There's no two ways about it: Danny DeVito is a legend. He first became a household name in the late 1970s thanks to his hilarious turn as the irascible Louie De Palma on Taxi, and one needs to use their toes while counting up all of his memorable performances. He has an amazing legacy – but all of that history was completely foreign to the kids on the set of Abbott Elementary during the crossover episodes with It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. They only knew him as the spokesperson for the sandwich chain Jersey Mike's Subs.
Rob McElhenney spoke about the experience shooting the special episodes a few weeks ago as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and while he wasn't surprised that the Abbott Elementary child actors didn't know who he was, there was an impression made by the specific work for which they knew Danny DeVito. Said the actor,
Most of the kids were all taking pictures with Danny. And we said, ‘Of course…’ … Well, no, they know Jersey Mike. That’s how they know him. So everywhere you heard, ‘Jersey Mike, Jersey Mike. That’s Jersey Mike. I think that’s Jersey Mike.’
Danny DeVito has done a number of family friendly films in his career, from the great adaptation of Roald Dahl's Matilda (which he also directed) to Tim Burton's remake of Dumbo. Apparently those performances meant nothing to the kids, however, compared to the commercials he has shot for Jersey Mike's (and they seem to even think that his name is Jersey Mike).
Obviously the child actors on Abbott Elementary aren't the main demographic for DeVito's work on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, which features adult content in every episode... but Rob McElhenney did say that there was one boy who knew the show, and his mother didn't love how that reflected on her as a parent:
There was one kid, who was there, asking for photos with all of us, and you could tell that his mom was humiliated by the fact that she allows her child to watch It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Coming together like a flash last year, the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover episode of Abbott Elementary, titled "Volunteers," aired in January as the ninth episode of the ABC sitcom's fourth season... but we've only seen half of the television event thus far. The Season 17 premiere of It's Always Sunny is going to provide audiences with the second half, and it will give us a new angle on the story we already experienced. A firm premiere date has not yet been announced, but the episode is expected to air in June.
While we wait for for the rest of the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia/Abbott Elementary crossover, you can rewatch "Volunteers" with a Hulu subscription (as well as every other episode of both shows).
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