Rob McElhenney: Hollywood star and Wrexham AFC owner changes his name so it is easier to pronounce

Rob McElhenney - who is simplifying his surname - and Ryan Reynolds, co-owners of Wrexham AFC, are looking to make some big-name signings this summer.placeholder image
Rob McElhenney - who is simplifying his surname - and Ryan Reynolds, co-owners of Wrexham AFC, are looking to make some big-name signings this summer. | Getty Images
Wrexham Football Club co-owner Rob McElhenney has filed to legally change his name to Rob Mac - so it is easier for people to say.

The 48-year-old actor - who is perhaps best known for starring in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - has filed legal documents in Los Angeles to officially change his name, according to TMZ.

The Hollywood star has started investing in various sports teams in recent years, and the Wrexham AFC co-owner previously admitted that his surname is a constant source of confusion for some people.

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As a result, Rob revealed that he planned to change his name to something that's easier to pronounce.

Rob - who has played an instrumental role in the award-winning Welcome to Wrexham documentary - recently told Variety: "As our business and our storytelling is expanding into other regions of the world and other languages in which my name is even harder to pronounce, I’m just going by Rob Mac."

However, Rob's wife, actress Kaitlin Olson, hasn't been so keen on the idea. She shared: "The kids are really not happy about it, because they have that last name. And so do I, legally!"

Rob and Ryan Reynolds, his showbiz pal, became co-owners of Wrexham in 2021, and they've helped to transform the club's fortunes in recent years.

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Ryan previously described his ownership of Wrexham as "the greatest experience" of his life. Speaking to the BBC in 2023, Ryan shared: "This adventure has been unlike anything else. I love it because it's a project that's going to be multi-decades.

"I met a supporter the other day whose grandfather's ashes were scattered across the pitch. I look at this place as like a church. In Canada, where I am from, people are obsessed with this club. It's been pretty remarkable. We've sold something like 24,000 jerseys and so many of them went to North America. We can't get them any more. I can't get one.

"The part I find most gratifying is the support from the community outside the club. The fact Wrexham have become a tourist destination for so many folks and they are showing up here. There is something special about this town."

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