Ronald "Mac" McDonald is the bouncer and co-owner of Paddy's Pub, and one of five main characters in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Mac was born some time in 1977[1x3] to Luther McDonald and Mrs. McDonald. When Mac was young, his parents would break into houses on Christmas with him to steal presents, which Mac was led to believe was a South Philly tradition.[5x13] Luther was sentenced to prison for dealing meth[3x11] and was absent for much of Mac's childhood, while his mother worked at Jiffy Lube.[6x6] His best friend from childhood was Charlie Kelly, who also attended St. Vincent's Elementary School and was in the same class as Mac.[1x7] Every Christmas, they would hang out by the tracks and throw rocks at trains.[5x13]
He attended Saint Joseph's Preparatory School alongside Charlie and Dennis Reynolds, who he became acquainted with through selling him weed. Mac earned the nickname "Ronnie the Rat" after ratting out another dealer,[7x12] and was generally disliked, though tolerated as he dealt drugs to the "popular kids". He and Charlie frequently hung out in Charlie's mother's basement huffing glue,[1x3] and Dennis joined them in hanging out behind dumpsters and under the bleachers. He slept with Dennis' prom date, and withheld this from him, initially lying that Tim Murphy had been the one to do so,[1x3] before the truth was revealed after Dennis confronted Tim about it at their high school reunion.[7x13]
Sexuality[]
As a gay man, Mac initially struggles with his sexuality, first coming out to the gang in the season eleven finale, The Gang Goes to Hell, then going back into the closet again, until he is given incentive with a winning scratch-off lottery ticket in Hero or Hate Crime?.
While he remains in the closet, his repressed sexuality manifests through his obsession with men's physiques[3x3][6x12] and his reactionary religious views on homosexuality,[1x2][6x1][11x9] which also appears to be sexually arousing to him, as the gang notes he gets off on reading passages from the bible for his sermon on the "evils of homosexuality".[9x5][a]
In 2005, Mac was vehemently against Paddy’s being turned into a gay bar, despite their increase in profits and both Charlie and Dennis being for it. While at Paddy's, he is approached by his cousin, who congratulates him on having the "hottest gay bar in Philadelphia", commenting on how Mac has "come a long way", implying he has been vocally homophobic for some time.[1x1] He is also shown to be upset that his former gym teacher may have molested Charlie and the McPoyles in high school, but not him. He then shows up at Coach Murray’s house in short shorts in an attempt to seduce him.[1x7]
While listening in on a conversation between the Waitress and Mac, Dennis and Charlie and overhear Mac requesting that she dress up as Dennis and "start banging [him], hard". This prompts Dennis to proclaim that "Mac's gay". Charlie also agrees with Dennis' suggestion that Mac's motivation for filming Project Badass is because he is in love with and wants to sleep with them.[4x4] When recalling the experience, Charlie says that Mac and the Waitress only "did hand stuff", to which Mac comments that it "wasn't very good",[13x4] and even at the time, Mac tells the Waitress that he just wants to "get it over with".
Mac attempts to kiss Dennis while the two of them celebrate with Charlie,[8x2] and flirts with the Waiter by putting a bill in his back pocket to feel him up.[8x9] Dennis also points out his oral fixation through Mac frequently chewing on pens, citing it as an indication of his latent homosexuality.[8x5] The two have a charged moment dancing together after Dennis talks about "seduction" as it pertains to catching a mouse loose in the bar, and Mac steps closer to him, but Dennis turns away once he sees Dee walk in.[9x8] Dennis also insists that Mac joins him in having sex with a male golf caddy, but Mac refuses.[8x7]
During the events of Mac Day, Mac brings the gang around to participate in a chosen activity of his, where he suggests they all "grease up these beefcakes". Once he's out of earshot, Charlie begins by saying, "I know we've never said this as a group, but..." to which Dennis completes “Mac’s gay.”[9x5] This leads to growing frustration within the gang as they begin pushing Mac to come out. Dennis remarks that Mac "convinces [himself] that [he is] tough and straight", to which Mac replies "I am tough!",[10x2] and when Dee, Charlie and Dennis believe that Mac has finally decided to come out, they become irritated upon Mac introducing another woman to them. This turns out to be part of a ploy where Mac is paying her to pretend to have sex with him to keep up appearances, and upon discovering this, the gang agrees to simply return to normal, where they "don't ask questions, and [Mac can] just go about [his] business".[10x6] Mac goes to The Rainbow, to "look for a pot of gold", and when he returns covered in glitter, brushes off inquiries about why he was there by insisting that he's not answering questions.[11x8] While trying to show Charlie what his life could be like without Frank, Charlie initially expresses confusion as to why Mac is acting like he wants to bang strippers, then remarks, "oh, 'cause it's 2006 and you're still into women", before the two agree to drop the subject.[11x2]
Prior to coming out, he notably seeks out older women, such as Barbara Reynolds[2x5] and her sister, Donna[5x4] as well as women described as “gross”[1x5] and “ugly”.[8x8] Mac tells Dennis that he lowers his standards in order to get laid[1x5] and tells Charlie that they could get lucky at Maureen Ponderosa and Liam McPoyle's wedding.[8x3] He sleeps with Margaret McPoyle prior to this in Who Got Dee Pregnant?, and again in McPoyle vs. Ponderosa: The Trial of the Century, albeit reluctantly and for an exchange of information with the latter.
