‘Always Sunny’ actor Rob McElhenney opens up about disability diagnosis at age 46

Key points:

• Writer, producer, actor and co-creator of FX/FXX comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rob McElhennney announced that he had received his diagnosis at age 46

• The star stated that he lives with a “host of neurodevelopmental disorders and learning disabilities”

• In a tweet, Rob said that he intends to discuss the recent revelation on an upcoming episode of The Always Sunny Podcast

During candid and intimate podcast episodes reflecting on older episodes of the show, the cast often segue into discussions surrounding their own lives and the history behind each plot or joke shot for the series. In a tweet posted on July 12, McElhenney shared that he had been diagnosed with a “host of neurodevelopmental disorders and learning disabilities” at the age of 46 and would discuss the topic on an upcoming episode of the podcast, which was filmed in advance.

Now in its 16th season, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has cemented itself as a cultural touchstone, with showrunner Rob McElhenney stating that he, along with fellow stars — Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito and Glenn Howerton — have no intention to end the critically acclaimed comedy series.

“It’s not something I would normally talk about publicly but I figured there are others who struggle with similar things and I wanted to remind you that you’re not alone,” Rob tweeted.

“You’re not stupid. You’re not ‘bad.’ It might feel that way sometimes […] it’s not true,” he concluded with a smiley face.

Although the actor did not specify which neurodevelopmental or learning disability he had been diagnosed with, leaving fans of the show at least another week until the podcast is released to find out more about his perspective, his announcement was met with appreciation.

Football fans and fans of It’s Always Sunny shared their gratitude for Rob’s openness and many replied with stories of their own hardship in childhood neurodevelopmental disorder management, before being diagnosed later in life.

“Amazing that you can share this with your fans and will inspire others to get tested that are in the same position,” @wrexham_gamer tweeted.

“I dropped out of high school because I was falling behind so much in school due to my undiagnosed ADHD that I couldn’t catch up and I ended up going to a very dark place and I spiralled into depression. You have no idea how much this means to neurodivergent people. Thank you,” @jodieshvwke shared.