Dave Bautista was almost cast as Mac’s dad in ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’

Dave Bautista is one of the most successful wrestlers-turned-actors and has made a name for himself in Hollywood playing a wide range of unique characters. His most famous role is no doubt Drax the Destroyer in Marvel’s Guardian of the Galaxy franchise, but it turns out that he could have had a big break as early as 2006, as he almost got cast in a recurring role as Mac’s dad in the FX series, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

The news was revealed on the Always Sunny podcast, which featured Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glen Howerton, who discussed the episode “Dennis and Dee Get a New Dad”. The episode featured Luther MacDonald, who was introduced as Mac’s jailbird dad and played by Gregory Scott Cummins.

When McElhenney revealed that Bautista had originally auditioned for the role, Howerton and Day were astonished. The actor had made it as one of four finalists who would play the part, ultimately losing out to Cummins. There was also the age factor, as Bautista is nine years older than McElhenney and thus might not have been a great fit to play his father. Cummins being 21 years older than his TV son might have made the casting decision lean closer to his favor, but Bautista’s performance was still very good and impressive.

It all worked out for the actor, though. Bautista has a heavy catalog behind him, and is about to have an even busier set of months ahead as he’s set to appear in Dune 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Knives Out 2, all anticipated films which feature ensemble casts.