Career highlights come from strange places, especially for someone with as long and unconventional a story as Charlie Day. The beloved actor/writer recently opened up to CBR about what he considered to be not only a highlight of his career, but also one of the best moments of his life — and, of course, it involved his It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-star, Danny DeVito.

While promoting his new film, Kill Me, at SXSW 2026, Charlie Day sat down with CBR‘s Grae Drake for a wide-ranging discussion. He was joined by co-stars Allison Williams and Giancarlo Esposito, as well as the film’s writer/director, Peter Warren. Their discussion took a drastic (and hilarious) turn when Day was asked what stood out to him in his years of working in the film and television industry.

Day could have drawn from a vast number of experiences over his nearly thirty-year career. What stood out to him, however, was an iconic moment featuring Danny DeVito from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia​​​​​​. The infamous scene comes from the Season 6 episode “A Very Sunny Christmas,” in which DeVito’s character, Frank Reynolds, emerges naked from a leather couch.

Charlie Day notes that, while he was “behind the camera” for this scene, it still sticks out as a memorable moment from his career. He recounts the bizarre series of events as his castmates burst into laughter. The episode involved a storyline in which Frank tries to spy on his old boss by hiding inside a leather couch at a party. When the heat becomes too much for Frank to bear, he bursts out of the leather couch “like a baby calf that’s being born,” and proceeds to walk naked through crowds of partygoers.

Day goes on to praise his co-star’s “guts” to perform such a scene, going on to call it “one of the greatest moments of my life” and “a highlight of my career.” He isn’t alone in this opinion, either, as Frank’s naked couch emergence is often listed as one of the most iconic scenes from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. This isn’t the first time Day has gone on record singing his praises of this scene, and it most likely won’t be the last.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Is the Pinnacle of Dark Comedy

Image via FX

While Charlie Day plays off the story for laughs, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is most certainly one of the biggest highlights of his career. The beloved series is the pinnacle of dark comedy on television, following a gang of self-centered, sociopathic ne’er-do-wells as they embark on inane adventures.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia thrives on the tenacity of its cast, who are always willing to go the extra mile for the joke. Danny DeVito’s Season 6 couch scene is just one example of the cast’s devotion to making the audience laugh. Countless other moments highlight DeVito’s singular contributions to the series, and countless more do likewise for his co-stars, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olsen, and Charlie Day.

It is for this reason that It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is consistently praised by critics and fans, even after two decades on the air. The series first premiered in 2005 and has aired seventeen seasons thus far. Even this far into its run, the series is still tremendously popular, with some fans calling It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 17 the best yet. Keeping with the show’s consistent success, an eighteenth season is currently in development.

After all this time, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia still holds an impressive 94% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences feel similarly, with a comparable 91% Popcornmeter on the site. This is a feat nearly unimaginable for other sitcoms, which usually experience a downturn in popularity after so many years.

Now, Day continues to practice his dark comedy skills in projects like Kill Me, wherein his character, Jimmy, wakes up after an apparent suicide attempt. Left with few memories of the event, he sets out to investigate his near-death experience. The film premiered at SXSW on March 12 and will receive a wider release at a later date.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is available to stream on Hulu.

Release Date

August 4, 2005

Network

FX, FXX

Showrunner

Rob McElhenney

Directors

Matt Shakman, Fred Savage, Todd Biermann, Daniel Attias, Richie Keen, Randall Einhorn, Heath Cullens, Pete Chatmon, Jerry Levine, Kat Coiro, Megan Ganz, Jamie Babbit, John Fortenberry, Maurice Marable, Kimberly McCullough, Imani Hakim, LP, Tim Roche

Writers

Scott Marder, Rob Rosell, Dave Chernin, John Chernin, Dannah Feinglass Phirman, Danielle Schneider, Conor Galvin, Becky Mann, Luvh Rakhe, Audra Sielaff, Eric Ledgin, Patrick Walsh, Lee Sung-jin, Mehar Sethi, Nina Pedrad, Keyonna Taylor, D. B. Weiss, David Benioff, Elijah Aron, Hunter Covington, Jordan Young, Adam Stein, Chris Romano, Eric Falconer

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  Glenn Howerton

  Dennis Reynolds