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Social media commentator and podcaster Perez Hilton weighed in on Rob McElhenney’s recent name change explanation video. He claimed that the video felt scripted, possibly by Ryan Reynolds. On July 3, 2025, Hilton reacted to McElhenney’s video via a post on X, captioned:
"I think #RyanReynolds wrote this response. SUPER CRINGE!"
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For context, McElhenney had shared a video on July 2, 2025, in which he explained that he would be "shortening" his name to "Rob Mac" from Rob McElhenney. He detailed that his decision stemmed from years of frustration over the mispronunciation and misspelling of his last name. He further noted that the current spelling of his surname wasn’t even accurate to his ancestral roots.
"Not only have many generations changed the spelling, the current one was just given to my ancestor by a government official who decided that this was now the spelling…but times have changed, and most people call me Rob Mac anyway," he said in the video
Although Ryan Reynolds didn’t directly influence the name change, Hilton brought him up in this context because in 2023, Reynolds made a joke about Rob McElhenney's name with his viral birthday song. That video humorously highlighted how difficult McElhenney's name was to pronounce, prompting the actor's decision to pursue a legal name change.
In the website article, linked to his aforementioned X post, Perez Hilton also referred to the explanation video by Rob McElhenney. He acknowledged that the actor was "responding to everyone hating the decision to change his name" via the video, but to him, the new name itself seemed "an odd choice."
"What in the Ryan Reynolds is this?? Rob Mac (LOLz) has responded to everyone hating the decision to change his name. This is… an odd choice." he remarked.
What else did Perez Hilton say about Rob McElhenney’s shocking name change?
In the same website article, Hilton also drew a parallel between Rob McElhenney’s real-life name change to the kind of chaotic decision-making often seen on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the show that McElhenney starred in.
Referencing the show's characters who are known to come up with “hilariously terrible ideas,” Hilton commented that if a fictional character on the show decided to legally change their name to something “cool,” “hip,” and “catchy,” no one would have been surprised.
"The characters on It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia are always coming up with hilariously terrible ideas. So if you told us one of them was going to legally change their name to something “cool” and “hip” and “catchy”? We wouldn’t be surprised at all," Hilton noted.
But, according to Hilton, Rob McElhenney's legal name change to “Rob Mac” seemed less like a personal choice and more like a joke gone too far.
Hilton also noted how celebrities often opted for a name that’s “shorter and simpler to help them gain fame”. However, as per Hilton, in the case of "Robert McElhenney IIl", he was "already famous," making the change unnecessary.
"We kinda think it’s a mistake. We mean, he’s at the height of his fame, right? Imagine if Arnold Schwarzeneger had done what everyone advised him to do and changed his name to “Arnold Strong”… Only imagine he’d waited until after Terminator 2 to do that! Makes no sense, right?" he added.
The podcaster also pointed out that this name change wasn’t entirely unexpected. Back in May, McElhenney had told Variety that he was seriously considering a name change because people constantly struggled with his surname.
Nonetheless, Hilton added that the change didn’t "make any sense to Rob McElhenney’s fans" and therefore they weren’t taking the news lightly.
"They’ve been roasting him for it — especially as it comes on the heels of getting into incredible shape and hanging out with richer pals like Ryan Reynolds. They just don’t think he’s keeping it real anymore — despite “Rob Mac” sounding like the name of a white rapper who would release a 1991 album titled 'Keepin’ It Real'," Hilton remarked.
Ryan Reynolds wrote a song for Rob McElhenney teaching fans how to pronounce his name
Ryan Reynolds decided to do something different for Rob McElhenney’s 46th birthday. As per a People Magazine report dated April 14, 2023, Reynolds wrote a song to help people pronounce his friend’s last name and shared it on YouTube and Twitter on April 14, 2023.
"A birthday card might’ve been easier. Happy birthday, #RobMcElhenney. Would be a real shame if this became a Wrexham AFC Racecourse chant," he wrote in the description of his YouTube video.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been co-owners of Welsh football club Wrexham A.F.C. since 2020. They have gained widespread admiration not only for their involvement in the sport but also for their endearing friendship. In that spirit, Reynolds’ musical tribute to McElhenney was no surprise.
The music video opened with Ryan Reynolds seated at a piano, singing:
"Sure, he’s got a pretty face that people know they know. They think they recognize him from his big-time TV show."
As the song progressed, Reynolds humorously highlighted a persistent public struggle. The Deadpool actor pointed out that even with all of Rob McElhenney's "fame" and "accolades", people still couldn’t spell or say his name right.
Midway through, the song shifted into an upbeat Irish pub-style chant with Reynold's breaking down McElhenney's name phonetically.
"First, it’s Mack-le like a tackle when we take ‘em to the ground. Then Henney, like the penny that he’s in for with the pound," Ryan Reynolds said.
The music video also included several clips of fans and celebrities mispronouncing Rob McElhenney's name. It also featured several of McElhenney’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-stars, including his wife, Kaitlin Olson. It ended with a tally mark under Ryan Reynolds’ name, making the score 2–1 in the pair’s ongoing birthday prank rivalry.
This wasn’t the first time the duo went big for a birthday. Previously, in 2022, Reynolds honored Rob McElhenney on his birthday by unveiling a urinal dedicated to him at Wrexham’s stadium. Later, the same year, McElhenney returned the favor for Reynolds’ 46th birthday by debuting the "Ryan Rodney Reynolds Memorial Blimp", a red airship featuring his co-owner’s unmasked Deadpool face.
Ryan Reynolds recently worked as a producer on the documentary I Like Me, which focuses on John Candy, and will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. He is currently busy with his upcoming films, Mayday and the live-action/animated comedy Animal Friends.
Rob McElhenney is set to return screen with the 17th season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia that premieres with two episodes on July 9, 2025, on FXX.
