Frank Reynolds (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
Encyclopedia
Frank Reynolds is a fictional character on the FX television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
. Frank is the legal father of twins Dennis
and Dee
and the roommate and alleged biological father of Charlie
. He is played by Danny DeVito
.
Frank appears to be intelligent relative to the rest of The Gang, but quite possibly mentally unstable. In episodes his character frequently becomes paranoid, delusional and psychotic. He has also attempted suicide several times, and has consumed a large quantity and variety of drugs throughout the series. Frank styles himself as a master manipulator and frequently takes the lead in The Gang's schemes.
, he first appears in the season 2 premiere, "Charlie Gets Crippled." His background is as a successful businessman with a long history of illegal operations and dealings with sordid characters, some of whom vow to "skin him alive
." In the second episode of season 2, "The Gang Goes Jihad," Frank becomes the owner of the land underneath Paddy's Pub after The Gang accidentally blew up the building next door to scare off an Israeli businessman who had attempted to evict them, giving Frank an opening to buy the properties from the Israeli and then threaten to turn Mac, Dennis and Charlie over to the police unless they agree to his demands. He uses this leverage to forcibly join The Gang and become their "Captain."
his son Dennis for "no-rules" sexual favors and trained his daughter Dee to be a boxer
so she could fight the daughter of his longtime nemesis
. He is especially cruel to Dee, constantly remarking negatively on her age and looks. In "The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis," Frank waterboard
s Dee in Paddy's men's room to gain a confession, while in "Dennis and Dee's Mom Is Dead" he convinces her to pretend to be engaged
to him and almost takes part in sexual activity with her. As the series goes along, he ceases to be a father figure to Dennis and Dee and is just part of The Gang. Frank seems to take Mac
under his wing, "mentoring" him on how to succeed in life via shady, unethical and sometimes illegal methods. It is observed that Mac looks up to Frank, more so than the rest of The Gang, though Charlie takes extreme measures to ensure that Frank remains his roommate. It is revealed that Frank is possibly Charlie's long-lost father, due to Frank's affair with Charlie's mom 30 years before. Frank claims he was never told of Charlie's birth, and pushed for Charlie's mom to have an abortion
, which Charlie somehow survived.
Though he clearly teaches life lessons and even offers valuable insights to The Gang, Frank's worldview is often very skewed. In the episode "Mac and Dennis: Manhunters," Dennis remarks that some of the stories Frank tells of his life come straight from John Rambo
's life. In the episode "The Gang Gets Held Hostage," Frank emulates John McClane
from the Die Hard
film series. In the episode "Mac Is a Serial Killer," Dennis says Frank "makes less and less sense as the days go by," and in the episode "The Gang Gets Lost in The Woods," Dee says to Frank "I just don't question the things you do anymore." Frank has a tendency to trip
on LSD
, where he has manifested traumatizing experiences being trapped in the bathrooms of recreational vehicles. Like the rest of the Gang, he often drinks alcohol
, but usually not to the excess that the others do, except in the episode "The Gang Gives Frank an Intervention." Frank is also notable for his recreational use of Marijuana, using the drug with a higher frequency than other members of The Gang. Frank is also known for carrying around a snub-nosed revolver on him at all times, producing it whenever and wherever he or others in The Gang feels it is necessary, pointing it around, even firing it, mostly at inappropriate times, such as when he thought there was a grease fire in Paddy's in the episode "The Gang Gives Frank an Intervention."
Frank appears to be very wealthy, apparently making his fortune from his former real estate company ReyHam Properties, from which he swindled his business partner Eugene out of his share of the company, as well as foreign business deals, such as a Vietnamese
sweatshop. Despite this wealth, Frank prefers to live in squalor as Charlie's roommate in an apartment referred to by anyone who dares step into it as "a shithole," which originally stemmed from his desire to hide assets from his then recently-separated wife. Since then, he has gone through a consistent and prominent devolution, drinking more and more, going to strip clubs. He also becomes more and more cruel, selfish, and greedy.
Though Frank is egotistical, diabolical, and maniacal, he appears to have some good in him; he seems to care greatly for Charlie, possibly even more so than he does for Dennis and Dee. In "Mac and Charlie Die," he becomes grief-stricken when Charlie fakes his own death; he carries around a plastic likeness of Charlie through the streets while wailing and keening his love for him. Towards the end of the episode Charlie claims to have seen Frank "banging" said plastic likeness. Frank and Charlie were briefly married at the beginning of the sixth season.