Mac briefly dated Carmen, whom he was ashamed of being seen with, due to her being transgender.[1x4][3x10] After finding out that she chose not to contact him after undergoing bottom surgery, he is incensed by her "gay marriage", and despite Carmen's husband, Nick being a man, Mac considers him gay. When he confronts them about this, Nick remarks that Mac seems to have "been confused for a very long time".[6x1]
He develops a system similar to Dennis' own The D.E.N.N.I.S. System where he "swims in [Dennis'] wake", sleeping with the women he discards.[5x11] Mac also watches Dennis' sex tapes[4x4][8x8] and is implied to have watched them exclusively, as both he and Dennis are forced to research and rediscover their preferences for porn online after Dennis' tapes are destroyed.[10x5] He begins having erotic dreams about Dennis after he comes out, waking up just before Dennis kisses him, but when it happens in reality, Dennis shuts the door in his face.[12x7]
Mac struggles after coming to terms with his sexuality and vowing to stay out of the closet, telling Frank that he doesn't feel proud. This prompts Frank to bring him around to both a drag bar and a BDSM club, but he doesn't connect with either community. Frank instead helps Mac set up a performance for his father in prison, in which he depicts his internal struggle with religion and his sexuality. Luther leaves partway through, but Frank remains throughout, and by the end he becomes emotional, proclaiming that he finally "gets it".[13x10] Following this, Mac still struggles with his overall identity and the rigidity of labels he adheres to, still trying to find his place "as a gay man".[15x6][15x8]
Over time, Mac becomes more comfortable with his sexuality, and maintains a three month[b] long-distance relationship with "Johnny", who turns out to be Dennis catfishing him.[16x4]
Personality[]
Mac is obsessed with being seen as tough, intimidating and being a badass. Mac frequently strives to appear "hard," usually to impress his father or friends. Mac is desperate to be liked, and seeks validation from everyone in his life, often insisting he is loved when given an opportunity to speak for his mother, and ignoring and making excuses that he "didn't mean that, he was just upset" when his father outright tells him he doesn't love him.[10x7] He is susceptible to manipulation through flattery and will chase those who offer it to him, just as he also takes pleasure in competing with and belittling his friends, Dee in particular, to feel superior. Consequentially, when given any leadership position, he will gain an inflated sense of self importance, such as when he is forced to referee during the Boggs challenge due to losing a chugging contest, Mac continually repeats that the gang made him "Bud Selig", despite being repeatedly told that "no one did".[10x1] The gang has complained about his bossiness.[3x12]
Mac can be quick to shout and threaten physical violence. The intensity and suddenness of this escalation tends to be surprising to those around him, such as angrily telling a would-be mugger to "give [himself and Dennis] a minute" which actually works,[2x7] and in response to Dennis' scripted banter during a rehearsal after he interprets it as a personal slight against him.[9x3] In a therapy session, Mac admits to feeling a wide range of strong emotions in quick succession, where he is also tentatively diagnosed with body dysmorphia after he describes his desire to put on weight to appear "scary".[8x5]
At one point described by Dennis as being "in complete denial about absolutely every aspect of his life", Mac clings to various delusions about being tough, badass, a good Catholic, straight (until he eventually comes out), and, in particular, loved by everyone around him. Whenever anything happens to puncture these self-deceptions, he immediately twists or rationalizes his perception of them to fit with his view of himself and the world. The gang has vocally expressed their hatred of him for doing this,[9x5] and at one point tell their temporary addition Cindy that the best way to handle Mac's neediness is to ignore it "like you would a baby".[13x1]
Mac is the only member of The Gang to profess a religious faith. In "The Gang Exploits A Miracle", Mac is the only one to be against their money-making scheme, as he fears that the Lord will show his wrath if they continue to exploit the water stain in the bar. He sometimes attempts to "convert" his friends to his perspective in a ridiculously short amount of time[9x5][11x9] and regularly denounces science in favor of (oftentimes incorrectly cited) theological interpretations of things like evolution.[8x10] He also interprets most bad things in the world as God punishing people, particularly non-Catholics for their sins, notably calling AIDS "God's gift to the gays".[9x5] When he does change his mind, such as on global warming, he still finds a way to twist his logic so that it was all part of "God's plan".[14x7] He regularly punishes himself for minor failures such as missing at his turn at shuffleboard, wherein he gets extremely emotional and produces a cat-o-nine-tails for someone to beat him with "so [he] can be a better boy",[11x9] yet refuses to take responsibility for his actual self-destructive actions and blames much of his misfortune on his friends.[7x10]
