McElhenney was born in Philadelphia, the eldest of three children. Both of his parents are of Irish descent. He was raised Roman Catholic. When he was eight years old, his parents divorced after his mother came out as a lesbian. McElhenney was primarily raised by his father, but has said that his parents remained close after their divorce. Through his father\'s subsequent marriage, he also has a half-sister and stepsister. One of his closest friends, Joseph Dougherty Jr. of Delaware County, suggested the idea for what later would become It\'s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.\n', '

He attended Saint Joseph\'s Preparatory School in Philadelphia. \n', 'After graduating, McElhenney moved to New York City. He audited several courses at Fordham University and temporarily lived on the campus with friends, but chose not to enroll.\n', '

McElhenney scored his first major role with a small part in The Devil\'s Own, followed by small parts in A Civil Action, Wonder Boys, and Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, though his roles in The Devil\'s Own and Wonder Boys were cut out of the final edits. He later had more substantial parts in Latter Days and The Tollbooth, and a small role in the Law & Order episode "Thrill". At the age of 21, a debut script by McElhenney was optioned with writer-director Paul Schrader attached to direct, before the project fell through after one year of edits and rewrites.\n', '

Return to Rob McElhenney Autograph Profile