Frank is a severe compulsive gambler, seen betting on everything from grade school basketball
to Russian roulette
, usually with his chain smoking
, and high-stakes betting ring of Vietnamese
friends. Sweet Dee once told Frank, "You can't just come in here and start running our lives like this, it's not fair!" to which Frank replied "Wanna bet?" Dee, confused, asks "On what? Whether or not it's fair?" to which Frank replies "Sure. Bet on whatever." This is a prime example of his boundless addiction to gambling, no matter how ridiculous the circumstances.
In one episode, Frank also is shown as member of a street gang called the "Yellow Jacket Boys." They appear to be leather jacket
-wearing thugs, but the most menacing thing they are seen doing is enchanting the streets of Philadelphia with their doowop singing. "What's the action?" has at times been Frank's signature line. Frank's views on politics and government often tends to be libertarian in nature.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an American television sitcom that premiered on FX on August 4, 2005. New episodes continue to air on FX, with reruns playing on Comedy Central, general broadcast syndication, and WGN America—the first-ever cable-to-cable syndication deal for a sitcom...
. Frank is the legal father of twins Dennis
Dennis Reynolds
Dennis Reynolds is a fictional character on the FX television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Dennis is a co-owner of Paddy's and is Deandra's twin brother. Dennis is extremely narcissistic, selfish, histrionic and vain. His sense of self-worth is entirely dependent on what others think...
and Dee
Deandra Reynolds
Deandra "Sweet Dee" Reynolds is a fictional character on the FX television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, portrayed by actress Kaitlin Olson. Dee was the only major character in the show to be conceived without an actor in mind...
and the roommate and alleged biological father of Charlie
Charlie Kelly (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
Charles "Charlie" Kelly is a fictional character on the FX television series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," portrayed by Charlie Day. Charlie is co-owner at Paddy's and a childhood friend of Mac and Dennis...
. He is played by Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
.
Frank appears to be intelligent relative to the rest of The Gang, but quite possibly mentally unstable. In episodes his character frequently becomes paranoid, delusional and psychotic. He has also attempted suicide several times, and has consumed a large quantity and variety of drugs throughout the series. Frank styles himself as a master manipulator and frequently takes the lead in The Gang's schemes.
Introduction
Introduced in the throes of a midlife crisisMidlife Crisis
"Midlife Crisis" is a song by the American rock band Faith No More. It was released on May 26, 1992 as the first single from their fourth album, Angel Dust...
, he first appears in the season 2 premiere, "Charlie Gets Crippled." His background is as a successful businessman with a long history of illegal operations and dealings with sordid characters, some of whom vow to "skin him alive
Flaying
Flaying is the removal of skin from the body. Generally, an attempt is made to keep the removed portion of skin intact.-Scope:An animal may be flayed in preparation for human consumption, or for its hide or fur; this is more commonly called skinning....
." In the second episode of season 2, "The Gang Goes Jihad," Frank becomes the owner of the land underneath Paddy's Pub after The Gang accidentally blew up the building next door to scare off an Israeli businessman who had attempted to evict them, giving Frank an opening to buy the properties from the Israeli and then threaten to turn Mac, Dennis and Charlie over to the police unless they agree to his demands. He uses this leverage to forcibly join The Gang and become their "Captain."
Description
Frank claims to have his children's best interests at heart but he frequently exploits and insults them even more so after it is revealed that he is not their biological father. Over the course of the series he has pimped outPimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
his son Dennis for "no-rules" sexual favors and trained his daughter Dee to be a boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
so she could fight the daughter of his longtime nemesis
Archenemy
An archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis is the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction, often described as the hero's worst enemy .- Etymology :The word archenemy or arch-enemy originated...
. He is especially cruel to Dee, constantly remarking negatively on her age and looks. In "The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis," Frank waterboard
Waterboard
Waterboard may refer to:* Water board, an organisation charged with the supply of water and care of water levels* Waterboarding, a form of torture consisting of immobilizing the victim and pouring water over the face and into the breathing passages...
s Dee in Paddy's men's room to gain a confession, while in "Dennis and Dee's Mom Is Dead" he convinces her to pretend to be engaged
Engagement
An engagement or betrothal is a promise to marry, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, affianced, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
to him and almost takes part in sexual activity with her. As the series goes along, he ceases to be a father figure to Dennis and Dee and is just part of The Gang. Frank seems to take Mac
Mac (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
"Mac" is a fictional character on the FX television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Mac is Charlie's childhood friend and Dennis's high school friend and later roommate. He is a co-owner of Paddy's and generally the pub's most active manager. Mac is played by Rob McElhenney...
under his wing, "mentoring" him on how to succeed in life via shady, unethical and sometimes illegal methods. It is observed that Mac looks up to Frank, more so than the rest of The Gang, though Charlie takes extreme measures to ensure that Frank remains his roommate. It is revealed that Frank is possibly Charlie's long-lost father, due to Frank's affair with Charlie's mom 30 years before. Frank claims he was never told of Charlie's birth, and pushed for Charlie's mom to have an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, which Charlie somehow survived.
