In 1998, years before he dreamed up one of TV’s most hilariously depraved sitcoms, McElhenney was a struggling actor in Los Angeles, juggling auditions and waiting tables. Like many actors trying to get a break, he landed some commercial work—one of which turned out to be a strange, star-studded (in hindsight) Yoo-hoo ad that has since resurfaced as a quirky time capsule for Sunny fans.
The commercial didn’t just feature McElhenney. It also included two other faces familiar to fans of the show: Brian Unger, who would later appear as the morally flexible Lawyer on Sunny, and Jordan Reid—McElhenney’s then-girlfriend, and more intriguingly, the original actress cast to play Sweet Dee before the role was recast with Kaitlin Olson.
At the time, Unger was already an established comic personality, known for his role as a correspondent on The Daily Show under Craig Kilborn. He had become a sort of semi-official spokesperson for Yoo-hoo, popping up in a series of ads for the suspiciously watery chocolate drink. But this particular commercial was unique—placing McElhenney in a love triangle with Reid and Unger, ending with a moment that, in retrospect, almost feels like a precursor to Mac’s long-running struggles with his identity on Sunny.
Reid later opened up—albeit briefly—about her involvement in the early development of It’s Always Sunny. In a now-deleted Instagram post, she explained that she had been both a creative and romantic partner to McElhenney during the show’s inception. But when their romantic relationship ended, so did her role in the show. McElhenney eventually cast Kaitlin Olson—his future wife—as the new Sweet Dee, and the rest became TV history.
It’s one of those “what could have been” stories that’s both bittersweet and bizarre. But at least Reid had her moment in Sunny lore—and in a Yoo-hoo ad that might just be the weirdest piece of trivia in the Always Sunny universe.
So while Fight Milk may be the drink most closely associated with Mac these days, it turns out Yoo-hoo was his first foray into suspect beverages. And unlike Fight Milk, this one came with real-life relationship drama and an awkwardly prophetic hint of what was to come.
Rob McElhenney in This Bizarre 1998 Yoo-hoo Commercial ft. The Original Dee & The Lawyer | Pre-Sunny
Reid later opened up—albeit briefly—about her involvement in the early development of It’s Always Sunny. In a now-deleted Instagram post, she explained that she had been both a creative and romantic partner to McElhenney during the show’s inception. But when their romantic relationship ended, so did her role in the show. McElhenney eventually cast Kaitlin Olson—his future wife—as the new Sweet Dee, and the rest became TV history.
It’s one of those “what could have been” stories that’s both bittersweet and bizarre. But at least Reid had her moment in Sunny lore—and in a Yoo-hoo ad that might just be the weirdest piece of trivia in the Always Sunny universe.
So while Fight Milk may be the drink most closely associated with Mac these days, it turns out Yoo-hoo was his first foray into suspect beverages. And unlike Fight Milk, this one came with real-life relationship drama and an awkwardly prophetic hint of what was to come.
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