Wrexham's Rob McElhenney spends £330 to change name after Ryan Reynolds tried to help
Rob McElhenney announced in May that he would be shortening his name to "Rob Mac" and has now explained his reasons for the name change after filing legal documents
Rob McElhenney, pictured with his wife Kaitlin Olson, has decided to change his name
(Image: Jacob King/PA Wire )
Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has opened up about his move to officially change his name.
The actor, known for his role on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," initially expressed his desire to go by "Rob Mac" back in May. The 48-year-old has had his surname frequently mispronounced, prompting fellow Wrexham owner Ryan Reynolds to pen a song for his birthday in April 2023 on how to pronounce it correctly.
His wife and Always Sunny co-star Kaitlin Olson has relayed that their children are not in favour of the name change and hinted at her own reservations. However, details surfaced last week showing McElhenney finalising legal paperwork in Los Angeles to formalise his new name.
In a video he shared with fans, McElhenney discussed his reasons, largely stemming from frustration over people struggling to spell or say his surname properly.
In the clip circulated on his social media platforms, he said: "Yes, I'm shortening my name to Rob Mac. Mostly a stage name, but I digress. Is it kinda douchey? Sure. But the amount of time that I have wasted trying to get people to either spell or say my name correctly, is literally days of my life. Trust me, I added it up.
"More importantly, it means thousands of you have had minutes of your life stolen by me, because of my last name, including this one. It's a family name, my grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and I all share it, and I love them and I want to stay connected."
Article continues below
Ryan Reynolds previously wrote a song for Rob McElhenney to teach people how to say his name
(Image: Twitter )
Watch Welcome to Wrexham season 4 on Disney+
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
from £4.99
Disney+ Get Disney+ here Product Description
Welcome to Wrexham is back on Disney+ for a fourth season. Fans can watch the series with a £4.99 monthly plan, or get 12 months for the price of 10 by paying for a year upfront.
"Except, it's not even really our f***ing name. Not only have many generations changed its spelling, the current one was just given to my ancestor by a government official who decided that this was now the spelling."
He added: "Most people already call me Rob Mac anyway. My family knows me and loves me regardless of how many syllables I have, and that's the only thing that I really care about."
"Honestly, call me whatever you want. Marion, Jerome, Archibald, Eric, Maurice, Stephanie, Frances, Marvin, Gordon or Sam. But maybe we just keep it simple and try Rob Mac. Let's see how it goes."
Sign up to our newsletter! Wrexham is the Game is great new way to get top-class coverage
Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'.
But does it have a dedicated, quality source of information piped through to your inbox each week, free of ads but packed with informed opinion, analysis and even a little bit of fun each week? That's where Wrexham is the Game steps in...
Available every Wednesday, it provides all the insights you need to be a top red. And for a limited time, a subscription to 'Wrexham is the Game' will cost fans just £15 for the first year.
Sign up for Wrexham is the Game here
Article continues below
Changing your name in California generally costs around £330 ($450) for the standard filing. However, once additional fees for newspaper notices, certified copies, and updated official documents are added, expenses can increase.
The overall cost may rise to over £580 ($800) without seeking professional help or potentially more if legal assistance is provided. As well as having a stake in Wrexham, McElhenney founded his own company, More Better Industries.
Established in 2024, it specialises in multimedia projects encompassing television and film. McElhenney also co-founded Mac's Tavern in Philadelphia, a pub that last week revealed it was closing after 15 years of serving the community.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Famous Hampshire-based celebrities including Colin Firth
There are also quite a few people born here who have gone on to great success in their careers. From esteemed actors to broadcasters, chefs, and more, Hampshire has never shied away from its celebrity connections. With that in mind, here are nine celebrities who have some link to Hampshire, whether they have lived or have grown up in the county. 9 celebrities with connections to Hampshire Alan Titchmarsh Alan Titchmarsh has a home near Alton in Hampshire (Image: James Manning/PA Wire) The gardener and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh is a well-known face on British TV thanks to his work on Gardeners' World, Love Your Garden and his self-titled chat show. The 76-year-old moved to Hampshire with his wife Alison back in 2002, living in a Grade II-listed Georgian farmhouse near Alton. Colin Firth Colin Firth was born in the village of Grayshott in Hampshire in 1960, with both his parents being lecturers at King Alfred's College (now the University of Winchester). Colin Firth was born in the village of Grayshott (Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire) He attended school in Winchester and Eastleigh before joining the National Youth Theatre in London. Firth is now one of Britain's most prominent actors, having featured in films