Charlie Day Met His Wife, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, by Winning an Arm-Wrestling Contest
Published April 12 2023, 1:11 p.m. ET
Time-honored actor and producer Charlie Day has had quite an eventful year. From voicing Luigi in The Super Mario Bros. Movie to making his directorial debut with Fool’s Paradise to celebrating his 17th wedding anniversary, the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star is thriving in 2023.
However, Charlie wouldn’t be where he is today without the endless love and support from his wife (and fellow actor), Mary Elizabeth Ellis. Let’s dive into their relationship.
How did Charlie Day meet his wife? The answer might surprise you.
Despite both starring in the long-running sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Charlie and Mary began their relationship elsewhere. During a red-carpet interview with Afterbuzz TV in 2018, Mary got candid about how their whirlwind romance started.
“The professional answer is we met each other and thought each other [was] great and had a very above-the-board, classy relationship,” the Licorice Pizza star joked. “The true story is, it’s a one-night stand that’s still happening this many years later.”
However, the real story began at a bar in New York City in 2001. During Charlie’s Hot Ones interview in 2016, the actor told Sean Evans that he and his friend had an arm wrestling contest to determine who could go up to Mary when they spotted her at a bar.
“[He was] one of my skinniest, weakest friends. And I was able to beat him in an arm-wrestling competition. We arm-wrestled, and I won, and I met my wife."
Five years after their New York City meeting, in 2006, Charlie and Mary got married in New Orleans. Better yet? They recently celebrated their 17th anniversary.
“This guy. What a prize. Glad I snatched you up in the claw of my heart,” the Santa Clarita Diet star wrote on Instagram in March. “Happy #17th anniversary (and over 21 years together!) You’re pretty great.”
Do Charlie Day and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, have kids?
After tying the knot in 2006, Charlie and Mary spent their first five years of marriage child-free. Then, in 2011, their lives changed forever. At San Diego Comic-Con, the couple revealed they were expecting baby number one.
"We've got a kid due in December. We're five months along, and she's feeling great," Charlie told PEOPLE at the time. "We're excited. We decided now is the time, and we were fortunate that it happened."
On Dec. 15, 2011, the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia alums welcomed their son, Russell Wallace, to the world. "We are overjoyed and overwhelmed at the amount of love that ushered our baby into the world,” the duo stated after their son’s birth.
What is Charlie Day’s Wife, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, known for?
The Super Mario Bros. Movie star isn’t the only renowned actor in his marriage. Mary is likely best known for her role as the waitress in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but she’s also appeared in series such as Santa Clarita Diet, New Girl, The Grinder, and more.
Recently, Mary starred as Mamma Anita in the award-winning film Licorice Pizza and Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” music video.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now playing in theaters.