Though he regards his Catholicism as one of several major pillars of his identity, Mac agrees when Frank remarks, "The Catholics really fucked you up, huh?"[13x10]
Mac claims to work out at the gym all the time,[1x4] however, he only works out his "glamour muscles" (bis and tris) and lacks core strength.[5x6] Mac is also not particularly adept at sports, losing to Dee at football during Eagles tryouts,[3x2] and being unable to ice skate or play hockey, having a very stiff posture that is difficult for him to break. [6x4]
Physical Appearance[]
Mac usually wears sleeveless shirts or tight tees to draw attention to his glamour muscles and to exhibit his "tribal" tattoos. [1x2] The tattoos are a dragon on his right forearm, a feather on his right bicep, and an eagle on his left. He also seems to have a four leaf clover tattoo on his right thigh.[1x7] By season 13 he has begun the process of removing his tattoos and by season 15 his four leaf clover is the only one that remains, to the disdain of the gang. When they demand he get rid of it, he threatens to get a second one on his left thigh.[15x8]
Mac's T-shirts usually have an ironic slogan on the front and are occasionally worn with a long-sleeved thermal underneath. His most iconic shirts are a purple T-shirt with "Detroit" stylized as a smoking gun, a black "RIOT" T-shirt (also seen in grey), and a variety of colorful button-ups, which are his main look in seasons 7 and 15 especially. Completing the ensemble is a pair of navy blue Dickies slacks and worn-out combat boots; both of which have been worn since his very first on-screen appearance. Occasionally he will wear a battered leather blazer or a long leather duster. His formal attire appears to usually be a black polo shirt with a tie.
A major plotline during Season 7 was Mac's sudden, and quite dramatic, weight gain. Mac claimed that he was "cultivating mass" and seemed to truly believe that his weight gain was muscle, not fat. He lost the weight again, and in the Season Eight premiere, Mac says that his "sudden and unfortunate" weight loss is putting Paddy's in jeopardy because it might hinder his ability to do his job as head of security. (The Gang assures him that they don't feel any less safe than they did when he was fat.)
It is revealed that the reason for Mac's weight loss is that Dennis has been giving him "Mexican ephedra" pills, which caused him to lose his appetite, and telling Mac that they were "size pills".[8x5] To everyone's confusion, including his own, Mac works out and gets into extremely good shape, hoping for it to be of use in some sort of scheme.[13x1]
Relationships[]
Family[]
Mrs. McDonald[]
Luther McDonald[]
Friends[]
Charlie Kelly[]
Dennis Reynolds[]
Dee Reynolds[]
Frank Reynolds[]
Trivia[]
Behind the Scenes[]
- "Mac" was originally a nickname derived from Rob McElhenney's surname. After using it for his character in the show, he eventually stopped going by it altogether.
- In the production script for Mac Is a Serial Killer, Mac's full name is listed as "Ronald P. MacDonald". When asked what the P. would be, Rob McElhenney stated it would be Patrick, named for his brother, Patrick McElhenney, a photographer who provides the majority of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's promotional stills and other material. This would make Mac's full name "Ronald Patrick McDonald".[2]
- Rob McElhenney is married to Kaitlin Olson, who portrays Dee.
- Rob McElhenney revealed that Mac has been wearing the same combat boots since the beginning of the series, and only owns one pair of navy blue Dickies. He notes in The Always Sunny Podcast that Season 2 is when they decided to keep them as his main attire, as Season 1 Mac occasionally wear jeans and sneakers as well.
- While Rob maintains it's always been the same pair of pants that the wardrobe department alters, it can be seen from season 13 onward that the blue Dickies Mac wears are a different pair than before, as they are more slim fit and have an additional pocket on the back right thigh that was absent before. Mac's also wore a black pair in The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis, and on a few occasions wears navy blue Dickies shorts (both actual shorts and cut-offs).
- Barring season 1, the only non-event episodes where his combat boots are completely absent are The Gang Gets Whacked: Part 2 (in which he only wears white sneakers) and Mac and Charlie: White Trash (in which he wears Converse high tops).