such as the Bridget Jones series, two Mamma Mia films, the Kingsman series, The King's Speech and much more. Amanda Holden Amanda Holden grew up in the town of Bishop's Waltham and has since gone on to have prominent roles in UK media. Amanda Holden grew up in Bishop's Waltham (Image: Ian West/PA Wire) Many will know her for being a judge on Britain's Got Talent, alongside her work on Heart Radio with Jamie Theakston. James Martin The chef and TV presenter James Martin, who is known for his work on Saturday Kitchen among other shows, used to have a home in the Hampshire village of Stoke Charity. Although he has since sold the high-end converted dairy, he is still said to live near the same area. Chris Packham The TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham was born in Southampton and is known for fronting the BBC nature series Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch. The 64-year-old has a home in the New Forest where he enjoys walking his dogs in the surrounding woodland. Dame Esther Rantzen Dame Esther Rantzen is a journalist and presenter who fronted the BBC television series That's Life! for 21 years, from 1973 until 1994. She is also known for her charitable work, having set up Childline in 1986 and The Silver Line in 2012. The 84-year-old now has a home in the New Forest, which she enjoys sharing with her grandchildren. Craig David The singer Craig David was born and grew up in Southampton, living on the Holyrood estate. His ninth studio album is set to release in August 2025, and the 44-year-old has been behind hits including '7 Days', 'Fill Me In' and 'Insomnia'. Scott Mills Another famous person with links to Southampton is the radio DJ and presenter Scott Mills. He is best known for presenting the Scott Mills show on BBC Radio 1 from 2004 to 2022. Recommended reading: Nowadays, he hosts BBC Radio 2's flagship breakfast show, which he has done since January 2025. Elizabeth Hurley The actress and model Elizabeth Hurley was born in Basingstoke and grew up in the Hampshire town. She is known for her roles in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Bedazzled and Passenger 57.
Scottish Sun
9 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
How Sabrina Carpenter shed her Disney image to become world's most controversial star… from sex shock to A-list affairs
Sabrina reveals what is was like duetting with one of her heroes X-PRESSO How Sabrina Carpenter shed her Disney image to become world's most controversial star… from sex shock to A-list affairs Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) On her hit song Espresso, Sabrina Carpenter tells us: 'I'm working late 'cause I'm a singer', and it's clear all those long days have paid off. It might feel like she's an overnight success, but in reality, the 26 year old has spent a decade trying to get to the top. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 18 Sabrina Carpenter has spent a decade trying to get to the top 18 Hit Espresso propelled Sabrina into the spotlight 18 A young Sabrina on Disney Channel As she puts it: 'I've been here 10 years, but also 10 minutes.' It was Espresso – one of the biggest hits of last year, which even Adele has confessed to loving – that finally propelled Sabrina into the spotlight. Taken from her album Short n' Sweet, it was a genuine pop-culture moment, spending a record-breaking 43 consecutive weeks in the UK's Top 5. She was also the first female artist in history to hold the UK No.1 album and Top 3 singles at the same time. And it's not just Adele who is a celebrity fan. She's had the blessing of the world's biggest female pop star, Taylor Swift, after being asked to support her on the 25-date US leg of the Eras tour. Sabrina explained: 'Watching [Taylor] keep their attention as if she's playing in their living room, it was like – and I told her this – 'Your tour enabled me to do mine'.' And she's also won over her hero, Dolly Parton – another 5ft blonde with big hair who takes no nonsense. The pair duetted on one of Sabrina's biggest hits Please Please Please. Dolly revealed: 'Our voices are very similar. I can't tell sometimes which part's her and which part's me. And we look like relatives. She looks like she could be my little sister. We're little women doing big things.' And the big things are only getting bigger. Sabrina's new song Manchild, rumoured to be about her Irish-actor ex, Barry Keoghan, debuted at No.1 on both sides of the Atlantic last month and is taken from her much anticipated new album, Man's Best Friend, due to be released on August 29. Tonight, she performs a second sold-out show to 65,000 fans at British Summertime (BST) Hyde Park, so it's no surprise that rock bible Rolling Stone magazine has dubbed 2025 the 'Summer of Sabrina'. Sabrina Carpenter confirms new summer drink 'hard launching' her deal with Dunkin' – but it's not espresso Of course, she's not without controversy. Many people became aware of her thanks to another BST headliner, Olivia Rodrigo. Olivia's first single, Driver's License, was about an anonymous blonde girl who stole her boyfriend, fellow Disney Channel actor Joshua Bassett. Rumours were rife that the girl in question was Sabrina, and she hit back with her own track, Because I Liked A Boy, singing: 'Now I'm a homewrecker, I'm a s**t, I got death threats filling up semi-trucks.' It was the title track of her 2022 album, Emails I Can't Send, that showcased Sabrina's songwriting talent. She has hinted that the track is about her dad David's infidelity and how it impacted her, with lyrics including: 'Thanks to you, I can't love right/I get nice guys and villainise them/Read their texts like they're havin' sex right now/Scared I'll find out that it's true/And if I do, then I blame you.' She later revealed she played it to her mother before her father heard it. It all goes to show that Sabrina is not scared who she upsets – which is lucky, as the artwork for her latest album – depicting her on her hands and knees with a man grabbing a fistful of her hair – has truly set the cat among the pigeons. 