Roddy Piper's Always Sunny Appearance That You May Have Forgotten About
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper is fondly remembered as one of the best wrestlers on the mic and was one of the first major stars to make the successful shift from wrestling to acting. Alongside big names of the 1980s like Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan, Piper parlayed his onscreen charisma and way with words into memorable acting gigs, with a long list of B-movie credits to his name.
Piper's most acclaimed performance is without a doubt his turn as a nameless drifter in John Carpenter's 1988 sci-fi classic "They Live." Though Piper is credited in the movie as Nada, his character is never named throughout the film's runtime. Piper's performance in "They Live" broke through to the mainstream and helped elevate him as a next-level talent both inside and outside of wrestling, even though Vince McMahon wasn't happy with Piper taking the role.
Following "They Live," Piper accepted roles in films and television shows, including a starring role on a short-lived television series called "Tag Team," in which he appeared alongside Jesse "The Body" Ventura. That said, he's arguably more remembered for his role on another sitcom.
Piper appears as Da' Maniac on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
One late-career role that many fans may not be as familiar with is Piper's pair of appearances on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Piper first appeared on the show in the Season 5 episode "The Gang Wrestles for the Troops," in which he portrayed a crazed, aging independent wrestler known only as Da' Maniac. In the episode, Dennis, Charlie, and Mac hire Da' Maniac to perform on their wrestling show for the troops, in turn giving a new set of fans a glimpse at the genius of Roddy Piper as he curses and mumbles his way through the hilarious performance.
A few years later, Piper appeared on the show once again in the Season 9 episode titled "Mac and Dennis Buy a Timeshare." This time, Piper's Maniac gets roped into the gang's energy drink/timeshare pyramid scheme, though he eventually works his way into staying at Dennis and Mac's apartment. It's yet another stellar performance from Piper that cemented him as one of the long-running series' most eccentric side characters.
Sadly, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper passed away just two years after his performance on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."