Described as “Seinfeld on crack,” it’s been four years since depraved sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia made its debut on FX, feeding our twisted souls with depraved, jaw-dropping scenes.
And now, four years after its inception, the original actress who played shameless character Dee Reynolds recently shared on her blog the anger and disappointment she went through after not being picked up by the network along with the show’s other co-creators Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glen Howerton.
Here’s the thing though, the actress, Jordan Reid, used to date the show’s executive creator Rob McElhenney. The backstory according to her blog:
We began dating again, first casually, and then very seriously. Shortly after I arrived in Los Angeles, Rob conceived of the idea for a Curb Your Enthusiasm-style show that centered on a group of four actor friends living in LA (this, of course, was later changed to four friends working in a Philadelphia bar). Over the next year or so Rob, myself, and our friends Glenn and Charlie shot two pilot episodes for the show, which at the time was called “It’s Always Sunny on TV.” Other friends filled in the remainder of the roles – most notably Mary Elizabeth, who played “The Waitress” and later married Charlie – but the core group was the four of us: me, Rob, Glenn, and Charlie.
Jordan goes on to explain that while shooting a pilot for the network, all four creators made a pact that the network had to pick all of them or none of them at all. After the pilot wrapped, Jordan and Rob broke up.
“During one of our break-up conversations, I was told in no uncertain terms that if I did not stay in the relationship, I would be off the show,” Jordan says.
Shortly after Jordan gets word that while Rob, Glenn and Charlie were all picked up by FX, she was not, the network saying she was “too pretty” to be believable as a Philadelphia bartender.
On her blog, Reid credits herself as one of the creators of the showing, having acted out scenes, held boom mics, and even contributed several plot lines taken directly from her life, such as her “ insistence that everyone remove their shoes before entering my carpeted West Hollywood apartment.”
She says of her experience:
Was I angry for a very long time? Was I bitter? Oh, absolutely. I’ll be honest: it took me years, years, to get over this, and the healing process wasn’t helped by the fact that I had to see my former friends’ faces staring down at me from posters in Times Square. (In truth, I was angrier with Glenn and Charlie than I was with Rob, who I understood was too hurt to work with me every day. We were each other’s first love, and I will always wish Rob nothing but the best.)
I was surprised by what I read. Not at what they “did to her,” but the fact that there was ever another Dee Reynolds is inconceivable to me. When I watch the show, I not only love it for its comedic value, but often find myself envious of the actors, who are all friends in real life and must have a wonderful time working at such a kick-ass job.
I’m really curious as to why Jordan Reid felt the need to share all this, and what type of reaction she expected from readers. Why exactly is she so shocked at not having been picked up? Not that I know her, and maybe I’m reading into things, but sounds to me like he wanted nothing to do with her, and being executive creator of the show, he can very well expel her from the cast.
No one should be deliberately mean to their ex, but who wants to work on their baby, their vision, with their ex looming over in the background. Obviously, if they’d had an amicable break-up things might have been different, but there’s no rule that says you have to stay friends with your ex.
And while I’ve often stayed friends with my friends exes, it’s often because we had a wonderful chemistry and wanted them in my lives. If neither Charlie nor Glen stayed friends with her, it’s probably for a damn good reason. The first one probably being that their allegiance is to Rob, not some chick he dated for a year.
I’m not sure why I felt the need to blog so much about this, but the post just kind of irritated me. I feel like she wants a “poor you” but I see nothing wrong here. Who cares if she held a boom mic and contributed the plot line that came directly from her life “that everyone remove their shoes before entering [her] carpeted West Hollywood apartment.”
Fuck your West Hollywood apartment. (Was that too mean?) For some reason I picture this chick as that girl your friend dates — you know what I’m talking about — that no one can stand ’cause she’s a cunt and everyone can’t wait for your friend to break up with her, but he’s too much of a pussy and now she’s all up in your film project and you can’t help but roll your eyes on the inside.
And even if she wasn’t a nightmare, and maybe they just weren’t compatible, it’d be very hard to work with someone you loved day in and day out on a project that requires your undivided attention.
Okay, so maybe I’m reading into it a little too much there. But yeah, good for her and whatever she’s doing now baking cookies or whatever, but It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia will always be Rob, Charlie, Glen, and Kaitlin. Well, and Frank and “The Waitress.”
To end on happier, less aggressive note, check out one the pilot episodes, “Charlie Has Cancer,”for It’s Always Sunny below. As much as I love this show, I’m not sure what FX saw in this pilot. It’s pretty lackluster, especially when you consider the crazy shit that happens on the show now.
Comments
dude, really what has to be pissing her off is she was replaced by dee 2.0 and then Rob married her. Hahaha.
Picturing this woman or anyone else as Dee Reynolds is absolute blasphemy! This chick needs to get her life together and stop thinking about the past.