Sweet Dee speaks out
Issue #38
Kaitlin Olson holds her own as lone lady on Sunny
By Jessica Galliart
Published: November 18th, 2008 | 11:45am
The characters of FX’s crass half-hour comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia are perhaps some of the biggest embarrassments to human kind. And though the actors on the show insist that the characters they portray are not reflections of their own personalities, Kaitlin Olson — who plays the obnoxiously insecure Dee, who just wants to fit in and gain some kind of fame in her own right — does possess some of her character’s better qualities, and we mean that in an endearing way.
After developing some insecurity of her own in grade school, Olson turned to comedy and theater when she got to college. With her extensive experience in improv and sketch comedy — she was part of the Groundlings and acted in shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Kelsey Grammer Presents: The Sketch Show — the Oregon native doesn’t take herself too seriously, something she says has helped her develop her distinct comedic style.
On her first day off since filming the fourth season of Sunny— less than a week after her wedding to co-star Rob McElhenney, who also created, writes, and produces the show — Olson chatted on the phone with VZ about the show’s cult success, her spankin’ new marriage, and being one of the funniest women on television.
What was your audition for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia like?
It doesn’t happen that often that you get excited about an audition. They’re intimidating, and they’re a lot of pressure. And it was one of the rare occasions that I was very excited about going on the audition. We all started talking, and I knew right away we had the same sense of humor. I was making them laugh, and it’s a huge sigh of relief, like, “This is going to be fine.” I knew I was going to be a strong contender because I could tell we all liked each other.
Are women responsive to you and Dee, the only main female character on the show?
I hope so. I find it a huge compliment when I get women coming up to me saying they love the show. I think it’s a shame that people don’t think women are funny. While that’s not across the board, that’s still the overall view that men are funny and women are emotional. And I think there’s a place for that, and there’s something to be said for that, but women are funny. I have a great time on the show, and I certainly hope that girls like it. I also think that Dee’s character is approachable because she’s so insecure. All the ridiculous stuff she does comes out of insecurity and the desire to be more than she is.
How did you get to be so funny?
I don’t take myself too seriously and I laugh at myself when I do stupid things, and I let other people laugh at me when I do stupid things. You have this defense mechanism as a woman, and you look around and the ideal woman is pretty and soft and thin. And there’s all these messages you get bombarded with, and it takes a little attention to constantly not take yourself so seriously. I was not popular in junior high and high school; I got in a bicycle accident the summer before junior high, and I had to have my head shaved. I was incredibly shy, incredibly insecure. It took years and years, but I think that accounts for some of it. I had to find a way to feel comfortable with myself.
You’re never really afraid to “ugly it up” on the show or to look ridiculous…
Making people laugh doesn’t have anything to do with how good your makeup looks or what clothes you’re wearing. Deep down, of course, I have some insecurities that are still deeply rooted, but like I said, I made a real conscious effort not to take myself so seriously. Plus I know what makes me laugh, and what makes me laugh are people who aren’t worried what they look like. Sketch comedy makes me laugh — and you’re going to look ugly while you’re doing sketch comedy sometimes. And that’s OK. It’s more important to me to be funny than to look pretty.
How did you break your back while taping the fourth season?
It happened because I’m an idiot. It was the Fourth of July — and here’s the real story, I’ve only been telling half of the story — I had a few beers. Whatever, I was celebrating America’s independence, and I was hanging out in front of our house. Our neighbor was out there; he’s this big giant football player. I ran and jumped up into his arms, and he grabbed me and lifted me way above his head and brought me back down. It was so fun, I felt like a 5-year-old. I was like, “That was awesome!” and I begged him to do it again. We were on our way up to the roof and Rob was saying maybe we should get down off the roof. So an hour later we come back down, and we’re on the street and I’m like, “OK, lift me up again.” He grabs me, swings me up above his head, gets me up horizontally, and drops me behind him and I landed on the pavement on my hips and broke my back.
You also hurt your foot last season. Are you just trying to get hurt?
I’m not trying to get hurt; I feel like I’m not getting enough attention. I’ve tried being funnier, I’ve tried throwing fits, I’ve tried demanding things, and none of that was working. So I thought I’d start breaking bones. So far, so good, I’ll say.
How tired are you of strangers approaching you and quoting lines from the show?
It’s definitely not getting tired. We live in LA where nobody really gives a shit. So when it does happen, it’s really exciting. My favorite was when after Season 2, I was getting a lot of people coming up to me and screaming, “I will eat your babies, bitch!” It happens mostly when we’re traveling, a lot of airports. People care when we’re out of California.
What are you up to on your time off from taping the show?
You’re talking to me on my first day off, which is so awesome. I’m going to run a bunch of errands — we just bought a house. It’s really exciting, and now that my back is all healed and the wedding is over with … my life is pretty good.
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