- A season 5 promo titled "Relationships" features Danny DeVito saying, "you know that they're gay, right?" regarding Mac and Dennis, followed by McElhenney clarifying that "if [Mac and Dennis] were to have sex, [Mac] would be the top, [Dennis] would be the bottom."[3]
- In the commentary track for Mac and Dennis Break Up, Charlie Day states that "[Mac and Dennis are] gay, they're clearly gay", and "there's no arguing that they're closeted homosexuals".
Other[]
- At least two of Mac's cousins are also gay; Brett [1x1] and Country Mac. His father also has sex with a man.[10x7] His uncle, Donald, is also gay.[16x2]
- Mac's dog, Poppins has been around since he was a child.[6x6]
- As of 2007, Mac only had two phone numbers saved in his contacts - Charlie and Dennis.[3x3]
- Mac originally introduces the duster to the Gang.[3x6]
- Although Mac's full name was not revealed until the Season 7 finale, however, it was hinted at early on that "Mac" was his surname; on parole papers seen in "Mac and Charlie Die (Part 1)", Mac's father's name is listed as "Luther Mac", and in "The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell", the Colonial-era Mac character is referred to as "McDonald." In "The High School Reunion", his full name was finally revealed to be "Ronald McDonald."
- In the Season 10 episode "The Gang Goes on Family Fight", and says that Frank has adopted him. Despite this, he does not appear to have legally changed his name, and it is unclear whether Frank legitimately adopted him or not.
- Mac keeps a karate trophy in his childhood room, which he found in the street. [5x13]
- Throughout the series, Mac flashes his signature "puppy-dog look" when he is ashamed or when he proposes something reprehensibly shameful.
- Mac had always considered for Paddy's to be an "Irish Catholic bar". Here is his full-of-righteous-anger question to the Gang: "Where's our goddamn Bible?!". [6x1] Later, in "Sweet Dee Gets Audited", Mac stated it literally: "...we're an Irish Catholic bar".
- In the episode "Mac Fights Gay Marriage," Dennis kicks Mac out of their apartment and tells him he doesn't own a single thing in the entire apartment. This is likely because previously, in the episode "Mac and Charlie Die (Part 2)" Dennis threw out all of Mac's belongings when he "thought Mac was dead." This is in line with Frank's description of Mac's ascetic room as "decorating motif...prison cell" in "Mac Is a Serial Killer", as it usually only contains a bare mattress, empty desk and bookshelves, and only religious knickknacks and family photos as decoration.
- Mac's favorite type of Gatorade is blue.[11x10]
- Mac likes the colour purple.[15x3]
- Mac is 5'9.[8x8]
- It is implied that the only thing Mac knows how to cook is his "famous mac and cheese" (which is revealed to be store-bought boxed mac and cheese).[11x5][13x1]
- Mac likes to eat unseasoned chicken for dinner. [11x10]
- It is mentioned Mac had a stutter in third grade, but it is unknown how long he had it for.[1x6]
- Mac is a very big fan of Chase Utley[5x6] and has consistently written him letters for years.[16x3]
- He is a fan of Jimmy Buffet.[13x6]
- Some of his favourite movies are Predator[5x9] and Lethal Weapon.[9x9][15x2]
- Mac is bad at ice skating despite Charlie trying to teach him.[6x4]
- Mac has a habit of frequently stealing Dennis’ thin mints and eating the entire box.[10x10]
- In his early twenties, Mac worked at the South Philly roller rink with Charlie.[15x3]
- Mac wanted to be a priest when he was younger.[2x9][15x7]
- He has eczema,[8x6] just like his mother.[6x6]
- Mac wears Drakkar Noir cologne and its his favourite.[3x10]
- He is very clean and organized,[5x9] just not when it comes to his own room,[14x1] or when he is under stress.[11x5]
- Mac is also the only member of the Gang who has been a member of it since its introduction: Frank and Dee were not initially considered a part of it, Schmitty was kicked out twice while Charlie quit temporarily, and Dennis abandoned it to pursue fatherhood, only to return later and kick out his replacement Cindy. Mac was scheduled to be swapped out for his cousin, who suffered a fatal injury before this could be carried out.
Gallery[]
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Appearances[]
| Episodes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||
| Season 2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Season 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Season 4 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Season 5 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Season 6 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Season 7 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Season 8 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Season 9 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Season 10 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Season 11 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Season 12 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Season 13 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Season 14 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Season 15 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
| Season 16 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
See also[]
Notes & References[]
- ↑ In the script for Frank vs. Russia, Dennis notes that "the more demeaning I made the relationship, the more attached [Mac] became."[1] This seems to confirm that Mac's arousal in Mac Day is a direct result of degradation.
- ↑ According to the script for Frank vs. Russia[1]