The infamous couch scene from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s “A Very Sunny Christmas” is broken down by Frank Reynolds actor Danny DeVito.
Frank Reynolds actor Danny DeVito breaks down the filming of the infamous couch scene from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. The series developed by Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day follows the misadventures of a group of misandrist narcissists called 'The Gang' as they run the unprofitable bar Paddy's Pub. Starring McElhenney, Howerton, Day, Kaitlin Olson, and DeVito, the series is hailed as something of an 'anti-sitcom' due to its crass, bizarre, experimental comedy, its irreverence, and its structure (or lack thereof).
For an impressive 15 seasons, the series has continued to earn praise from critics and audiences alike due to its effective satire and comedic timing. Since its development, the series has started to tackle more timely social commentary, venturing where few others dare to go. Despite its continued relevance, the series is most known for memorable (and controversial) episodes such as "The Nightman Cometh," "Mac & Dennis Move To The Suburbs," "Charlie Work," "Who Pooped The Bed," and "The Gang Gets Quarantined." Chief among these is season 6 episode 13, "A Very Sunny Christmas," in which DeVito's Frank sews himself into a couch to hear what other people are saying about him.
In an interview with Nikki Glaser on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, DeVito breaks down the iconic Frank scene and offers his initial reaction to the sequence. Of all the crazy and disturbing things he has had to do as Frank Reynolds, it's easy to understand why this hilarious moment stands out. See what DeVito has to say below:
When I read that scene, you know, it's in the script, 'Frank wants to see what people think about him, they sew him into the couch, he comes out naked.' So you read that, and you go, 'Okay, I'll do that.' Then you get there, and you get on the set, there's Rob and Kate, Glenn, Charlie, everybody. But it's also a party. So there's like fifty people you don't know. You don't think of that, you know what I mean? Now, you go into the thing, and they had this hidey kinda whatever it was, with a slit in it so I can get through the couch, and back there, I'm in a little thing like a (gestures) like this, because you can't go total hanging out. You can't come out in front of fifty people you don't know with your wanger hanging out, right? So they put a little cap on it, know what I mean? And you go back there, and what'd they do, the makeup people, spray you with all kinds of oil, so now you're like back there, waiting for your cue, and you're gonna slide out of this thing naked, like a halibut, and you do it. And you come out and plop, all these people looking at you, and my line in the thing was 'hot, hot, hot, hot.' And Kaitlin's got the first line, there's a great thing on YouTube somewhere where Kaitlin forgets to say her line, she's just looking right at me like a big blob of greasy flesh.
Considering that DeVito has made it clear he'll agree to do pretty much anything on-screen after 15 seasons of It's Always Sunny, it's notable that he remembers this scene so clearly. Little did he know at the time of filming the couch scene that three seasons later, he would once again appear as a "blob of greasy flesh" when Frank stripped and covered himself in sanitizer in order to "be pure" in season 9 episode 7, "The Gang Gets Quarantined." One of the reasons DeVito is such a standout talent is his ability to deliver moments like a man emerging naked from a couch with professionalism and a straight face, while always finding the humor in the situation. Though there are more of these infamous moments earlier in the series' run, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is known for ramping up the extremity and keeping the characters from growing and changing, so perhaps there is another couch scene-level mishap in Frank's future.
It's Always Sunny season 15 made history, cementing the show the longest-running live-action comedy series in the U.S. Season 15 continued to impress and surprise viewers, offering an amusing contrast in which the characters remain ignorant, but the show becomes increasingly self-aware. Unsurprisingly, FXX renewed Always Sunny for four additional seasons last year, giving it a minimum 18-season run. Season 15 wrapped up in December last year, so hopefully season 16 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is just around the corner.
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Amanda Lamadrid is a senior news writer for Screen Rant, covering movie and TV news. She earned an MFA at the University of Miami and has worked as a freelance writer for various magazines, newsletters, and companies. A book lover and TV and film enthusiast, she has a special appreciation for accurate book-to-screen adaptations, her favorite being (of course) The Lord of the Rings. Based out of Tampa with her fiance, Amanda is glad to have found a job that gives her a valid reason to catch up on all the shows and movies on her ever-expanding list.
Danny DeVito Breaks Down Filming Always Sunny's Infamous Couch Scene – Screen Rant