18 Stunning Sabrina is now one of the hottest stars on the planet 18 Sabrina told Rolling Stone: 'I don't want to be pessimistic, but I truly feel like I've never lived in a time where women have been picked apart more, and scrutinised in every capacity' 18 Sabrina with two Grammy Awards It has been criticised on one hand for being regressive and setting women's rights back, while Sabrina's supporters insist her detractors are missing the point – that the image is a proud celebration of her confident sexuality. Meanwhile, Sabrina herself told Rolling Stone: 'I don't want to be pessimistic, but I truly feel like I've never lived in a time where women have been picked apart more, and scrutinised in every capacity. 'I'm not just talking about me. I'm talking about every female artist that is making art right now.' In many ways, it feels like Sabrina is the successor to Madonna, whose provocative songs and performances were intended to shock. Huge stars have leapt to her defence, with 81-year-old singer-songwriter Carly Simon saying: 'She's not doing anything outrageous. It seems tame. "There have been far flashier covers than hers. One of the most startling covers I've ever seen was [The Rolling Stones'] Sticky Fingers. That was out there in terms of sexual attitude. So I don't know why [Sabrina is] getting such flak.' It's no surprise Sabrina wants to shed her 'good girl' image, following in the footsteps of others who started their careers on the Disney Channel. 'She's killed off her innocent image, just as Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and all the others had to,' says PR guru Mark Borkowski. 'The young people who grew up watching her have also grown up, and kids today are growing up faster – some would say too fast. So she is giving her audience what they want, or at least what she thinks they want.' Her lyrics are heavy with sexual undertones, and her performance at the BRITs in March drew complaints when it was broadcast before 9pm, leading her to post on Instagram: 'I now know what watershed is!!!!' 18 Sabrina has dated actor Barry Keoghan 18 The singer performs at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in 2024 18 Taylor Swift and Sabrina take to the stage Meanwhile, on her last tour she recreated a different sexual position each night during her song Juno [named after the movie about teen pregnancy], asking: 'Have you ever tried this one?' before writhing on stage in a barely there outfit. Her antics horrified parents of younger children, but were adored by many of her older fans. Unsurprisingly, the clips of the positions went viral each night. Speaking about the controversy in Rolling Stone, Sabrina said: 'It's always so funny to me when people complain. They're like: 'All she does is sing about this.' "But those are the songs that you've made popular. Clearly, you love sex. You're obsessed with it. It's in my show. "There's so many more comments than the Juno positions, but those are the ones you post every night and comment on. "I can't control that. If you come to the show, you'll also hear the ballads, you'll hear the more introspective numbers.' From an early age, Sabrina knew she wanted to be a star, even though she came from a regular family, hailing from a distinctly unstarry place called Quakertown in Pennsylvania. She's the youngest of four girls, and her mother Elizabeth works as a chiropractor, while her father David works for an X-ray servicing company. 18 Sabrina and Paul Simon perform 'Homeward Bound', February 2025 18 The pop star on stage at The Brits 18 Sabrina with her family She started singing on her own YouTube channel at the age of nine. Her dad made a little studio under the stairs and learned how to create and edit videos for her. She insisted on being homeschooled, so that she could spend her time auditioning and signed to Disney's Hollywood Records when she was 12. A year later, her big break came when she landed a role in Disney show Girl Meets World. Her mum moved to Los Angeles with Sabrina, while her dad stayed at home with her sisters. She worked throughout her teens, bringing out four albums and starring in a variety of teen films, but never quite made it to the next level. But then in 2022, after the pandemic and with a new record label, she released Emails I Can't Send, her breakthrough genre-bending album. For her first adult project she worked with her sister Sarah, who provides her creative influence, along with fellow writer Amy Allen, and it was co-produced with Taylor Swift's pal Jack Antonoff. The abum is filled with songs about love, heartbreak and ambition, and she says that she was an 'emotional wreck' when she wrote it. But several of the songs brought a degree of notoriety. It seemed like each song had a story to go with it. The video for Please Please Please co-starred her then-boyfriend and Oscar-nominated star of Saltburn, Barry Keoghan – the pair split in December last year, citing their busy schedules as the reason. The track, which became one of her biggest hits, references an actor boyfriend and tells the story of someone who knows they are in the wrong relationship. 