Viewers stunned by Rob McElhenney's deliberate, 50-pound weight gain in last night's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" season premiere might be even more in awe of this: He's lost most of it already.
McElhenney, who took five months to gain the weight, has lost about 30 pounds in the last two months. We checked in with him about his weight loss while talking about — yep — weightier matters — like how his show has become a model for every other comedy on FX.
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"I got up to 212 and now I'm down to 182," said the actor, who normally weighs around 162. "For me and my metabolism it was simple. If I wanted to gain weight I needed to eat a lot more, and if I wanted to lose weight I had to eat a lot less, and work out. Believe me, it's not easy."
McElhenney gained the weight to mock the vanity of his character, Mac, and because he was sick of seeing sitcom stars get better-looking as their shows age. (The picture above, courtesy of McElhenney, finds him at his peak weight.)
Also read: Rob McElhenney Goes Into Graphic Detail About 50-Pound Weight Gain
He has no regrets about becoming the first actor to make a "Raging Bull"-sized committment for a TV comedy. The first part of the new season, especially, makes the most of Mac's new size. Look for his character to try to cover up in Hawaiian shirts in future episodes.
"I love those first four episodes," he said. "I'm so, so excited about this year."