Rob McElhenney knew mixing work and romance could get complicated, but Kaitlin Olson was worth taking the chance.
The longtime couple reflected on how their relationship began when they were stopped for a street interview by the account @meetcutesnyc on Sunday, August 23, and asked how they went from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia coworkers to a couple.
Olson, 51, first met McElhenney, 49, when she auditioned for the comedy, which he created and starred in. As they spent more time together, friendship eventually turned into something more. “We became really good friends, and I thought he was really smart and really talented and really funny, and that’s kind of the, that’s really all you need,” Olson explained.
When asked what advice they would give two coworkers considering a relationship, McElhenney (who legally changed his name to “Rob Mac” in 2025) acknowledged there can be good reasons not to cross that line. “It’s something that is certainly frowned upon and for good reason, and yet it was worth risking it not working to find and be with the love of my life,” he said.
Olson then shared the memorable advice her mother gave her before she took the leap: “My mom said, only do it if wild horses couldn’t drag you away.”
McElhenney has previously acknowledged that he initially resisted pursuing Olson because he was both her costar and boss. The two ended up crossing that line at the 2006 wedding of their It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia costars Charlie Day and Mary Elizabeth Ellis, where they hooked up and officially became a couple. They kept the romance under wraps while working on the show’s second season.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Meet Cutes NYC (@meetcutesnyc)
McElhenney proposed at costar Danny DeVito‘s Malibu beach house in December 2007, and the couple married the following September. They have since welcomed two sons, Axel, born in 2010, and Leo, born in 2012.
🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬
The couple joked in the new interview that they recently got a rare opportunity to spend a week alone when their kids went to camp. “We have not been home alone since they were born,” Olson said, adding that they found themselves wondering, “oh wait, do we actually like each other?”
Luckily, they got their answer. “And it turns out we, we do,” McElhenney said, with Olson adding, “We really do still like and love each other.”