Made film acting debut in The Devil's Own (1997), but his scenes were cut; McElhenney's appearances in Curtis Hanson's Wonder Boys (2000) were also dropped
Other big-screen roles include A Civil Action (1998) and Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2001)
Along with Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day, created the FX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in 2005
McElhenney's original pilot for Sunny was shot for $200 on a hand-held digital camera
Diverse TV credits include appearances on ABC's Lost and All My Children, as well as NBC's ER and Law & Order