl of Hollywood friends, with none looming larger over his self-deprecating view of fame than the big-ticket friendship between Rob McElhenney (his Always Sunny costar) and top-of-the-A-list actor Ryan Reynolds.
RELATED: When will ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ be available to stream?
Hilariously confessing his jealousy over the celebrity bro-pair’s tight bond during a recent TV chat on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Day joked that his envy just might drive him to actually start scouting around Tinsel Town to befriend an A-list star of his own. After all, he teased, Reynolds is sorta hogging all the spotlight at the moment, and ”it's time,” he taunted, “for this guy to stop!”
"I mean, that's all fine and I'm proud of him,” teased Day of McElhenney and his tight friendship with Reynolds. “But it's the fact that he's got this super handsome movie star best friend who just keeps being like, ‘You know what? I just made another billion dollars today — I sold a phone company!’ … It's like a bad movie from the 1980s, you know? Where the sports jock steals your friend and you're like, ‘It's gonna end poorly.’”
Reynolds indeed owns a soccer team (the Welsh football club Wrexham AFC) in partnership with McElhenney, a celeb pairing that Day regards as next-level nightmare fuel to feed his own silly dreams of having a famous buddy to dominate the tabloids. Goaded by Kimmel to perhaps hit up Hugh Jackman (a fellow Reynolds frenemy who’s set to appear as Wolverine in the upcoming third Deadpool movie), Day waved the suggestion off with his own counter-offer.
"I'm talking to you, [Leonardo] DiCaprio, you hear?!" Day beckoned. "Let's start hanging out, man! Let's buy the Mets or something.”
Day, of course, hardly needs an actual notoriety boost these days, starring alongside Chris Pratt (Mario) and Anya Taylor-Joy (Peach) in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, already setting game-to-screen adaptation records for Universal Pictures and breaking the $1 billion box office barrier as the first 10-figure film of the year. Day’s film directing debut arrives next week with the May 12 premiere of new comedy Fool’s Paradise, and he’ll be scheming right alongside McElhenney once again on June 7, when It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia debuts its 16th season.
Day’s endearingly frantic as ever as the voice of Nintendo-bro Luigi on the big screen, flanked by an all-star voice cast that also includes Jack Black (Bowser), Keegan-Michael Key (Toad), Seth Rogen (Donkey Kong), Fred Armisen (Cranky Kong), and Sebastian Maniscalco (Spike).
Featuring a magical Mushroom Kingdom brought to life by Illumination Entertainment, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now hoppin’ and boppin’ on theater screens everywhere. Score you tickets here!
