Kudos to the cast of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia: They generally do a commendable job of not letting the show’s chaotic energy spill over into their other roles, typically upholding a standard level of Hollywood professionalism outside of their characters in The Gang. However, the temptation to lean into a comedic moment can sometimes be too strong. This appears to have been the case with Charlie Day, star of the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie, who, while promoting his significant children’s blockbuster, couldn’t resist a very obvious setup when asked to name his “favorite Luigi in recent American history.”
Undoubtedly, Illumination and Nintendo, the studios behind Mario, would likely have preferred Day to simply laugh off this intentionally provocative question—posed during a Tokyo appearance on Stefano Rapone and Daniele Tinti’s Tintoria podcast—perhaps following it with just the initial “Well, me, first of all, number one.” Yet, that response would have been a mere fraction as amusing as his decision to fully commit to the joke, dead-panning “Luigi Mangione, number two” afterwards, much to the visible amusement of co-star Keegan-Michael Key, who burst into laughter, while Anya Taylor-Joy hid her face. (Amusingly, Rapone and Tinti then enthusiastically thanked Day for providing the exact answer they’d hoped for; the segment begins at the 10-minute mark in the video if you’re curious to see it.)
Puns and jokes capitalizing on the shared first name between Mario’s brother and the imprisoned Mangione have circulated widely online since his name was first linked to the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. However, such a reference has never occurred in such close proximity to an official Nintendo product. (Considering the day this news began circulating, we actually spent considerable time verifying the interview’s authenticity to rule out any prankish editing; alas, Day genuinely seemed unable to restrain himself.) The interview quickly moved past the comment, but there it is: Charlie Day considers Luigi from Mario his top Luigi, from an (evidently) tight race between two contenders.