Through Kaitlin Olsen’s characterization of Deandra “Sweet Dee” Reynolds on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, she gets to portray physical humor and debauchery in a way that’s hysterical but also humiliating. That last part probably isn’t a treat for the actress, but her willingness to go the extra mile to get a laugh, and the way that she constantly puts herself through shame on the show is beyond admirable.
So, because Olsen is so willing to leave it all on the field, we compiled a list of some of Sweet Dee’s most embarrassing moments to showcase her self-deprecating acting chops.
Dee Gets Poisoned
The gang is always willing to sacrifice Dee for a good cause. In this case, they want to win the Flipadelphia flip cup rivalry. How do they do that? By poisoning all the beer, which the rival team drinks readily. Oh, and so does Dee, who they count on to fail — and she does, thoroughly humiliating herself in the process.
Dee’s Stand-Up Routine
Charlie and Dee want to step into the other’s shoes for a minute and see who has the worst life. So Dee takes Charlie for amateur night at the comedy club so he can see her perform. Sadly, her nervous gagging gets the best of her, and she can’t help but nearly lose her lunch in front of a huge audience. Who has the worst life? It’s one sad point for Dee!
Dee’s Best Dance Moves
Sweet Dee’s got some sweet dance moves and she knows it. When you’re drunk and partying on someone else’s yacht in the harbor, the best thing to do is dance. Besides, this inflatable green man swaying in the wind makes a great impromptu teacher. Their body types are nearly the same!
Dee Drunkly Judges A Talent Show
The gang stole Dee’s talent show idea. So, true to character, she responds to the situation by doing what she does best: getting drunk and insulting her friends while being strangely forgiving of talent show contestants in a loving(?) sendup of American Idol‘s OG judges. Oh, Dee, you’re forever our girl.
What’s more embarrassing than rolling on ecstasy in the club and dressing up like babies to perform some sexy weird dance moves with your own brother? When it’s recorded and put on public access television, of course.
Dee Gets Hit in the Face with a Volleyball
Dee’s gonna make it big someday as a comedic actress. But first, she’s going to portray racially-charged characters while interviewing random bystanders in the streets of Philadelphia for a “skit.” And Charlie’s going to be there to record it all, and help: by punting her in the face with a volleyball.
Dee Ate Some Bad Spaghetti
Kaitlin Olson is one of the best fake pukers in Hollywood history. There’s an Oscar category for that, right? Drunk and having eaten some “bad spaghetti” to cause her esophageal spasms, she inquires to find out if Mac has come to try to marry her. He laughs and states he’d rather “be shot in the face.” A pretty funny moment for the two characters considering that Rob McElhenney, who portrays Mac, is married to Kaitlin in real life. Save it for the anniversary card, you guys.
Dee Takes The Bus
When the gang totals Dee’s car, she has to find other ways to get around, including using public transportation. With mouth breathers and body grabbers surrounding her, she finds herself unable to deal with Philadelphia’s finest residents, who happen to all be located on a single overcrowded bus.
Dee Is Broken
When Sweet Dee is smoking, drinking directly from a bottle of whiskey, and eating cake straight from the box at the same time–the gang realizes they’ve broken her with their incessant browbeating and emotional cruelty. What are a bunch of best friends to do other than try to build her back up again… so that they can tear her back down, of course.
Dee’s Mysterious Rash
Sweet Dee keeps a video diary of her problems, which, of course, the gang finds and exploits. Here she details her, ahem, rash, “the kind a sexually active person would have” and the fact that it isn’t going away. Yikes!
Dee Runs Into A Car
Kaitlin Olson is always willing to engage in physical humor, including the season 4 episode, “Who Pooped the Bed?,” wherein Dee runs head-on into a car. While they could have used a stunt double, Kaitlin thought it would be funnier if she did it herself. And despite the multiple chiropractic visits she says she needed after filming the scene, as well as other onset injuries, we think the comedy aspect paid off in high dividends. Even if it was really embarrassing.