Though he clearly teaches life lessons and even offers valuable insights to The Gang, Frank's worldview is often very skewed. In the episode "Mac and Dennis: Manhunters," Dennis remarks that some of the stories Frank tells of his life come straight from John Rambo
John Rambo
John Rambo is an iconic fictional character and the basis of the Rambo saga. He first appeared in the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell, but later became more famous in the film series, played by Sylvester Stallone...
's life. In the episode "The Gang Gets Held Hostage," Frank emulates John McClane
John McClane
John McClane is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Die Hard film series, portrayed by Bruce Willis.-Development and description:...
from the Die Hard
Die Hard
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film and the first in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which...
film series. In the episode "Mac Is a Serial Killer," Dennis says Frank "makes less and less sense as the days go by," and in the episode "The Gang Gets Lost in The Woods," Dee says to Frank "I just don't question the things you do anymore." Frank has a tendency to trip
Psychedelic experience
The term "psychedelic experience" is vague – characterized by polyvalence or ambiguity due to its nature – however in modern psychopharmacological science as well as philosophical, psychological, neurological, spiritual-religious and most other ideological discourses it is understood as an altered...
on LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
, where he has manifested traumatizing experiences being trapped in the bathrooms of recreational vehicles. Like the rest of the Gang, he often drinks alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, but usually not to the excess that the others do, except in the episode "The Gang Gives Frank an Intervention." Frank is also notable for his recreational use of Marijuana, using the drug with a higher frequency than other members of The Gang. Frank is also known for carrying around a snub-nosed revolver on him at all times, producing it whenever and wherever he or others in The Gang feels it is necessary, pointing it around, even firing it, mostly at inappropriate times, such as when he thought there was a grease fire in Paddy's in the episode "The Gang Gives Frank an Intervention."
Frank appears to be very wealthy, apparently making his fortune from his former real estate company ReyHam Properties, from which he swindled his business partner Eugene out of his share of the company, as well as foreign business deals, such as a Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
sweatshop. Despite this wealth, Frank prefers to live in squalor as Charlie's roommate in an apartment referred to by anyone who dares step into it as "a shithole," which originally stemmed from his desire to hide assets from his then recently-separated wife. Since then, he has gone through a consistent and prominent devolution, drinking more and more, going to strip clubs. He also becomes more and more cruel, selfish, and greedy.
Though Frank is egotistical, diabolical, and maniacal, he appears to have some good in him; he seems to care greatly for Charlie, possibly even more so than he does for Dennis and Dee. In "Mac and Charlie Die," he becomes grief-stricken when Charlie fakes his own death; he carries around a plastic likeness of Charlie through the streets while wailing and keening his love for him. Towards the end of the episode Charlie claims to have seen Frank "banging" said plastic likeness. Frank and Charlie were briefly married at the beginning of the sixth season.
Frank is a severe compulsive gambler, seen betting on everything from grade school basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
to Russian roulette
Russian roulette
Russian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which participants place a single round in a revolver, spin the cylinder, place the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger...
, usually with his chain smoking
Chain smoking
Chain smoking is the practice of lighting a new cigarette for personal consumption immediately after one that is finished, sometimes using the finished cigarette to light the next one. It is a common form of addiction.-Causes:...
, and high-stakes betting ring of Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
friends. Sweet Dee once told Frank, "You can't just come in here and start running our lives like this, it's not fair!" to which Frank replied "Wanna bet?" Dee, confused, asks "On what? Whether or not it's fair?" to which Frank replies "Sure. Bet on whatever." This is a prime example of his boundless addiction to gambling, no matter how ridiculous the circumstances.
In one episode, Frank also is shown as member of a street gang called the "Yellow Jacket Boys." They appear to be leather jacket
Leather jacket
A leather jacket is a type of clothing—a jacket-length coat—usually worn on top of other apparel, and made from the tanned hide of various animals. The leather material is typically dyed black, or various shades of brown, but a wide range of colors is possible...
-wearing thugs, but the most menacing thing they are seen doing is enchanting the streets of Philadelphia with their doowop singing. "What's the action?" has at times been Frank's signature line. Frank's views on politics and government often tends to be libertarian in nature.