'This just really hits for the girls that have every right to go back to someone who isn't good for them and know that those mistakes are absolutely human to make – and repeatedly,' she told Time magazine last year. 'The amount of times that we've all been with people we shouldn't be. . .' 'I see her as a featherweight genius,' says Mark Borkowski, who admits he questions her longevity. 'Like a lot of pop stars now, she has a really profound digital social literacy. She's brilliant at creating the type of content that gets shared and becomes clickbait. "She's found a way of getting the fame machine to work for her – with all the algorithms and the viral clips. She's the perfect pop star for the algorithm age,' he adds. Before her show tonight, she will no doubt have taken an icy plunge bath, after becoming obsessed with cold water therapy. 'I really got introduced to this s**t by boys that I've dated that I made fun of for doing it,' she has said. 'I would always make fun of it, being like: 'Oh, the cold shower isn't going to fix your mental health. You need to actually maybe see a therapist.' "But then I tried it, and I was like: 'You know what? There's a little something to it.' Mentally, it's not getting my life together, but it's definitely helping my body heal, and it's helping me have a little bit more clarity and energy. "Unfortunately, it's a cult, but I'm here for it.' Despite the doubters, it feels like no one is going to pour cold water on Sabrina's career any time soon. 'Sabrina Carpenter is such a unique songwriting talent that I don't think the world has even caught up with it yet,' says songwriter Alexis Strum, who has penned songs for artists including Kylie Minogue. 'I think she is severely underestimated, and is actually really witty and makes brave choices with her top lines. 'It's no coincidence that she's worked with Dolly Parton and, in years to come, she may have her own 'Sabrinawood', because she has such a knack for generalising her life experience into song. It's a gift that both Adele has and Amy Winehouse had in spades – mining your relationships to create relatable lyrics that the world will sing back to you for decades to come. 'It has taken some time to get to the top, but Sabrina never doubted it would happen.' Sabrina told Rolling Stone: 'I've always had a really weird relationship with the universe and I always felt like it was going to work out. "I try not to get sad about the fact that nothing lasts forever but, genuinely, it's such a beautiful time now. 'I want to soak it up and keep making things while I'm feeling this way.' SABRINA'S CV 2011 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 18 Sabrina on Law & Order In her first-ever acting role, an 11-year-old Sabrina plays a trafficking victim who's interviewed by Detective Stabler (Christopher Meloni). A star was born. 2013 Orange Is The New Black 18 Sabrina guest stars in hit Netflix series Orange Is The New Black Sabrina guest stars in the hit Netflix prison comedy, starring as bully Jessica Wedge who tells a young Alex Vause (Laura Prepon): 'You dress like a bum.' Meow! 2014-2017 Girl Meets World 18 The youngster on Girl Meets World At 15, she nabs the coveted role of Maya Hart in Disney's spin-off of the popular 1993 series Boy Meets World. 'That was my world and that was my everything,' she said in 2020. 2016 Adventures In Babysitting 18 Sabrina takes on the part of Jenny in this remake of Adventures In Babysitting Sabrina takes on the part of Jenny in this remake of the '80s classic, in which two rival babysitters have the night from hell when one of their charges goes missing. 2020 Mean Girls on Broadway 18 Making her Broadway debut in Mean Girls, Ms Carpenter shows off her voice playing Lindsay Lohan's character Cady Making her Broadway debut, Ms Carpenter shows off her voice playing Lindsay Lohan's character Cady in the stage version of the hit film. So fetch. 2020 Clouds 18 Sabrina recently starred in Disney sobfest 2020 Clouds Based on a true story, this Disney sobfest (directed by Justin Baldoni of It Ends With Us) tells the story of a terminally ill teen and his best friend and love interest, played by Sabrina.
The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
Wrexham agree club record £5m transfer deal for Premier League star as Ryan Reynolds and co make ambitious move
WREXHAM have agreed a club-record deal for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien. But Ryan Reynolds' side are struggling to meet his salary demands. 1 The Championship new boys tabled a package worth up to £5million for the 26-year-old. And Forest chiefs are willing to accept that valuation. But the Dragons' terms are well below what O'Brien is currently on. And the transfer to Wales is now in doubt. Newly-promoted Wrexham have already made two signings since reaching the second tier. Ryan Hardie was snapped up from relegated Plymouth for £825,000. While former Leicester goalie Danny Ward arrived on a free transfer. However, Wrexham's biggest deal so far was the decision to loan legend Paul Mullin to Wigan. The striker netted 105 goals in 165 games to help Wrexham achieve promotion from the National League and League Two. But Mullin found himself out of favour under Phil Parkinson last season. He managed just three goals in League One. And Hollywood superstar Reynolds paid a gushing tribute to Mullin on social media following his departure. The Deadpool actor, who cast Mullin in the superhero's third movie as 'Welsh Deadpool', said: 'I can't imagine seeing Mulls on loan and in another kit. 'We wouldn't be where we are without his heart, skill and work ethic. We love you.'
